5 Werkstofftechnik
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Additive manufacturing (AM) processes are opening new design possibilities for large scale electrical devices such as power generators. Conventional manufacturing methods use copper rods which are wrapped, vacuum impregnated, bend and welded. These processes are labor-intensive and time-consuming. The introduction of AM methods for manufacturing the copper conductor and electrical insulation can reduce the size of the generator head, the most complex part of the generator.
In this study, the electrical and dielectrical properties of additively deposited ceramic layers are investigated and compared with the properties of conventionally fabricated bulk ceramics. The ceramic layers are thermally deposited by atmospheric plasma spraying of a commercially available alumina powder. Bulk ceramics are fabricated by dry pressing and sintering of the same powder. Microstructure and porosity were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Electrical and dielectrical properties such as DC resistance, dielectric strength, dielectric loss, and relative permittivity were determined according to the standards.
The microstructures of sprayed and sintered alumina show significant differences with respect to grain form and porosity. The density of the bulk ceramic is lower than the density of the sprayed layer due to the coarse particle size (d50 = 33 μm). Therefore, data from dense samples of the same chemical composition but lower particle size alumina powder were used for comparison.
Multilayer thermoelectric generators are a promising perspective to the conventional π-type generators. Ceramic multilayer technology is well established for production of microelectronics and piezo-stacks. Key features of ceramic multilayer technology are full-automation, cost-effectiveness, and the co-firing of all materials in one single step. This requires similar sintering temperatures of all used materials. The development of multilayer thermoelectric generators is a subject of current research due to the advantages of this technology. One of the challenges is the compatibility of the different materials with respect to the specific design.
The presented study compares three different designs of multilayer generators based on a given set of material properties. Dualleg, unileg and transverse multilayer generators are compared to conventional π-type generators., the designs are evaluated regarding the expected maximum output power and power density using analytical calculations and FEM simulations. Additionally, the complexity of the production process and material requirements are assessed and design optimizations to simplify production are discussed.
Besides the theoretical aspects, unileg multilayer generator prototypes were produced by tape-casting and pressure-assisted sintering. These prototypes are compared to other multilayer generators from literature regarding the power factors of the used material system and the power density. Improvements of the power output by design optimizations are discussed
Currently, calcium manganate CaMnO3 and calcium cobaltite Ca3Co4O9 are being investigated as n-type resp. p-type semiconducting materials as oxidation- and temperature-resistant thermoelectric materials for oxide multilayer thermoelectric generators (TEGs). In order to manufacture multilayer TEGs, pressure-assisted sintering processes at high temperatures are necessary to achieve optimal thermoelectric material properties. To realize TEGs in planar film technology, another method to obtain dense ceramic layers directly from the synthesized starting powders without a subsequent high temperature step is emerging recently: the powder aerosol deposition (PAD) method. In the present work, it is investigated whether PAD is suitable to produce dense ceramic films from Sm-doped CaMnO3 and Ca3Co4O9 powders. The resulting thermoelectric properties are characterized as a function of temperature.
CaMnO3 powder could successfully be processed by PAD with resulting layer thicknesses of 5- 6 µm without any high-temperature sintering steps of the films. The electrical conductivity and the Seebeck coefficient of the films were determined in-plane from room temperature to 600 °C in air. The results show a Seebeck coefficient of around -200 µV/K, which is comparable to results of pressed and sintered bars. At 400 °C, the electrical conductivity corresponds to the conductivity of the bar. At higher temperatures the conductivity is better than with the reference. Below 400°C, the electrical conductivity is somewhat lower than that of the reference sample, a mild thermal treatment of the PAD layer improves it. It is expected that the thermal conductivity of the PAD film will be lower compared to the bars due to the nano-crystalline film morphology. This should result in a significantly increased ZT value for the PAD layers and a higher efficiency of the TEG.
The work shows that both CaMnO3 and Ca3Co4O9 can be successfully processed by PAD, and the PAD films show comparable thermoelectric properties.