Thermodynamic Analysis of Semiconductor Thermoelectric Generator

Based on the steady conduction equation,thermodynamic analysis is performed on generator components,a basic model of semiconductor thermoelectric generator is constituted.The temperature function,output power and generating efficiency of p and n semiconductors are obtained.The influence of Thomson heat,often ignored in traditional analysis process,is discussed at the same time.Results indicate that Thomson heat can’t be ignored in cases of low-temperature and great temperature differences.