Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Thermoelectrically controlled micronozzle — A novel application for thermoelements

  • Published:
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper introduces and assesses the concept of the recently invented thermoelectrically controlled micronozzle (TECMN). A generalized quasi-one-dimensional model for gas flow, which is influenced by area variation and by wall heat transfer, is considered. In order to assess the merits of wall temperature control in micronozzles, the flow in the micronozzle is solved numerically for cases of convergent wall heating, divergent wall cooling, and a combination of both. Thermal efficiency and specific impulse are affected by heat exchange through the side wall of the micronozzle. By cooling the divergent section, kinetic energy increases, thus improving thermal efficiency. The mass flow rate is decreased in all cases that include convergent section heating, thereby enhancing specific impulse. The combination of convergent section heating with divergent part cooling results in significant performance enhancement in terms of thermal efficiency and specific impulse. To determine the TECMN wall temperature profile, we developed a one-dimensional general energy model for a thermoelement (TE) subject to an electric field as well as for heat convection on the lateral surface. The energy equation is analytically solved for constant properties and for Joule heating equivalent to heat convection. The temperature profile is then imposed on the quasi-one-dimensional flow model, which is solved numerically for various mass flow rates and exit wall temperature (cold junction). As the exit section wall temperature and mass flow rate decrease, the utilization of TEs to control the temperature of micronozzle walls considerably increases the Mach number at exit.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. A. D. Ketsdever, M. T. Clabough, S. F. Gimelshein and A. Alexeenko, Experimental and numerical determination of micropropulsion device efficiencies at low Reynolds numbers, AIAA Journal, 43(3) (2005) 633–641.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. A. A. Alexeenko, D. A. Levin, D. A. Fedosov, S. F. Gimelshein and R. J. Collins, Performance analysis of microthrusters based on coupled thermal-fluid modeling and simulation, Journal of Propulsion and Power, 21(1) (2005) 95–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. R. L. Bayt and K. S. Breuer, Viscous effects in supersonic MEMS-fabricated micronozzles, Proc. 3rd ASME Microfluids Symp., Anaheim, CA. (1998).

  4. D. Zelesnik, M. M. Micci and L. N. Long, Direct simulation monte carlo model of low reynolds number nozzle flows, Journal of Propulsion Power, 10 (1994) 546–553.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. A. A. Alexeenko, D. A. Fedosov, S. F. Gimelshein, D. A. Levin and R. J. Collins, Transient heat transfer and gas flow in a mems-based thruster, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, 15(1) (2006) 181–194.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. A. A. Alexeenko, D. A. Levin, S. F. Gimelshein, R. J. Collins and B. D. Reed, Numerical modeling of axisymmetric and three-dimensional flows in microelectromechanical systems nozzles, AIAA Journal, 40(5) (2002) 897–904.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. P. H. Oosthuizen and W. E. Carscallen, Compressible fluid flow, McGraw-Hill, USA, New York (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  8. W. F. Louisos, A. A. Alexeenko, D. L. Hitt and A. Zilic, Design considerations for supersonic micronozzles, International Journal of Manufacturing Research, 3(1) (2008) 80–113.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. A. H. Shapiro, The dynamics and thermodynamics of compressible fluid flow, Wiley, New York, USA (1953).

    Google Scholar 

  10. A. H. Hameed and R. Kafafy, Generalized one-dimensional flow inside thermo-electrically controlled micronozzle, in International Conference on Mechatronics (ICOM’08) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2008).

  11. D. Mitrani, J. Salazar, A. Turo, M. J. Garcia and J. A. Chavez, One-dimensional modeling of te devices considering temperature-dependent parameters using spice, Microelectronics Journal, 40(9) (2009) 1398–1405.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D. Mitrani, J. Salazar, A. Turo, M. J. Garcia and J. A. Chavez, Transient distributed parameter electrical analogous model of te devices, Microelectronics Journal, 40(9) (2009) 1406–1410.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. M. J. Huang, R. H. Yen and A. B. Wang, The influence of the thomson effect on the performance of a thermoelectric cooler, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 48(2) (2005) 413–418.

