Waste heat, an abundant energy source generated by both industries and nature, has the potential to be harnessed into electricity via thermoelectric power generation. The performance of thermoelectric modules, typically composed of cuboid-shaped materials, depends on both the materials’ intrinsic properties and the temperature difference created. Despite significant advancements in the development of efficient materials, macroscopic thermal designs capable of accommodating larger temperature differences have been largely underexplored because of the challenges associated with processing bulk thermoelectric materials. Here we present the design strategy for Cu₂Se thermoelectric materials for high-temperature power generation using a combination of finite element modelling and 3D printing. The macroscopic geometries and microscopic defects in Cu₂Se materials are precisely engineered by optimizing the 3D printing and post-treatment processes, leading to notable enhancements in the material efficiency and temperature difference across legs, where the hourglass geometry exhibits maximized output powers and efficiencies. The proposed approach paves the way for designing efficient thermoelectric power generators.

废热是工业和自然产生的丰富能源，有潜力通过热力发电转化为电力。热电模块通常由长方体形状的材料组成，其性能取决于材料的固有特性和产生的温差。尽管高效材料的开发取得了重大进展，但由于与加工块状热电材料相关的挑战，能够适应较大温差的宏观热设计在很大程度上尚未得到充分探索。在这里，我们提出了结合有限元建模和 3D 打印的用于高温发电的 Cu ₂ Se 热电材料的设计策略。通过优化 3D 打印和后处理工艺，精确设计了 Cu ₂ Se 材料的宏观几何形状和微观缺陷，从而显着提高了材料效率和腿部温差，其中沙漏几何形状表现出最大化的输出功率和效率。所提出的方法为设计高效热电发电机铺平了道路。