Finite elements for thermoelectric device analysis in ANSYS

Abstract

A new set of ANSYS coupled-field elements enables users to accurately and efficiently analyze thermoelectric devices. This paper reviews the finite element formulation, which, in addition to Joule heating, includes Seebeck, Peltier, and Thomson effects. Examples of steady-state and transient simulations of a thermoelectric generator and a single-stage Peltier cooler are presented for thermoelectric analysis verification. An analysis of a multistage thermoelectric cooler is performed to demonstrate ANSYS parametric analysis capability.