Solid State Thermionic Power Generators: an analytical analysis in the nonlinear regime

TL;DR

This paper develops an analytical model for solid-state thermionic power generators operating in the nonlinear regime, identifying key parameters and showing they can surpass thermoelectric module efficiencies.

Contribution

It introduces a new analytical framework for thermionic generators in the nonlinear regime, providing design guidelines and efficiency comparisons.

Findings

Optimal load resistance relates to internal resistance.

Thermionic generators can exceed thermoelectric efficiency in nonlinear operation.

Guidelines for thermal and electrical resistance ranges are provided.

Abstract

Solid-state thermionic power generators are an alternative to thermoelectric modules. In this manuscript, we develop an analytical model to investigate the performance of these generators in the non-linear regime. We identify dimensionless parameters determining their performance and provide measures to estimate acceptable range of thermal and electrical resistances of thermionic generators. We find the relation between the optimum load resistance and the internal resistance and suggest guide lines for the design of thermionic power generators. Finally, we show that in the nonlinear regime, thermionic power generators can have efficiency values higher than the state of the art thermoelectric modules.