FEM Analysis on Thermoelectric Properties of Metal/TiO_2–x Composites with Random Distribution of Metal Powder

Abstract:

Analysis model of finite element method with a random distribution for thermoelectric composites was built. Thermoelectric properties including electrical resistivity, Seebeck coefficient and thermal conductivity of M/TiO_2–x (M = Cu, Ni, 304 stainless steel (304SS)) thermoelectric composites were investigated by the proposed model. Cu/TiO_2–x composite showed a large decrease in electrical resistivity while 304SS/TiO_2–x composite thermal conductivity was slightly increased. Calculated dimensionless figure-of-merit, ZT of Ni/TiO_2–x composite was higher than those of TiO_2–x and the other composites in a wide range of metal volume fractions because Ni has large absolute values of Seebeck coefficient, power factor and dimensionless figure-of-merit compared to the other two metals. It was found that power factor and dimensionless figure-of-merit of thermoelectric composites depended on the balance among electrical resistivity, thermal conductivity and Seebeck coefficient. The results revealed that it is important for M/TiO_2–x composites to choose suitable addition metal with high power factor and dimensionless figure-of-merit.

• Periodical: Materials Science Forum (Volume 750)
• Pages: 130-133
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/MSF.750.130
• Online since: March 2013
• Authors: Katsuhiro Sagara, Yun Lu, Dao Cheng Luan
• Keywords: Finite Element Method (FEM), Metal Addition, Oxide Matrix, Thermoelectric Composite, Thermoelectric Property

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