Modelling an Micro Thermal Enrergy Harvestor in COMSOL

[jatin1990]

Good Evening , i am post graduate student of Thermal Engineering.I have some experience to COMSOL software(but not expert atleast). So now i am doing a project on Modelling a Micro thermal energy harvestor. The problem goes something like this , there is strip made up of bimetal ( material of high coefficient of thermal expansion{CTE} on one side and low CTE on other side attached to each other side by side). Bimetal acts as a Simply supported Beam instead of cantilever (attaching snapshot of structure). High CTE material side of the bimetal get in contact with a hot surface and got bend on other side(due to expansion) and strike on the surface of peizoelectric material that is placed next to it on the distance of few millimeters. And then by the natural convection the bimetal got cooled down and come back to its original position(i.e. in contact of the hot surface) and then cycle repeat. So conversion of energy goes like this : Thermal(of hot plate) to Mechanical (of bimetal) and then from Mechanical to Electrical(via piezoelectric material surface).

So now my question is which type of study or studies should i use in this analysis : Piezoelectric Devices + Heat Transfer in Solids or Something else which i am forgetting.
And also any tips for the my study will be much helpful as i am fighting with this problem for last three months.

Thank you so much for your time to understand my problem and then to reply.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

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