A method may be provided of manufacturing a thermoelectric leg. The method may include preparing a first metal substrate including a first metal, and forming a first plated layer including a second metal on the first metal substrate. The method may also include disposing a layer including tellurium (Te) on the first plated layer, and forming a portion of the first plated layer as a first bonding layer by reacting the second metal and the Te. The method also includes disposing a thermoelectric material layer including bismuth (Bi) and Te on an upper surface of the first bonding layer, and disposing a second metal substrate, on which a second bonding layer and a second plated layer are formed, on the thermoelectric material layer, and sintering.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric leg comprises: a thermoelectric material layer comprising Bi and Te; a first metal layer and a second metal layer respectively arranged the thermoelectric material layer; a first adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the first metal layer and comprising the Te, and a second adhesive layer arranged between the thermoelectric material layer and the second metal layer and comprising the Te; and a first plating layer arranged between the first metal layer and the first adhesive layer, and a second plating layer arranged between the second metal layer and the second adhesive layer, wherein the thermoelectric material layer is arranged between the first metal layer and the second metal layer, the amount of the Te is higher than the amount of the Bi in the thermoelectric material layer.

A thin-film thermocouple probe includes a columnar substrate, a tungsten-26% rhenium film and an indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3) film. A side surface of the columnar substrate is provided with a first straight groove and a second straight groove. The tungsten-26% rhenium film is arranged on a front end surface of the columnar substrate and in the first straight groove. The indium oxide film is arranged on the front end surface of the columnar substrate and in the second straight groove. The indium oxide film on the front end surface of the columnar substrate is connected to the tungsten-26% rhenium film on the front end surface of the columnar substrate. A first metal lead wire is connected to the tungsten-26% rhenium film, and a second metal lead wire is connected to the indium oxide film. A method of preparing the thin-film thermocouple probe is provided.

A thermoelectric module comprising nanostructured SnO and SnO.sub.2, and electrodes arranged between two electrical insulating substrates is described. The nanostructured SnO may be in the form of nanosheets and acting as p-type pillars of the module. The nanostructured SnO.sub.2 may be in the form of nanospheres and acting as n-type pillars of the module. This thermoelectric module is evaluated on the voltage, current, and power of the electricity generated once subjected to a temperature gradient.

The present invention improves the performance of a thermoelectric conversion material and a thermoelectric conversion module. A thermoelectric conversion material has a mother phase containing a chimney ladder type compound comprising a first element of groups 4 to 9 and a second element of groups 13 to 15 and an additive phase existing at a grain boundary of the mother phase, the mother phase contains a third element to change a lattice constant of the chimney ladder type compound, and the additive phase contains the second element.

A thermoelectric module comprising nanostructured SnO and SnO.sub.2, and electrodes arranged between two electrical insulating substrates is described. The nanostructured SnO may be in the form of nanosheets and acting as p-type pillars of the module. The nanostructured SnO.sub.2 may be in the form of nanospheres and acting as n-type pillars of the module. This thermoelectric module is evaluated on the voltage, current, and power of the electricity generated once subjected to a temperature gradient.

An exchanger includes a seal; a first channel with an inlet and an outlet; a second channel alongside the first channel and isolated from the first channel by the seal, the second channel including an inlet and an outlet; and a transfer turbine including a first portion with one or more blades located within the first channel, a second portion with one or more blades located within the second channel, and a shaft connecting the first portion and the second portion such that rotation of the first portion is synchronized with rotation of the second portion, the shaft extending through the seal. Related apparatus, systems, techniques, and articles are also described.

Disclosed are a high performance thermoelectric device and a method of manufacturing the same at ultra-high speed. The high performance thermoelectric device includes segmented structures which may provide an optimal match between the thermoelectric materials and the environmental temperature difference; blocking layers and stress-buffering layers which can reduce interface element migration and longitudinal contact thermal expansion stress and increase bonding strength; phonon scattering layers and negative thermal expansion buffering layers inserted and fixing the thermoelectric leg, thereby increasing internal thermal resistance and improving transverse thermo-match for the high performance thermoelectric device; an inner package and an outer package, thus avoiding sublimation and oxidation of the thermoelectric materials and providing the thermoelectric device with enhanced impact resistance from outside.

A thin-film thermocouple probe includes a columnar substrate, a tungsten-26% rhenium film and an indium oxide (In.sub.2O.sub.3) film. A side surface of the columnar substrate is provided with a first straight groove and a second straight groove. The tungsten-26% rhenium film is arranged on a front end surface of the columnar substrate and in the first straight groove. The indium oxide film is arranged on the front end surface of the columnar substrate and in the second straight groove. The indium oxide film on the front end surface of the columnar substrate is connected to the tungsten-26% rhenium film on the front end surface of the columnar substrate. A first metal lead wire is connected to the tungsten-26% rhenium film, and a second metal lead wire is connected to the indium oxide film. A method of preparing the thin-film thermocouple probe is provided.

Disclosed is a stretchable and flexible thermoelectric module including: a thermoelectric material; a pair of elastic composites having stretchability and flexibility; and a first electrode and a second electrode, which are deformable and electrically connected to both sides of the thermoelectric material, respectively, and whose one surfaces face each other. Thus, since the thermoelectric module has excellent stretchability, flexibility and thermal conductivity, the thermoelectric module is suitably applied to a wearable device that exhibits excellent efficiency during cooling or heating and is in contact with a human body.