Thomas Johann Seebeck
Thermoelectricity has two fathers: German and French. The first of them was a German. On December 14, 1820, Thomas Johann Seebeck, an academician of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, gave a report and demonstration of his experience to his colleagues. Seebeck discovered that if you take a wire ring welded from two different metals and heat one of the two joints, the compass needle located nearby will be deflected. He called the discovered phenomenon “thermomagnetism” and in 1822 described it in the article “On the question of the magnetic polarization of certain materials and ores that occurs under conditions of temperature differences.”
Seebeck noted that the angle of deflection of the compass needle and the direction of its rotation depended both on the temperature difference between the heated and unheated soldering sites, and on what substances were taken. He experimented, for example, with bismuth, copper and antimony. Later, scientists learned that a change in the magnetic field is caused by an electric current appearing in the substance at that moment, and the phenomenon itself began to be called the “Seebeck effect.”
Later, in 1834, Jean-Charles Peltier decided to see what would happen if a drop of water was placed between two electrodes and an electric current was applied. The result amazed the scientist: the water turned into ice. This phenomenon became known as the Peltier effect. Together with the Seebeck effect, it is classified as a thermoelectric phenomenon.
Both the Seebeck effect and the Peltier effect are observed when an electrical circuit consists of two different materials. The effects are opposite to each other. With the Seebeck effect, an electric current arises from a temperature difference. With the Peltier effect, when a current is passed, the temperature changes. It is worth clarifying that if you change the polarity of the current, the conductor will not cool, but rather warm up. Both effects appear slightly when two metals come into contact, but are very noticeable if we are dealing with two semiconductors.
It took them a long time to learn how to derive practical benefits from two such remarkable phenomena. But now both the Peltier effect and the Seebeck effect are actively used in technology. For cooling, you can use “Peltier elements” (in English they are called thermoelectric cooler— thermoelectric cooler, TEC). These are two or more pairs of semiconductors connected by jumpers. When connected to the electrical network, one side of the Peltier element will be cooled.
Yuri Petrovich Maslakovets
How does the Seebeck effect work? Perhaps, the primacy in its practical application belongs to domestic physicists. This was done during the war by scientists from the Physico-Technical Institute under the leadership of A.F. Ioffe. A way was needed to allow the partisans to charge the batteries of radio transmitters. Of course, the partisan units were supplied with new batteries using airplanes, but this method was not always possible to use. Charging dynamos were also made that operated from a car engine or from human effort, but they did not solve the problem.
Thermoelectric generator TG-1
When the Great Patriotic War began, physicists at the Leningrad Institute of Physics and Technology developed the TG-1 thermoelectric generator, known as the “partisan pot,” specifically for partisans and sabotage groups thrown behind enemy lines. The work on its creation was led by one of Ioffe’s colleagues, Yuri Maslakovets, who became interested in thermoelectric phenomena in semiconductors even before the war. TG-1 really looked like a cauldron, was filled with water and placed on a fire. A compound of antimony with zinc and constantan, a copper-based alloy with the addition of nickel and manganese, were used as semiconductor materials. The temperature difference between the fire flame and the water reached 300° and was sufficient to generate current in the thermoelectric generator. As a result, the partisans charged the batteries of their radio station. The power of TG-1 reached 10 watts. The generator was launched in March 1943 at Research Institute 627 with Pilot Plant No. 1.
After the war, A.F. Ioffe and Yu.P. Maslakovets continued work in the field of thermoelectricity. In 1950, Ioffe wrote the work “Energy Basis of Thermoelectric Batteries Made of Semiconductors,” where he studied the properties of semiconductor materials that make it possible to achieve the highest possible efficiency of a thermogenerator. The industry of the USSR produced various types of generators intended for remote areas where there is no access to the electrical network. For example, a thermogenerator TGK-3 was created, which was attached to the glass of a kerosene lamp and made it possible to power a radio receiver.
TGK-3 (1954)
Later, with the development of electricity supply and the availability of cheap fuel, the need for thermoelectric generators decreased. But even now they are being used. First of all, this happens where other power sources are difficult to access: in automatic beacons and meteorological stations, in cathodic protection devices on oil pipelines.
