The thermoelectric conversion offers unique possibility of a gigantic electric
power generation utilizing low-temperature heat sources below 600K. Such
sources are solar heat, terrestrial heat and exhaust waste heat from the
central-station steam-electric plant. They are thermodynamically low grade but
infinite and gratis. The immense production of electricity by this principle
is made possible exclusively by means of the thermoelectric junction between
the iron-based alloys as the conversion materials because these components of
the generator can be manufactured on an efficient mass production basis.
Among several possible thermoelectric junctions basically consisted of iron,
the Fe-13%Al12%Si (p) - Fe12%Al (n) alloy couple has been found to exhibit a
relatively high value of thermoelectric power, 71microV/K. The merit of this
thermoelectric power junction with respect to the thermoelectric conversion has
also been described by measuring other thermoelectric properties of these
elements.
(in Japanese)