SEEBECK EFFECT OF FE-AL-SI ALLOY AND LOW- TEMPERATURE THERMOELECTRIC PROPERTIES

The thermoelectric conversion offers unique possibility of a gigantic electric power generation utilizing low-temperature heat sources below 600K. Such sources are solar heat, terrestrial heat and exhaust waste heat from the central-station steam-electric plant. They are thermody namically low grade but infinite and gratis. The immense production of electricity by this principle is made possible exclusively by means o f the thermoelectric junction between the iron-based: alloys as the co nversion materials because these components of the generator can be ma nufactured on an efficient mass production basis. Among several possib le thermoelectric junctions basically consisted oi iron, the Fe13%Al12 %Si (p)-Fe12%Al (n) alloy couple has been found to exhibit a relativel y high value of thermoelectric power, 71 mu V/K. The merit of tl-its t hermoelectric power junction with respect to the thermoelectric conver sion has also been described by measuring other thermoelectric propert ies of these elements.