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1. Verfasser: Markvart, Tom
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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Online-Zugang:https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16388
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author Markvart, Tom
author_facet Markvart, Tom
contents This paper shows a fundamental thermodynamic similarity between thermoelectric and photovoltaic energy converters which, at open circuit, can be represented as isochoric engines generating a finite chemical potential which appears as voltage at the terminals of the device. We show that, allowing for the temperature variation of the Seebeck coefficient, the maximum energy efficiency is intrinsically lower than the Carnot efficiency, as assumed in most of the literature, although more sophisticated strategies may exist to recuperate this loss. At finite current, further losses can be modelled in terms of finite-time thermodynamics.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_16388
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Solar cells and thermoelectric generators as finite-time chemical heat engines
Markvart, Tom
Applied Physics
This paper shows a fundamental thermodynamic similarity between thermoelectric and photovoltaic energy converters which, at open circuit, can be represented as isochoric engines generating a finite chemical potential which appears as voltage at the terminals of the device. We show that, allowing for the temperature variation of the Seebeck coefficient, the maximum energy efficiency is intrinsically lower than the Carnot efficiency, as assumed in most of the literature, although more sophisticated strategies may exist to recuperate this loss. At finite current, further losses can be modelled in terms of finite-time thermodynamics.
title Solar cells and thermoelectric generators as finite-time chemical heat engines
topic Applied Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.16388