Presented at the COMSOL Conference 2008 Hannover

Multiphysics Simulation of Thermoelectric

Systems

Martin Jaegle

Fraunhofer-Institute for Physical Measurement-Techniques

Heidenhofstr. 8
79110 Freiburg
Martin.Jaegle@ipm.fraunhofer.de
+49 761 8857 345

Comsol Conference 2008, Hannover Martin Jaegle 1

 Contents

1. Introduction
2. Equations to solve
3. Implementation in COMSOL
4. Thermoelectric modeling
5. Thermo-electric-mechanic calculations

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 Introduction
Seebeck-Effect

α=ΔV/ΔT
Thermoelectric Figure of Merit Z

σ α2
Z=
λ
α: Seebeck Coefficient
T. Seebeck (1821) Physik Journal, Mai 2007, Π: Peltier Coefficient
Sommerlatte, Nielsch, Böttner
Peltier-Effect σ, λ: electrical and thermal
Q=Π∗I conductivities

Π=α∗T

J. C. A. Peltier (1834)

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 Introduction
Applications of Thermoelectrics
Coolers Detectors, Sensors Generators

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 Introduction

heat source T1

αn, σn, αp, σp,

Seebeck-Coefficient
λn λp
αn and αp
Electrical Conductivity heat sink T2
σn and σp
Thermal Conductivity Rload
λn and λ p

σ α2
Dimensionless Figure of ZT = T
Merit ZT λ
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 Introduction

cooling waste heat

MRS Bulletin March, 2006

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Thermoelectric
Effects in ANSYS 9
and higher
(Antonova et al., ICT
2005)

Example for COMSOL Antonova, Looman, ICT 2005

implementation:

− ∇((σα 2T + λ )∇T ) − ∇(σαT ∇V ) = σ ((∇V ) 2 + α ∇T ∇V )

Rearrange equations …
∇(σα ∇T ) + ∇(σ ∇V ) = 0
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Thermoelectrics in
COMSOL:

Rearrange equations … − ∇((σα 2

T + λ )∇T ) − ∇(σαT ∇V ) = σ ((∇V ) 2
+ α ∇T ∇V )
∇(σα ∇T ) + ∇(σ ∇V ) = 0

… to match with PDE-

application modes
(coefficient form,
different notation!)

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Thermoelectrics in
COMSOL:

Thermoelectric coupled − ∇((σα 2T + λ )∇T ) − ∇(σαT ∇V ) = σ ((∇V ) 2 + α ∇T ∇V )

∇(σα ∇T ) + ∇(σ ∇V ) = 0
field equations

… example: static
thermoelectrics

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Thermoelectrics in COMSOL:

Defining

-Application mode

PDE-Mode, coefficient Form

- Field Variable

⎛T ⎞
u=⎜ ⎟
⎜V ⎟
⎝ ⎠

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Thermoelectrics in COMSOL:
1

Defining model
geometry, example:
P-Type thermoelectric leg
Thermoelectric Electrode
2 Material, 2 (Copper),
1, 3
Seebeck α, p: 200e-6 6.5e-6
Coefficient V/K n: -200e-6
Electric σ, 1.1e5 5.9e8
conductivity S/m
1, 3: Copper electrodes Thermal λ, W/m/K 1.6 350
wxlxh: 1x1x0.1mm³ conductivity
Density ρ, 7740 8920
kg/m³
2: p-type thermoelectric leg 3 Heat C, 154.4 385
capacity J/kg/K
wxlxh: 1x1x5.8mm³ Antonova, Looman, ICT 2005

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 T α λ σ
Thermoelectrics in COMSOL: /K / 10-6V/K / W/m/K 3
/ 10 A/V/m
100 75 2.5 185
150 125 2 142
200 170 1.55 100
Temperature dependent material
250 200 1.35 72
properties for p-Bismuth Telluride
300 218 1.28 60
350 225 1.35 55
400 218 1.75 70
Seebeck-coefficient α thermal conductivity λ
electrical conductivity σ

