推进热电材料发展的新思路

Ideas to Advance Thermoelectric Materials Development

由于能源短缺与不断增加的能源需求间的矛盾,为保证未来能源的安全性,需要一个多元化的能源组合结构。由于世界上有将近50%的能源输入以废热的方式被浪费掉,应用热电效应将这部分废热有效地转换为电能是一种重要的清洁、可再生能源技术。为了提高热-电转换效率,需要开发出具有高材料优值(ZT)的热电材料。然而,改善热电材料是一个复杂的多变量优化问题——即降低热导率、增加塞贝克系数和升高电导率。就近年来一些成功提高热电材料ZT值的思路和想法作简要的报道。

In light of the conflict between energy shortage and increasing energy demand,a secure energy future needs solutions that come from a diverse energy portfolio. Thermoelectrics,which could convert waste heat to electrical power,is an important clean and renewable energy technology,especially considering the fact that more than half of the energy input is lost as waste heat. The development of thermoelectric materials with high figure of merit（ ZT） is needed to increase the efficiency of heat-electricity conversion,which involves multivariate optimizations to achieve low thermal conductivity,high Seebeck coefficient and high electrical conductivity simultaneously. In this short report,I will discuss the new ideas that have advanced the development of thermoelectric materials during the last two decades.