| About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
MS&T21: Materials Science & Technology
|
| Symposium
|
Energy Materials for Sustainable Development
|
| Presentation Title |
Half-Heusler Alloys: Promising Materials For Mid-To-High Temperature Thermoelectric Conversion |
| Author(s) |
Joseph S. Poon, Mousumi Mitra, Peter Thomas, Kai Yang |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Joseph S. Poon |
| Abstract Scope |
Half-Heusler phases (MgAgSb structure) are known for their high thermoelectric power factor, good thermal stability, and high scalability. These materials, especially those based on refractory elements, have emerged as promising thermoelectric materials in the intermediate temperature range (400-800oC). Thermoelectric (TE) modules fabricated by Novus Energy Technologies using n-type and p-type half-Heusler (HH) alloys developed at U. Virginia have demonstrated a conversion efficiency of ~9 % and record power output of 50 W with a power density of 3.55 W/cm2 in a thermoelectric module consisting of 49 n-p couples, and near 10 W/m2 for a 3-stage module. This talk will focus on the scientific advancements since the 2010s that cumulated in attaining ZT>1 as well as the realization of practical TE modules for future fusion space power applications. We will report on the use of bandstructure engineering in enhancing the TE properties of both n-type and p-type HH alloys. |