Measurement equipment of Sebeeck coefficient

Dear Sirs,

 My name is Krzysztof Szybiński and I'm 5th year student of Electornic of Wroclaw Univeristy of Technology in Poland.

 My passion is electornic and everything what is relited to so also physics, math. I'm also intresed in space exploration and im a mamber of Project Scorpio. We are the student group and we are developing the student version of research rover "Scoprio" also with success on a world background. Here is our webside (unfortuneataly in Polsih )

http://www.scorpio.pwr.edu.pl/
 My second passion are the electirc vehicle, especially observation of development of
thier power sources. I would like to be a part of it future so here comes the subject of my master thesis which is "Measurement equipment of Sebeeck coefficient".

  In my master thesis i develop a aparature which is able to measure the Sebeeck coefficient of thermoelectirc material.

 The Sebeeck coefficient is a atribute of material which describes how good thermoelectirc battery the tested material is. If you are able to achive a big voltage change with minimum temperature difference on the two edges of a sample - you can say that the Sebeeck coefficient is high.

  Question is what goal is to measure such a thing? Its simple because if device will be created the other scientists would be able to verify thier hypothesis of thermoelectirc atributes of materials and if they will be able to measure such a thing they also would be able to put it on the market! They theroelectric battery needs only the temperature change to work. For example: imagine yourself that the roof of our house is coverd by material with high Sebeeck coefficient. If there is a cold or very hot outside you can have the free electric energy beacuse of Sebeeck efect!

 The thing is that the PCB for such a project is not so simple to build for the student and thats why a need Your help.

 Acording to added photo the equipment has been devided in two parts, thermostat and measuremnt equpment.

  Using thermostat we are able to control the temperature on two independent channels on two edges of sample. It controls two Peltiers modules that is supplied from two current sources. The courrent source uses operational amplifier which is controlled bay voltage generated by DAC in microcontroller. The current on Peltiers module is set by DAC voltage. Chanage the polarity of Peltiers module is controled by DPDT relay. His coil is controled by digital output of MCU via transistor. If is logic "1" the transistor is open, coil of relay is supplied and it change the polarity of Peltiers module. In this way we are able to fully controll the probe temperature at both of thier sides. The difference on to edges of probe material implicates the Sebeeck effect.

 The second part of aparature is the measurement part. In general the circuit measures the temperature in two points and the voltage in the same two pints of material probe. Because the Sebeeck coefficient is described be following pattern:

S = ΔV/ΔT

 So the microcontroller has to subtract the two measured temperatures and voltages. Actually the only physical value what is measured is voltage because we are using the thermocouple as a temperature sensor and it generate a voltage what is proportional to temperature. Only the microcontroller calculates measured voltage to temperature.
The thing is that following voltages can be low value and quite wide range from tens of μV to tens of mV. This ΔVandΔT are sended to PC via RS232 and the app on PC sets a curve and calculates this coefficient.

 So achieve a reliable and precise μV measures I had to use a high resolution analog to digital converter AD7709 and the precise and high CMR instrumental aplifiers INA110  which also allows us the programable gian. Those elements needs a reliable PCB, at least 4 layers.

Dear PCBWay it would be great to work with you on project that could make a world btter place ! :)

Sincerely,
Cris