The second part of our story, which you can read next week, will be devoted to modern developments using thermoelectric effects.
Hello everyone.
I present to you another set for assembling a visual aid for physics lessons, the electricity section, or just a model of a fan with a thermoelectric generator. Contains an electric motor and a power source in the form of a Peltier element. This visual aid shows how you can use alternative energy sources, and simply broadens your horizons. You can call it a toy, but with a reservation, because hot water is used. So, for those who are interested, please refer to the cat.
According to Wikipedia, a Peltier element is a thermoelectric converter, the operating principle of which is based on the Peltier effect - the occurrence of a temperature difference when an electric current flows. In English-language literature, Peltier elements are designated TEC (from the English Thermoelectric Cooler - thermoelectric cooler).
Many have already heard about such elements, and some have already used them for their own purposes. A clear example of the use of a Peltier element is a water cooler in an office. Cooled water is obtained using a Peltier element.
But in our case it should be the other way around. We must get electricity from this element.
In this case, the opposite effect of the Peltier effect, called the Seebeck effect, will help us.
The Seebeck effect is the phenomenon of the occurrence of EMF in a closed electrical circuit consisting of series-connected dissimilar conductors, the contacts between which are at different temperatures. The Seebeck effect is also sometimes simply called the thermoelectric effect.
Simply, when one side of the element is heated or cooled, electricity is generated. This particular constructor is designed to use the Seebeck effect and by assembling it we will obtain a thermoelectric generator.
A striking example of a thermoelectric generator that became widespread in the post-war years is the TGK-3 thermogenerator: 
The source of heat and, incidentally, light was an ordinary kerosene lamp. The developed fins provided the maximum possible temperature difference for generating electricity.
An earlier version of the TG-1 thermogenerator was used during the Great Patriotic War from 1943 in partisan formations and was a good help for batteries and car-based generators.
Partisan bowler hat
When the Great Patriotic War began, physicists at the Leningrad Institute of Physics and Technology developed the TG-1 thermoelectric generator, known as the “partisan pot,” specifically for partisans and sabotage groups thrown behind enemy lines. The work on its creation was led by one of Ioffe’s colleagues, Yuri Maslakovets, who became interested in thermoelectric phenomena in semiconductors even before the war. TG-1 really looked like a cauldron, was filled with water and placed on a fire. The semiconductor materials used were a compound of antimony with zinc and constantan, a copper-based alloy with the addition of nickel and manganese. The temperature difference between the fire flame and the water reached 300° and was sufficient to generate current in the thermoelectric generator. As a result, the partisans charged the batteries of their radio station. The power of TG-1 reached 10 watts. The generator was launched in March 1943 at Research Institute 627 with Pilot Plant No. 1.
We have become familiar with the purpose and principle of operation, now let’s move on to our designer.
Delivery and packaging:
Delivery by transport company in 19 days. 
I hoped that with such packaging nothing would happen to me. 
Standard packaging from a double bag with parts poured inside. 
Opening the package:
Plywood base, several identical bars. Some of them are used as legs. Bar for the stand. Polypropylene latch for fastening the electric motor. The electric motor itself and a tube of glue. This photo does not include a container with a lid for cold water. More on this later.
A glass with a lid for hot water. Made of aluminum, transfers heat well. Dimensions 60x60 mm. The power plant of the set was hidden inside the glass - a Peltier element with an installed radiator. The capacity of the glass is at least 100 milliliters.
Instructions:
You don’t have to follow these instructions when assembling, because the cat has lost all the parts. 
A little bit of tar:
Even though the plastic box was in a separate bag, it was still damaged. I took out the fragments and glued them in place using dichloroethane. There were traces left, I smoothed them out a little with sandpaper. 
Electricity source - Peltier element:
Unfortunately, there is either no marking, or there was one, but on the other side.
The element is glued to a radiator measuring 40x40x20 mm and has 11 fins.
By the way, a similar radiator can be obtained from the bridge (north or south) of an old motherboard.
Interesting detail, doesn't remind you of anything?
Yes, this is a 1 inch polypropylene pipe holder. However, it copes with fixing the electric motor with a bang.
