Conventional Thermoelectric Devices for Low‐Grade Heat Harvesting

The traditional thermoelectric devices are designed in series and in parallel with the "π" structure of P-type materials and N-type materials to ensure the required output power. Thermoelectric materials can be divided into metal alloys, semiconductor metal oxides, etc. according to their materials. Through the optimization design of the device structure, it is easy to maximize the thermoelectric performance of the material and achieve high conversion efficiency. The manufacturing technology of π-structured bismuth telluride thermoelectric devices is well-established and has been widely used commercially. In this chapter, the single-stage cobaltite device and two-stage cobaltite/bismuth telluride power generation device are taken as examples to demonstrate the optimal design method of the device structure and the influence of the main structural parameters and interface parameters on the device performance.