Journal
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
Volume 111, Issue 2, Pages -Publisher
AMER INST PHYSICS
DOI: 10.1063/1.3679544
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Funding
- Center for Energy Efficient Materials
- Office of Basic Energy Sciences of the U.S. Department of Energy
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We report the theoretical efficiency of thermoelectric power generation with asymmetric thermal contacts to reservoirs. A key ingredient is the electrical and thermal co-optimization. Generic formula of the maximum power output and the optimum leg length are obtained. The Curzon-Ahlborn limit at maximum power can be rigorously derived when the dimensionless figure-of-merit is very large for any asymmetric thermal contact resistances. The results differ from cyclic thermodynamic engines, and some of the reasons are discussed. We also point out the similarity and differences with single-level quantum dot heat engines, which assume no explicit thermal contact resistance with reservoirs. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3679544]
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