The electric motor is very weak. Operating voltage 5 Volts.
100% of the same can be obtained by disassembling an old CD-Rom in which the motor is responsible for moving the tray.
The fan is 3-bladed, diameter approximately 55 mm. Slides directly onto the motor shaft.
For some reason it reminded me of Carlson, who lives on the roof.
The glue this time is actually identified as PVA. Not frozen. Glues well and quickly.
Build process:
We fix the legs on the base. We install a block that limits the movement of the bath.
We fix the bath with double-sided tape and then fix the long bar perpendicular to the base. Next, using PVA glue, we fix the polypropylene clamp with a motor with a fan pre-installed in it. For reliability, you can fix it with a small screw.
Electrical part - we connect the wires of the electric motor by color with the wires of the Peltier element and insulate them with heat-shrinkable tubing.
At this point the assembly can be considered complete.
To start the designer, you need to pour cold water into a transparent container about 2/3 full, lower the radiator with its ribs down and place an aluminum cup on top into which we already pour hot water. For a better visual effect, it is better to pour boiling water. In any case, the greater the temperature difference, the more power the generator will give to the motor and the higher the fan speed will be.
The bath is fixed to the base using PVA glue. According to the instructions, it was necessary to use double-sided tape. But since I treated the surface with sandpaper, it stuck just fine. There is no need for a pressure bar. 
I made a small mistake during assembly. The screw touched a rectangular block. I had to move the motor forward a little. Also, the block could not be installed. 
Let's try. Does not work! A slight push on the blade and the fan quickly picks up speed. 
Our temperature is: 5 and 72 degrees Celsius, respectively.
In this case, the voltmeter shows 0.8 Volts. This is the value under load in the form of an electric motor. 
The tachometer recorded a maximum speed of about 1400 per minute. 
For better contact of the cup with the Peltier element, I used heat-conducting paste, which I bought once on Aliexpress. 
With its use, it is not necessary to push the fan impeller. The motor spins up on its own.
You can increase the efficiency a little and level the bottom of the cup. Although it is stamped and does not look wrinkled, its surface can be improved with fine sandpaper and a flat surface.
Hurray, now it works independently and with less temperature difference!
Want more?! Run the engine, the speed will increase a little. You can also increase the temperature difference.
The video demonstrates the assembled layout from all sides, as well as in working condition.
The rest of the video, starting at 1:28, is about assembly.
Warning:
Due to the use of hot water, it is highly advisable to carry out test runs under adult supervision.
A glass made of aluminum can be as hot as the water inside. Either cover it with self-adhesive insulating material, or handle it with gloves or pliers.
The motor power is weak, so if it hits your fingers with the impeller, it’s okay. It won't hurt.
Conclusions:
Interesting, simple set. You can keep your child busy for the evening and broaden his horizons. Not everyone can play toys on the phone.
Wooden parts are high-quality sawn. There are also no burrs. Wood - linden or aspen.
The designer is designed for children from primary school and above. The accuracy and precision of assembly does not affect the final result.
I recommend using a soldering iron to solder wires. An alternative is to twist the wires.
Difficulties were caused by fixing the column to the base; either you had to wait longer for the glue to set, or use a screw.
The platform is quite universal. Instead of a Peltier element, you can use, for example, photocells or make a reversible option - an electric motor generates electricity and powers, for example, an LED.
Or you can make a boat using a foam body. You'll get an airboat. As a table fan, the idea is hardly feasible.
As you noticed, many parts can be obtained locally. All that remains is to buy a Peltier element and do everything yourself.
That's all. Thank you for your time.
The product was provided for writing a review by the store. The review was published in accordance with clause 18 of the Site Rules.
I'm planning to buy +18 Add to favorites I liked the review +46 +69The fact that Ioffe found a solution to the problem of using the thermoelectric and thermoelectric properties of semiconductors played a major role in the development of physical science. This phenomenon was actively used in experiments and made it possible to convert light and thermal energy into electrical energy. Abram Fedorovich also had a hand in developing the theory of thermoelectric generators and the same kind of refrigerators.
