Which performance limitation arises when approaching Carnot efficiency in a thermoelectric generator?

💡 Explanation

When efficiency approximates Carnot limits, heat backflow becomes dominant because increased temperature differences drive significant thermal gradients through the material; this circumvents useful energy transfer, leading to proportionally larger thermal conductivity bypass. Therefore higher thermal conductivity limiting efficiency results, rather than limitations connected to electron-phonon scattering, reduced Seebeck coefficient, or scattering which are distinct physical bottlenecks.

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