Application of Ferroelectricity to Energy Conversion Processes

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Abstract
The principles of the conversion of heat energy directly into electrical energy by use of a ferroelectric material heat cycled in the neighborhood of its Curie point are described. A simplified expression for the energy conversion efficiency is derived, and reasonable values for appropriate parameters are used to obtain a numerical value for the efficiency under given operating conditions. The inadequacies of this simplified expression are discussed, and a general expression is derived. The results of the general analysis are compared with those based on the simplified method. The analysis shows that for barium titanate the exact theory predicts a higher efficiency than the simplified theory, and that in general the efficiency increases with increasing externally applied electric field and with increasing heat source temperature. For feasible operating conditions, the efficiency is in the range of 0.5%–1.0%. Future possibilities for ferroelectric energy converters are discussed.

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