This was done during the war. A way was needed to allow the partisans to charge the batteries of radio transmitters. Of course, the partisan units were supplied with new batteries using airplanes, but this method was not always possible to use. Charging dynamos were also made that operated from a car engine or from human effort, but they did not solve the problem.
Thermoelectric generator TG-1
When the Great Patriotic War began, physicists at the Leningrad Institute of Physics and Technology developed the TG-1 thermoelectric generator, known as the “partisan pot,” specifically for partisans and sabotage groups thrown behind enemy lines. The work on its creation was led by one of Ioffe’s colleagues, Yuri Maslakovets, who became interested in thermoelectric phenomena in semiconductors even before the war. TG-1 really looked like a cauldron, was filled with water and placed on a fire.
A compound of antimony with zinc and constantan, a copper-based alloy with the addition of nickel and manganese, were used as semiconductor materials. The temperature difference between the fire flame and the water reached 300° and was sufficient to generate current in the thermoelectric generator. As a result, the partisans charged the batteries of their radio station. The power of TG-1 reached 10 watts. The generator was launched in March 1943 at Research Institute 627 with Pilot Plant No. 1.
After the war, A.F. Ioffe and Yu.P. Maslakovets continued work in the field of thermoelectricity. In 1950, Ioffe wrote the work “Energy Basis of Thermoelectric Batteries Made of Semiconductors,” where he studied the properties of semiconductor materials that make it possible to achieve the highest possible efficiency of a thermogenerator. The industry of the USSR produced various types of generators intended for remote areas where there is no access to the electrical network. For example, a TGK-3 thermogenerator was created, which was mounted on the glass of a kerosene lamp and made it possible to power a radio receiver.
During the war, A.F. Ioffe participated in the construction of radar installations in Leningrad, and during the evacuation to Kazan he was the chairman of the Naval and Military Engineering Commissions. Maximum approach to practice of the results achieved in fundamental areas of knowledge, the widest dissemination of this knowledge - such was the desire of A.F. Ioffe. Particularly striking was Ioffe’s initiative in creating the famous Laboratory No. 2 (the future Institute of Atomic Energy, and now the Kurchatov Center), where work on the creation of nuclear weapons began during the war. No less important was A.F. Ioffe’s proposal to put one of his students, I.V. Kurchatov, at the head of these studies.
In December 1950, during the campaign to “fight cosmopolitanism,” A.F. Ioffe was removed from the post of director and removed from the academic council of the institute. In 1952-1955 he headed the laboratory of semiconductors of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1954, on the basis of the laboratory, the Institute of Semiconductors of the USSR Academy of Sciences was organized, which Academician Ioffe led until the end of his life.
By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated October 28, 1955, Ioffe Abram Fedorovich was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor with the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal.
The Seebeck effect has been used for small-scale electricity generation for quite a long time. Before the advent of solar panels, this was a fairly common way to obtain at least some electrical power. Many people still remember the so-called “partisan” bowler hat. With the help of such a pot it was possible to power a radio station. A pot of water was placed on the fire. Thermocouples were installed inside the bottom of the pot. Due to the heat flow from the fire to the water through thermocouples, the user received an electric current.
A modern analogue of the “partisan” bowler hat:
Thermoelectric "guerrilla" pot
At one time, kerosene lamps with a similar effect with an electric power of about 5 W were also widely used.
Kerosene lamp with a thermoelectric generator installed on it:
Kerosene thermoelectric lamp
Currently, decades later, similar products have begun to be produced by both Chinese and American companies. However, they have a significant drawback. The thermoelectric modules used there are manufactured using Peltier element technology, and not Seebeck thermoelectric battery technology. As a result, these products are very short-lived.
From time to time you hear how inventive people try to obtain autonomous electricity by something like “covering the furnace with Peltier elements.” However, they do not take into account that it is not enough to heat the thermoelectric module. It is necessary to pass through it as much heat as possible. That is, on the one hand, it is effective to heat, and on the other, it is very effective to cool. And the higher the temperature difference, the more percent of the heat will be converted into electricity. You can purchase ceramic thermoelectric modules online, which are sold as generator thermoelectric modules. But you need to understand that in order for such a thermoelectric module to show at least 80% of the power declared on it, it must be cooled with a constant flow of cold water through a carefully adjusted aluminum plate. Of course, such cooling is unlikely in household devices. And in any case, the service life of such thermoelectric generator modules is extremely low due to the discrepancy between the technologies used for their production and the operating conditions. Namely, a large temperature difference compared to Peltier elements. Generator modules, which are manufactured using technology designed for long-term operation in real conditions and with high efficiency, you can see on our website on the Thermoelectric Generator Module page.
