Calculation of Efficiency of Thermoelectric Devices

TLDR

Approximate thermoelectric efficiency methods have been reviewed and their discussion extended. The authors worked out a series of examples using both the exact calculation procedure and the approximate methods. They developed an exact efficiency calculation procedure that requires high‑speed computing, and found that approximate methods agree within about 5 % for power generation and 15 % for the refrigeration coefficient of performance, but can deviate by up to a factor of two for the maximum heat‑pumping rate.

Abstract

A procedure has been developed for the exact calculation of the efficiency of thermoelectric generators and cooling devices in which the parameters of the materials have arbitrary temperature dependence. High speed computer techniques are found necessary. Approximate methods are reviewed and their discussion extended. A number of examples are worked out by both the exact and approximate methods. Comparison of these results show that the approximate methods agree with the exact method to about 5% in the case of power generation and to about 15% in the case of the refrigeration coefficient of performance. However, in the case of the maximum heat pumping rate deviations as large as a factor of 2 are found.