Thermoelectric conversion driven by metamaterial

Abstract

This study reports on the metamaterial thermoelectric conversion in an environment with uniform thermal radiation. Generally, thermoelectric conversion, driven by the Seebeck effect, cannot operate in an environment with uniform thermal radiation where temperature gradients across the thermoelectric elements disappear. To address this issue, we utilized a metamaterial absorber to drive the thermoelectric conversion in an environment with uniform thermal radiation. The metamaterial absorbs the thermal radiation emitted from the surrounding environment and converts it into local heat. This local heat leads to a thermal gradient across the thermoelectric element, which drives the thermoelectric power generation. The power generation characteristics of the metamaterial thermoelectric conversion were investigated. Furthermore, nonradiative cooling, a mechanism that cools the space surrounded by an opaque absorber, is introduced.