Another product of our development, intended for everyday use. This is an electric energy furnace or a generator furnace. This is a thermoelectric generator mounted in a solid fuel stove. Designed for heating with natural circulation of liquid coolant. Such a furnace can provide the consumer with electricity with a peak electrical power of up to 2 kW (voltage 220 V), as well as 5-7 kW of thermal energy.
Schematic of a generator furnace with a thermoelectric generator.
TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GENERATOR FURNACE
Electrical power at peak - 2 kW
Constant nominal electrical power - 150 W
Voltage - 12 V and 220 V
Thermal power - 5-7 kW
Heating - liquid
Cost - from 48,000 rubles.
There is also an option for gas fuel. We have developed a gas heating boiler with thermoelectric power generation.
Scheme of operation of a thermoelectric generator - gas heating boiler.
high thermoEMF and low thermal conductivity.
At the beginning of the war, a “partisan boiler” was created in Ioffe’s laboratory - a thermoelectric generator to power portable radio stations. It was a pot with thermocouples located on the outside of the bottom. Their flammable joints were in the fire of the fire, and the cold ones, attached to the bottom of the pot, were cooled by water poured into it.
Careful selection of materials and the use of regeneration have now made it possible to increase the efficiency of the thermoelement to 15%. At the beginning of the century, conventional power plants had this efficiency, but now it has more than tripled. There is currently no place for a thermoelement in the large-scale energy sector. But there is also small energy. Several tens of watts are required to power a radio relay station on a mountain top or a marine signal buoy. There are also remote places where people live who require electricity and heat. In such cases, thermoelements heated by gas or liquid fuel are used. It is especially valuable that these devices can be placed in a small underground bunker and left completely unattended, only once a year or less often to replenish the fuel supply. Due to the low power, its consumption at any efficiency turns out to be acceptable, and besides... there is no choice.
Doctors have found an interesting application for thermoelectric generators. For more than two decades, thousands of people have worn an implanted cardiac pacemaker placed under the skin. The energy source for it is a tiny (thimble size) battery of hundreds of thermocouples connected in series, heated by the decay of a harmless isotope. A simple operation to replace it is performed every 5 years.
Electron is produced in Japan
A watch that is powered by a thermoelement from the heat of the hand.
Recently, an Italian company announced the start of work on an electric car with a thermoelectric generator. This current source is much lighter than batteries, so the mileage of a thermoelectric car will be no less than that of a conventional one. (Recall that electric cars are capable of traveling ISO km with one charge.) It is believed that through various tricks, fuel consumption can be made acceptable. The main advantages of the new type of crew are absolutely harmless exhaust, silent movement, the use of the cheapest liquid (and possibly solid) fuel, and very high reliability.
In the 1930s, the work on thermoelements carried out in our country was widely known. This is probably why the writer G. Adamov described in his novel “The Secret of Two Oceans” the Pioneer submarine, which received energy from battery cables. This is what he called thermoelectric generators made in the form of long cables. With the help of a buoy, their hot junctions rose to the upper layers of the ocean, where the temperature reaches 20-25°C, and the cold junctions were cooled by deep-sea water with a temperature of 1-2°C. This is how the fantastic “Pioneer”, a boat capable of giving a hundred points ahead of the current nuclear ones, charged its batteries.
Is this real? There are no reports of direct experiments of this kind in the press. However, something interesting happened. A 1000 kW thermoelectric generator has been created, generating energy from the heat of hot underground springs. The temperature difference between the hot and cold junctions is 23°C, as in the ocean, the specific gravity is 6 kg per 1 kW - much lower than that of the power plants of conventional submarines. Are we on the verge of a new energy revolution, a new age of electricity?
