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Probabilistic Mechanical Reliability Prediction of Thermoelectric Legs.

DE2009953658

Publication Date	2009
Personal Author	Jadaan, O. M.; Wereszczak, A. A.
Page Count	24
Abstract	The probability of failure, Pf, for various square-arrayed thermoelectric device designs using bismuth telluride, lead telluride, or skutterudite thermoelectric materials were estimated. Only volume- or bulk-based Pf analysis was considered in this study. The effects of the choice of the thermoelectric material, the size of the leg array, the height of the thermoelectric legs, and the boundary conditions on the Pf of thermoelectric devices were investigated. Yielding of the solder contacts and mounting layer was taken into account. The modeling results showed that the use of longer legs, using skutterudites, allowing the thermoelectric device to freely deform while under a thermal gradient, and using smaller arrays promoted higher probabilities of survival.
Keywords	Thermoelectric materials Waste heat utilization Reliability Mechanical properties Boundary conditions Power generation Temperature gradients Finite element method Thermoelectric legs
Source Agency	Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee
Corporate Authors	Oak Ridge National Lab., TN.; Department of Energy, Washington, DC.; Wisconsin Univ.-Platteville.
Supplemental Notes	Prepared in cooperation with Wisconsin Univ.-Platteville. Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	200920
Contract Number	DE-AC05-00OR22725

Probabilistic Mechanical Reliability Prediction of Thermoelectric Legs.

Probabilistic Mechanical Reliability Prediction of Thermoelectric Legs.
DE2009953658

Publication Date	2009
Personal Author	Jadaan, O. M.; Wereszczak, A. A.
Page Count	24
Abstract	The probability of failure, Pf, for various square-arrayed thermoelectric device designs using bismuth telluride, lead telluride, or skutterudite thermoelectric materials were estimated. Only volume- or bulk-based Pf analysis was considered in this study. The effects of the choice of the thermoelectric material, the size of the leg array, the height of the thermoelectric legs, and the boundary conditions on the Pf of thermoelectric devices were investigated. Yielding of the solder contacts and mounting layer was taken into account. The modeling results showed that the use of longer legs, using skutterudites, allowing the thermoelectric device to freely deform while under a thermal gradient, and using smaller arrays promoted higher probabilities of survival.
Keywords	Thermoelectric materials Waste heat utilization Reliability Mechanical properties Boundary conditions Power generation Temperature gradients Finite element method Thermoelectric legs
Source Agency	Technical Information Center Oak Ridge Tennessee
Corporate Authors	Oak Ridge National Lab., TN.; Department of Energy, Washington, DC.; Wisconsin Univ.-Platteville.
Supplemental Notes	Prepared in cooperation with Wisconsin Univ.-Platteville. Sponsored by Department of Energy, Washington, DC.
Document Type	Technical Report
NTIS Issue Number	200920
Contract Number	DE-AC05-00OR22725