Numerical Analysis Of Thermal Stress And Creep-Fatigue Life In Thermoelectric Component Under High Temperature

Social modernization, accelerate the pollutants in industrial and domestic emissions,environmental pollution and energy shortage situation further exacerbated. With thestrengthening of people’s environmental awareness, people urgently want to find a way toresolve the current environmental and energy problems. The thermoelectric generator is adevice converts heat into electricity directly, it uses a variety of heat sources (low-gradeheat source, solar energy, radioisotopes etc.). It is characterized by small volume, norotating parts, convenient to move, and long service life etc. Therefore, much attention hasbeen paid to more and more wide and application scope.Thermoelectric monomer connection will directly influence the internal resistanceand service life, and is the key technology of thermoelectric component design andmanufacturing process. If the diversion electrode and thermoelectric material coefficientof thermal expansion not match, in the course of long-term thermal cycle will generatelarge thermal stresses, causing joint shedding to reduce the stability and longevity of thethermoelectric generators. Therefore, thermal stress and life analysis of the monomer isvery important.This paper fully understand the working principle and nature of the thermoelectricgenerator, thermoelectric monomer as the research object, mainly the following aspects ofwork:(1) Master the structure characteristics of thermoelectric monomer, to determine theboundary conditions of the model and size, to determine the materials of thethermoelectric monomer parts using in the high temperature environment, to determine thecharacteristics of the materials.(2) Using the finite element analysis software ABAQUS to establish thethermoelectric monomer and the finite element model of coupled thermal-mechanicalanalysis. The influence of boundary conditions, monomer end temperature, thermocouplearm size and arm shape on thermal stress in the monomer welding layer and thermocouple arm under(3) According to the working characteristics of thermoelectric generator,determines the high temperature thermoelectric element by creep-fatigue. Apply FE-SAFEsoftware, the welding layer on the creep-thermal fatigue life analysis, analysis of theboundary conditions, end temperature, thermocouple arm size and thermocouple armshape on the weld layer life influence.