Editing Topology optimization (section)

==== Thermoelectric energy conversion ====

[[File:Design-sketch.png|thumb|A sketch of the design problem. The aim of the design problem is to spatially distribute two materials, Material A and Material B, to maximise a performance measure such as cooling power or electric power output]]

[[File:Topology-optimization-off-diagonal-design-evolution.gif|thumb|Design evolution for an off-diagonal thermoelectric generator. The design solution of an optimisation problem solved for electric power output. The performance of the device has been optimised by distributing [[Skutterudite]] (yellow) and [[bismuth telluride]] (blue) with a density-based topology optimisation methodology. The aim of the optimisation problem is to maximise the electric power output of the thermoelectric generator.]]

[[File:Evolution-design solution.gif|thumb|Design evolution for a thermoelectric cooler. The aim of the design problem is to maximise the cooling power of the thermoelectric cooler.]]

[[Thermoelectric effect|Thermoelectricity]] is a multi-physic problem which concerns the interaction and coupling between electric and thermal energy in semi conducting materials. Thermoelectric energy conversion can be described by two separately identified effects: The Seebeck effect and the Peltier effect. The Seebeck effect concerns the conversion of thermal energy into electric energy and the Peltier effect concerns the conversion of electric energy into thermal energy.<ref>Rowe, David Michael. [https://books.google.com/books?id=VvCb_deT4kIC&q=Seebeck Thermoelectrics handbook: macro to nano]. CRC press, 2005.</ref> By spatially distributing two thermoelectric materials in a two dimensional design space with a topology optimisation methodology,<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1007/s00158-018-1919-1| title=A density-based topology optimization methodology for thermoelectric energy conversion problems| journal=Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization| volume=57| issue=4| pages=1427–1442| year=2018| last1=Lundgaard| first1=Christian| last2=Sigmund| first2=Ole| s2cid=126031362| url=https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/files/163153924/grayscale_Lundgaard_C._Sigmund_O_2018_.pdf}}</ref> it is possible to exceed performance of the constitutive thermoelectric materials for [[Thermoelectric cooling|thermoelectric coolers]] and [[thermoelectric generator]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal |doi = 10.1007/s11664-018-6606-x|title = Topology Optimization of Segmented Thermoelectric Generators|journal = Journal of Electronic Materials|volume = 47|issue = 12|pages = 6959–6971|year = 2018|last1 = Lundgaard|first1 = Christian|last2 = Sigmund|first2 = Ole|last3 = Bjørk|first3 = Rasmus|bibcode = 2018JEMat..47.6959L |s2cid = 105113187|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323143969}}</ref>