Thermoelectric devices enable the interconversion of thermal and electrical energy, and have a significant potential to recover waste heat from industrial processes and to increase the energy efficiency of automotive engines. Other applications of thermoelectrics include solid-state refrigeration for opto- and microelectronics, and remote power generation for aerospace and military applications. However, commercially available thermoelectric devices are only about 5% efficient. Discovery of higher efficiency and cheaper thermoelectric materials is critical to enable the practical recovery of waste thermal energy. Opportunities exist to investigate fundamental material transport properties (Seebeck coefficient, electrical resistivity, heat capacity, thermal diffusivity) by developing new measurement techniques and improved measurement instrumentation, to investigate the synthesis of novel materials using both traditional and combinatorial approaches, and to develop advanced manufacturing techniques for thermoelectric modules. Opportunities also exist for other energy storage and conversion technologies, including storage devices such as batteries, and transduction technologies that convert energy from a form that is challenging to store into one that is economically favorable or more convenient, including for example, chemical, kinetic, electrostatic, or thermal.

 

References

Martin J, Tritt T, Uher C: High Temperature Seebeck Coefficient Metrology. Journal of Applied Physics-Focused Review 108: 121101, 2010

Martin J: Protocols for the High Temperature Measurement of the Seebeck Coefficient in Thermoelectric Materials. Measurement Science and Technology 24: 085601, 2013

Martin J, et al: Thermocyclic stability of candidate Seebeck coefficient Standard Reference Materials at high temperature. Journal of Applied Physics 115: 193501, 2014

 

Keywords:

Energy conversion; Seebeck coefficient; Sustainability; Thermoelectric; Batteries; Thermophotovoltaic; Transport properties; Combinatorial semiconductor;

Citizenship:  Open to U.S. citizens

Level:  Open to Postdoctoral applicants