Thermoelectric Effect

Thermoelectric Effect (a.k.a. Peltier-Seebeck Effect) comprises actually 5 effects, which are Heat-Transfer (non-coolant & silent refrigerator), Joule-Heat (electric heater), Seebeck-Effect (Thermoelectric Generator), Peltier-Effect (Thermoelectric Cooling, TEC), and Thomson-Effect. Among them, only the "Joule-Heat Loss" is thermodynamically irreversible. Thermoelectric Effect has very important application values especially in future hand-held (portable) biosensors such as temperature sensor (Thermocouple). Sharks also use Thermoelectric Effect (unlike using the ion-channel in mammlian animals) to detect the environmental temperature. Alunite is one of the good thermoelectric materials for it has a very strong thermoelectric coefficient. If adding the Peltier Effect & Thomson Effect together, then it becomes the Seebeck Effect.