Source and sink thermal resistance effects

ASTATIC ANALYSIS of the thermoelectric generator is necessary in order to specify the electrical loading condition for maximum energy conversion efficiency and to determine the corresponding efficiency. All previous writers on the subject have assumed that the temperatures of the thermal energy source and sink are fixed. This article is concerned with static performance of a thermoelectric generator which operates between a thermal source and a thermal sink having nonzero thermal resistances. This case of non-ideal thermal sources, in which the junction temperatures depend upon the rates of heat flow from the source and to the sink, becomes of greater importance as the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric generator is increased.