Thermoelectric couples are solid-state devices capable of generating electrical power from a temperature gradient, known as the Seebeck effect, or converting electrical energy into a temperature gradient, known as the Peltier effect. To assist the thermal designer in modeling these Peltier devices (thermoelectric generators (TEGs) or coolers (TECs)), Ansys Thermal Desktop provides built-in routines for modeling devices using either standard Bismuth Telluride properties or alternative semiconductor materials. The TEC and TEG tools allow the designer to model single-stage or multi-stage devices and calculate valuable sizing information regarding thermoelectric performance.
Thermal Desktop’s unique system-level approach for modeling single and multi-stage coolers captures the device’s system-level performance along with the device’s effect on the host system. Detailed geometric modeling of all the individual elements (P-N couples) is not required resulting in fast run times. Modeling options are available to perform parametric modeling, sensitivity studies, and design optimization.