Title :
Vacuum Tunnel Diodes for Cooling Devices and Power Generators
Author :
Holopkin, A.I. ; Abrutin, V.N.
Author_Institution :
ADV-Eng. Co., Ltd., Moscow
Abstract :
In the present work was made the analysis of state of the art of development of solid-state vacuum tunnel diodes (VTDs) for cooling devices as well as for power generators. Quantum-mechanical calculations of cooling power, maximum temperature difference and efficiency for VTDs operating in cooling mode, and maximum electric power and efficiency in dependence on width of a vacuum gap and temperature difference on electrodes for VTDs operating in power generation mode had been made. It is shown that VTDs can be used in cooling devices with efficiency of up to 100% and in high efficiency power generators working from various heat sources in temperature range of 300-600 degC. Different technologies including nanotechnologies of the manufacturing of VTDs with gaps in nm-range and electrodes made from metals, semiconductors and thermoelectric materials were discussed. Also there were formulated the directions of scientific researches for creation of large area VTDs for cooling devices and power generators
Keywords :
cooling; electric generators; thermoelectric devices; tunnel diodes; 300 to 600 C; cooling devices; electric power; electrodes; metals; nanotechnology; power generators; semiconductors; thermoelectric materials; vacuum gap; vacuum tunnel diodes; Cooling; Electrodes; Elementary particle vacuum; Power generation; Semiconductor device manufacture; Semiconductor diodes; Solid state circuits; Temperature dependence; Temperature distribution; Thermoelectricity;
Conference_Titel :
Thermoelectrics, 2006. ICT '06. 25th International Conference on
Conference_Location :
Vienna
Print_ISBN :
1-4244-0811-3
Electronic_ISBN :
1094-2734
DOI :
10.1109/ICT.2006.331339
