Objective In view of the background of the green and low-carbon transformation of energy, this paper focuses on advanced thermoelectric conversion technology, which is an important bridge connecting the supply of diversified clean energy and the demand for low-carbon energy use.

Method The basic concepts and technical characteristics of various current thermoelectric conversion technologies were systematically introduced. Technical indicators including heat source temperature, power range, conversion efficiency and applicable scenarios were combined, and application cases of three core thermoelectric conversion technology routes for energy system restructuring, namely the supercritical carbon dioxide (S-CO₂) Brayton cycle, organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and Stirling cycle, were analyzed. The characteristics of heat source temperature and power level in fields including micro nuclear reactors, new energy coupled with physical energy storage and industrial waste heat recovery were considered, and the development directions of the three thermoelectric conversion technologies in different application scenarios were discussed. Finally, the common problems existing in the development and application of the above thermoelectric conversion technologies were explored, and relevant suggestions for their technological research and development as well as engineering application were put forward.

Result Research shows that the Stirling cycle technology has great application potential in distributed energy scenarios. However, domestic relevant research still has room for improvement in terms of system engineering experience, industrial chain maturity and commercialization process. For micro nuclear reactors with different power levels and different heat source temperatures, the three types of thermoelectric conversion technologies respectively demonstrate significant application advantages. In the fields of solar thermal/energy storage and industrial waste heat recovery, the S-CO₂ Brayton cycle and ORC technologies have played important roles.

Conclusion At present, thermoelectric conversion technology still faces common development challenges in aspects such as cycle systems, efficient heat transfer, rotating machinery and control platforms. In the future, measures including joint technological research, demonstration project construction, achievement transformation and market promotion should be adopted to promote thermoelectric conversion technology to play a more important role in the modern energy system and inject new impetus for sustainable development into the global energy transition.