Thermoelectric effect

The thermoelectric effect is the coupling between heat flow and electrical behavior in materials: temperature differences can generate voltage, and electric current can move heat.

Seebeck effect: The generation of an electrical voltage across a material when its ends are held at different temperatures. It is the thermoelectric effect’s direct conversion of a temperature difference into voltage.
Thermoelectric generator: A device that converts a temperature difference into electrical power using thermoelectric materials. It uses the Seebeck effect to harvest heat without moving parts.
Seebeck coefficient: The voltage generated per unit temperature difference in a material, under specified measurement conditions. It quantifies the voltage response at the center of thermoelectric performance.
Thomas Johann Seebeck: A German physicist who discovered that a temperature difference between joined conductors produces a magnetic deflection. His 1821 observation established the effect that now bears his name.
Pyroelectric effect: The generation of electrical polarization or voltage when the temperature of a pyroelectric material changes over time. It responds to changing temperature, unlike the Seebeck effect’s steady temperature difference.
Peltier effect: Heating or cooling at a junction when electric current passes between two conductors or semiconductors. It describes the reverse conversion: electrical current drives heat transfer.
Thermoelectric cooler: A solid-state device that pumps heat when electric current passes through thermoelectric junctions. It applies the Peltier effect for compact heating and cooling.
Electrical conductivity: A measure of how readily electric charge moves through a material under an electric field. High conductivity limits electrical resistance in thermoelectric devices.
Jean Charles Athanase Peltier: A French physicist who discovered heating and cooling at junctions carrying electric current. His 1834 discovery revealed the thermoelectric effect’s current-driven counterpart.
Thermionic emission: The release of electrons from a heated material into a surrounding vacuum or other medium. It converts heat through emitted particles rather than coupled transport inside a solid.

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