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Composite Thermoelectrics - Exact Results and Calculational Methods

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 February 2011

David J. Bergman  and
Ohad Levy
David J. Bergman
Affiliation:
Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
Ohad Levy
Affiliation:
Raymond and Beverly Sackler Faculty of Exact Sciences, School of Physics and Astronomy, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel.
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Abstract

A theoretical study of composite thermoelectric media has resulted in the development of a number of simple approximations, as well as some exact results. The latter include exact upper and lower bounds on the bulk effective thermoelectric transport coefficients of the composite and upper bounds on the bulk effective thermoelectric quality factor Ze. In particular, as a result of some exact theorems and computer simulations we conclude that Ze can never be greater than the largest value of Z in the different components that make up the composite.

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References

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