Abstract Scope |
Thermoelectric materials enable direct, solid-state conversion of heat to electricity and vice versa, so they offer functional power generation and heat pumping capabilities. Additive manufacturing offers the potential to structure thermoelectric materials and devices at multiple length scales, thus improving both intrinsic properties, overall system performance, and application integration. We report on experimental and computational investigation of process-structure-property relationships for laser powder bed fusion of thermoelectric materials for both low (near 100°C) and high (near 1000°C) temperature applications. The results provide knowledge about how rapid melting and solidification of thermoelectric materials during laser additive manufacturing impacts the material structure and properties, and they indicate functional grading of thermoelectric properties during the additive manufacturing process may be possible. The power generation performance impact of unique device shapes enabled by additive manufacturing was modeled for high and low temperature and heat flux boundary conditions, and selected promising shapes were fabricated. |