Thermoelectric Micro / Nano Generators, Volume 1: Fundamental Physics, Materials and Measurements

This book explores a key technology regarding the importance of connections via an Internet of Things network and how this helps us to easily communicate with others and gather information. Namely, what would happen if this suddenly became unavailable due to a shortage of power or electricity? Using thermoelectric generators is a viable solution as they use the heat around us to generate the much-needed electricity for our technological needs. This first volume explores the computational and data-driven development of these thermoelectric generators, as well as the use of various abundant materials such as copper and silver chalcogenides and nanocarbons. It also offers reviews on universal property enhancement principles and the case of strongly correlated oxides, and goes on to explore the metrology of the thermal properties of thermoelectric generators, detailing methods of how to measure the absolute Seebeck coefficient using the Thomson effect and the thermal diffusivity of thin films using the ultrafast laser flash method.