Solid State Thermionic Power Generators: an analytical analysis in the nonlinear regime

Abstract

Solid-state thermionic power generators are an alternative to thermoelectric modules. In this manuscript, we develop an analytical model to investigate the performance of these generators in the non-linear regime. We identify dimensionless parameters determining their performance and provide measures to estimate acceptable range of thermal and electrical resistances of thermionic generators. We find the relation between the optimum load resistance and the internal resistance and suggest guide lines for the design of thermionic power generators. Finally, we show that in the nonlinear regime, thermionic power generators can have efficiency values higher than the state of the art thermoelectric modules.