Thermoelektronisk

Thermoelektronisk is a term derived from the Greek words "thermos" meaning heat, and "elektron" meaning amber, a naturally occurring form of electron-rich material. It refers to the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage and vice versa. This phenomenon is governed by the Seebeck effect, discovered by Thomas Johann Seebeck in 1821, and the Peltier effect, named after Jean Charles Athanase Peltier in 1834.

Thermoelectric materials can be classified into two types: n-type (electron-rich) and p-type (hole-rich). When a temperature gradient is applied across a thermoelectric material, electrons or holes move from the hot side to the cold side, generating an electric potential. Conversely, when an electric current is passed through a thermoelectric material, heat is either absorbed or released, depending on the direction of the current.

The efficiency of thermoelectric materials is typically measured by the figure of merit, ZT, which is a dimensionless quantity that combines the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and Seebeck coefficient of the material. Higher ZT values indicate more efficient thermoelectric materials.

Thermoelektronisk has a wide range of applications, including power generation from waste heat, cooling systems, and temperature sensing. However, the low efficiency of current thermoelectric materials limits their widespread use. Research is ongoing to develop new materials with higher ZT values, as well as to improve the manufacturing processes to enhance the performance of thermoelectric devices.