Performance enhancement of cylindrical ferroelectric transducers

In this paper, the feasibility of using ferroelectric materials as a thermal transducer based on electrocaloric effect (ECE) has been studied. The electrocaloric response of the ferroelectric capacitor PMN-25PT which is a ceramic with the formula of 0.75Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.25PbTiO3 and the dynamics of temperature variations at the inner boundary of a cylindrical sample to an applied periodic electric field have been studied. Alternative switching of the electrocaloric element allow the generation of directed heat flux. At first the outer boundary of the sample is put in convection condition and then in constant temperature condition. Inner boundary is insulated in two cases. Results show that different boundary conditions affect the transducer performance.