Magnetic field effect for improvement of thermoelectric conversion: A proposal for Nernst-Seebeck element

We examined the magnetic field effects on thermoelectric properties, aiming to enhance the thermoelectric power generation. Here, we propose the "Nernst-Seebeck" element, which uses the hybrid electric field of the Seebeck effect and the Nernst effect in the magnetic field. The thermoelectric properties of the polycrystalline bismuth (Bi) in the magnetic field are measured at 200 K and 290 K, proving the enhancement of the effective thermoelectric power due to the Nernst+Seebeck hybrid effect. Using the measured thermoelectric properties, the maximum output power and the conversion efficiency of the Nernst-Seebeck element are calculated for the different widths of the electrodes. An enhancement of 10 /spl sim/ 12 % in the conversion efficiency is attained in the square geometry, compared with that of the standard Seebeck element.