This book outlines the principles of thermoelectric generation and refrigeration from the discovery of the Seebeck and Peltier effects in the nineteenth century through the introduction of semiconductor thermoelements in the mid-twentieth century to the more recent development of nanostructured materials. It is shown that the efficiency of a thermoelectric generator and the coefficient of performance of a thermoelectric refrigerator can be related to a quantity known as the figure of merit. The figure of merit depends on the Seebeck coefficient and the ratio of the electrical to thermal...

This book is a comprehensive collection of the most influential papers on thermoelectricity published in the last two centuries. Starting with the pioneering work of Volta, Seebeck, and Peltier on thermoelectric phenomena, it takes the reader through a historical journey of articles and books that have shaped the field of thermoelectricity, covering topics ranging from fundamental physics to novel materials. The book is annotated by a team of distinguished researchers from around the world and includes English translations of the earliest research reports on thermoelectricity, many of which...