With two-thirds of the primary energy produced every year rejected as heat, the need for techniques that harvest low-grade waste heat with higher fractions of Carnot efficiency is clear. This article develops a perspective on pyroelectric energy conversion (PEC), that leverages the intrinsic coupling between electrical polarization and temperature in pyroelectric materials where a change in temperature begets a flow of electrical charge. This article will shed light on what thermo-electrical properties are crucial for PEC and the routes to enhance them. Subsequent discussion will cover thermodynamic cycles and device design rules to extract maximum work and power.
- Shishir Pandya
- Gabriel Velarde
- Lane W. Martin
