  Based on simplified one-dimensional steady-state analysis of thermoelectric
phenomena and on analogies between thermal and electrical domains, we propose
both lumped and distributed parameter electrical models for thermoelectric
devices. For lumped parameter models, constant values for material properties
are extracted from polynomial fit curves evaluated at different module
temperatures (hot side, cold side, average, and mean module temperature). For
the case of distributed parameter models, material properties are calculated
according to the mean temperature at each segment of a sectioned device. A
couple of important advantages of the presented models are that temperature
dependence of material properties is considered and that they can be easily
simulated using an electronic simulation tool such as SPICE. Comparisons are
made between SPICE simulations for a single-pellet module using the proposed
models and with numerical simulations carried out with Mathematica software.
Results illustrate accuracy of the distributed parameter models and show how
inappropriate is to assume, in some cases, constant material parameters for an
entire thermoelectric element.
