Dupont M F, MacFarlane D R, Pringle J M
ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.
Chem Commun (Camb). 2017 Jun 8;53(47):6288-6302. doi: 10.1039/c7cc02160g.
Thermo-electrochemical cells (also called thermocells) are promising devices for harvesting waste heat for the sustainable production of energy. Research into thermocells has increased significantly in recent years, driven by advantages such as their ability to continuously convert heat into electrical energy without producing emissions or consuming materials. Until relatively recently, the commercial viability of thermocells was limited by their low power output and conversion efficiency. However, there have lately been significant advances in thermocell performance as a result of improvements to the electrode materials, electrolyte and redox chemistry and various features of the cell design. This article overviews these recent developments in thermocell research, including the development of new redox couples, the optimisation of electrolytes for improved power output and high-temperature operation, the design of high surface area electrodes for increased current density and device flexibility, and the optimisation of cell design to further enhance performance.
热电化学电池（也称为热电池）是用于收集废热以实现可持续能源生产的有前景的装置。近年来，由于热电池具有能够在不产生排放物或消耗材料的情况下将热量连续转化为电能等优点，对热电池的研究显著增加。直到最近，热电池的商业可行性还受到其低功率输出和转换效率的限制。然而，由于电极材料、电解质和氧化还原化学的改进以及电池设计的各种特性，热电池的性能最近有了显著进步。本文概述了热电池研究的这些最新进展，包括新型氧化还原对的开发、用于提高功率输出和高温运行的电解质优化、用于提高电流密度和装置灵活性的高表面积电极设计以及用于进一步提高性能的电池设计优化。
