Electrical characteristics of a thermovoltaic cell based on samarium sulfide

We have considered a converter of thermal energy into electric energy based on the thermovoltaic effect. As the working material, we have used samarium sulfide samples obtained by high-temperature fritting. We have determined the main electrical characteristic (current–voltage characteristic, maximal power, and internal resistance) of a thermovoltaic cell based on the thermovoltaic effect. It is shown that the optimal load for obtaining the maximal power equals the internal resistance of the cell.