Fracture of thermoelectric materials: An electrical and thermal strip saturation model. (August 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wang, Pan; Wang, Kaifa; Wang, Baolin; Zhang, Chunwei; Fang, Daining
• Is Part Of: Engineering fracture mechanics. Volume 235(2020)
• Publication Date: 2020-08
• Subjects: Thermoelectric materials -- Thermoelectric fracture -- Complex variable method -- Strip saturation model; Fracture mechanics -- Periodicals; Rupture, Mécanique de la -- Périodiques; Fracture mechanics; Periodicals; 620.112605
• DOI: 10.1016/j.engfracmech.2020.107186
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0013-7944

Abstract

Highlights: A strip saturation model of thermoelectric fracture is proposed. The explicit thermoelectric field and thermally induced stresses are derived. The saturation model predicts no thermoelectric field singularity at the crack tip. The physically reasonable crack criterion for thermoelectric materials is given. Abstract: Cracking is a critical issue in the preparation and application of thermoelectric materials. Traditional models for thermoelectric fracture predict infinite electric current and heat flux at the crack tip. However, it is impossible since infinite electric current and heat cannot be sustained at the atomic level. To give a physically reasonable fracture prediction of thermoelectric materials, this paper proposes an analytical model of thermoelectric fracture based on the concept of electrical and thermal field saturation along a strip at the crack front, in which we assume the electric current and heat flux cannot exceed a saturation limit. Firstly, based on the complex variable method, we derive the thermoelectric field solutions with electrical and thermal field saturation at the crack tip. Then, the thermally induced stresses and the fracture criterions are given. The results show that the thermoelectric field predicted by the saturation model exhibits no singularity at the crack tip, which may give better agreement with the experimental observations, and thus showing better application potential.