Time-Dependent Finite-Volume Model of Thermoelectric Devices

Thermoelectric modules are an important alternative to heat engines in the harvesting of waste heat. Electrical-thermal analogs are often employed when studying heat conduction and this approach can be extended to develop a model for thermoelectric effects. In this article, the coupled thermoelectric partial differential equations are discretized using the finite-volume method; the discretization respects the coupling between the heat sink and the thermoelectric material. The new model is especially useful when an accurate picture of transients in a thermoelectric device is required. Results from the 1-D finite-volume model are shown to agree with experimental results as well as 3-D simulations using COMSOL.