バナジウム系ガラスを用いた塗布型熱電変換素子

概要

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Thermoelectric (TE) devices have emerged as one of the most promising new technologies for use as sensor module energy harvesters and as waste-heat recovery systems. Low-cost and large-area printed TE devices are suitable because heat sources are widely distributed through-out the environment. In addition, high reliability is also required of the TE materials because the devices are operated in high-temperature environments over long periods of time. In this study, we developed glass matrix TE composite materials that have a higher softening temperature than organic materials. Using low melting point vanadate glasses as the matrix materials, we fabricated n-type Bi2Te3— vanadate glass and p-type Bi0.3Sb1.7Te3—vanadate glass composites. The figure of merit (ZT) of both materials was approximately 0.2 at temperatures between 25 and 300°C. We also fabricated a pair of thermocouple devices using these vanadate glass composites with simple printing process, and an output voltage of 5 mV was obtained when the thermocouple pair was placed on a hot plate heated to 90°C.