Seifert, W., Ueltzen, M., Müller, E.; One Dimensional Modelling of Thermoelectric Cooling; phys.stat.sol. (a) 194, No.1, pp 277 – 290; 2002

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Thermoelectrics in COMSOL:

⎛T ⎞
u=⎜ ⎟
Defining coefficient c:
⎛ λ + σα 2T σαT ⎞ ⎜V ⎟
⎝ ⎠
c=⎜ ⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎝ σα σ ⎠
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Thermoelectrics in COMSOL:

Defining coefficient f
⎛ ⎛
⎜ σ ⎜ ∇V
f =⎜ ⎝
( ) + α ∇T ∇V ⎞⎟⎠ ⎞⎟
2

⎟
⎜ ⎟
⎝ 0 ⎠
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Thermoelectrics in Geometry Temperature Voltage
COMSOL:

q, I

solve

A p-type thermoelectric element is contacted by copper

0°C, 0V
Boundary conditions:
Heat load q (here 0W), current I
Comsol Conference 2008, Hannover
electrodes (left). The base is kept at 0°C and 0V. At the top
0.7A current was applied. Adiabatic boundary conditions
were used. The resulting temperature distribution is shown
in the center, the voltage is shown right. A temperature
difference of nearly 61 K is achieved. The voltage at the
upper electrode is 49 mV.
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„complex “ geometries

Example for a more “complex”

element geometry: The copper
electrodes are laterally connected
(with respect to the temperature
gradient). Left side: Temperature
distribution, the top is set to 10°C,
the base is at 0°C. The appropriate
Voltage is shown in the middle; the
left graph shows the voltage color
coded electric streamlines and the
temperature as a slice plot.

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Thermal- electric- mechanic effects

Temperature
Voltage
Displacement
Stress

• thermoelectric effects
• strain
• thermal expansion
• no piezo-effect

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Thermoelectric and
thermomechanic effects

Elastic material properties of Bi2Te3 cij in 1011dyn/cm²

at 280K
c11 c66 c33 c44 c13 c14
Thermoelectric Thermoelectric Electrode
6.847 2.335 4.768 2.738 2.704 1.325 material Material (Copper)
properties Bi2Te3 based
Seebeck α, p: 200e-6 6.5e-6
Coefficient V/K n: -200e-6
Thermal expansion coefficient ai / 10-6/K at 300K of
Bi2Te3 Electric σ, 1.1e5 5.9e8
conductivity S/m
ax ay az
Thermal λ, 1.6 350
21.3 14.4 14.4
conductivity W/m/K
Landolt-Börnstein; Numerical data; ISBN3540121609; Vol 17f, pp.275, 1983 Antonova et al., ICT 2005

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Thermoelectric and
thermomechanic effects
Example:
Displacement due to thermal
expansion

5 microns shrunken at 1A

4 microns expanded at 2A
(still cooling)

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Thermoelectric and thermomechanic
effects Temperature / displacement

Example: asymetric material properties

σ

0.5 σ

Stress / displacement

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 Summary

Thermoelectric effects in COMSOL for modeling of thermoelectric cooling,

generation and sensing
Temperature and position dependent material properties
Anisotropic materials (not shown here for thermoelectrics)
Arbitrary geometries
Graded/ stacked materials
Determination of effective material properties (no quantum effects)

Simultaneous modeling of thermoelectric systems including

-Mechanical effects, strain, stress
-Thermomechanical effects
-Convection (not shown here)
-Radiation (not shown here)
-…

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 Multiphysics Simulation of Thermoelectric
Systems

Martin Jaegle

Fraunhofer-Institute for Physical Measurement-Techniques

Heidenhofstr. 8
79110 Freiburg
Martin.Jaegle@ipm.fraunhofer.de
+49 761 8857 345

Comsol Conference 2008, Hannover Martin Jaegle 22