Mechanical and magnetic optimization of a magneto-thermoelectric generator for thermal energy harvesting

초록

We use a physical model to optimize the mechanical and magnetic properties of a magneto-thermoelectric generator (MTG) device to improve its performance. The key to the MTG device designed for thermal energy harvesting is the use of the ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transition of Gd metal induced by a temperature difference between two heat sources. To increase the heat transfer between the Gd and the heat sources, a clamped and simply supported beam structure is proposed as an alternative to cantilevers. For the mechanical and magnetic optimization of the proposed structure, a physics model is used to develop theoretical predictions. Experiments confirmed that the MTG device operates within the predicted range.

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