Question

What is a thermopile and how does it work ?

Answer 1

• Thermopile: It is an electronic device which converts thermal energy to electrical energy.
• It consists several thermocouples which are connected in series.
• Thermocouples are connected in such a way that junctions on one side are maintained hot and the junctions on other side are maintained cold.
• Due to the difference between temperatures of hot and cold junctions, some thermo emf is produced in thermocouples.
• As there are several thermocouples in series, more thermo emf is generated.