Thermoelectricity application considerations

NOWADAYS, A DESIGNER is faced with myriad electric power requirements ¿ from milliwatts to megawatts ¿ defined by new weapon and space systems concepts. At his disposal, fortunately, are numerous and varied potential sources of electricity. There is renewed interest and activity in fuel cells and thermionic and thermoelectric converters, for example. These, together with improved batteries and rotating generators driven by assorted prime movers, present many possibilities that want consideration for a given system. The particular selection, of course, is governed by an optimization study, covering required power level, mission time, and desired characteristics.