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  14. J. E. Parrott, The interpretation of the stationary and transient behavior of refrigerating thermocouples, Solid-State Electronics, 1(2) (1960) 135–143.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. C. N. Rollinger and J. E. Sunderland, The performance of a convectively cooled thermoelement used for power generation, Solid State Electronics, 3(3–4) (1961) 268–277.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. C. N. Rollinger and J. E. Sunderland, The performance of a thermoelectric heat pump with surface heat transfer, Solid-State Electronics, 6(1) (1963) 47–57.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. A. H. Hameed and R. Kafafy, A thermoelectrically-controlled MEMS-based nozzle, in Malaysian Patent Office Malaysia (2010).

  18. F. Volklein, G. Min and D. M. Rowe, Modelling of a microelectromechanical thermoelectric cooler, Sensors and Actuators A: Physical, 75(2) (1999) 95–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. G. J. Snyder, J. R. Lim, C. -K. Huang and J. -P. Fleurial, Thermoelectric microdevice fabricated by a MEMS-like electrochemical process, Nat Mater, 2(8) (2003) 528–531.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. E. W. Beans, Nozzle design using generalized one-dimensional flow, Journal of Propulsion and Power, 8(4) (1992) 917–920.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. E. W. Beans, Computer solution to generalized one-dimensional flow, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets, 7 (1970) 1460.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. P. Balachandran, Fundamentals of compressible fluid dynamics, Prentice-Hall of India, Kerala (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  23. S. E. Turner, Y. Asako and M. Faghri, Convection heat transfer in microchannels with high speed gas flow, ASME Journal of Heat Transfer, 129 (2007) 319–328.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. W. F. Louisos and D. L. Hitt. Heat transfer & viscous effects in 2d & 3d supersonic micro-nozzle flows. in Collection of Technical Papers — 37th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference. Miami, FL (2007).

  25. R. L. Bayt and K. S. Breuer, A silicon heat exchanger with integrated intrinsic-point heater demonstrated in a micropropulsion application, Sensors and Actuators A, 91 (2001).

  26. S. A. Lemay, Microelectromechanical propulsion systems for spacecraft, NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL, Monterey, California (2002) 87.

  27. J. Mueller, Thruster options for microspacecraft: A review and evaluation of state-of-the-art and emerging technologies, Micropropulsion for Small Spacecraft, 187 (2000) 45–137.

    Google Scholar 

  28. R. Kafafy and A. H. Hameed, A review of mems-based micropropulsion options, in The International Conference on MEMS and Nanotechnology, (ICMN’08) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2008).

  29. H. Schlichting, Boundary layer theory, 7th ed., McGraw-Hill, Inc, New York, USA (1979).

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  30. J. E. Sunderland and N. T. Burak, The influence of the thomson effect on the performance of a thermoelectric power generator, Solid-State Electronics, 7(6) (1964) 465–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. G. S. Nolas, J. Sharp and H. J. Goldsmid, Thermoelectrics: Basic principles and new materials developments. Vol. 45. Springer Verlag (2001).

  32. W. Seifert, M. Ueltzen and E. Muller, One-dimensional modelling of thermoelectric cooling, Physica Status Solidi (A) Applied Research, 194(1) (2002) 277–290.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. D. M. Rowe, Thermoelectrics handbook: Macro to nano, CRC Press (2006).

  34. K. Zabrocki, E. Muller and W. Seifert, One-dimensional modeling of thermogenerator elements with linear material profiles, Journal of Electronic Materials, 39(9) (2010) 1724–1729.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. L. J. Ybarrondo and J. E. Sunderland, Effects of surface heat transfer on the performance of a thermoelectric generator, Solid-State Electronics, 5(3) (1962) 143–154.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. A. Hameed and R. Kafafy, A generalized quasi one-dimensional multiphysics model for thermo-electrically controlled micronozzles, in Regional Conference on Solid State Science and Technology, Penang, Malaysia (2009).

  37. R. Kafafy and A. H. Hameed, Modeling of non-uniform thermoelement devices subject to lateral heat convection, Defect and Diffusion Forum (DDF), A 312-315 (Diffusion in Solids and Liquids III) (2011) 782–787.

  38. H. S. Carslaw and J. C. Jaeger, Conduction of heat in solids, 2 ed., Clarendon. Oxford, England (1959).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Engineering, International Islamic University Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, 50728, Malaysia

    Amar Hasan Hameed & Raed Kafafy

Authors
  1. Amar Hasan Hameed
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Raed Kafafy
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amar Hasan Hameed.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Dongsik Kim

Amar Hasan Hameed received his BSc and MSc degrees in Engineering from Al-Anbar University and University of Baghdad, Iraq, in 1998 and 2006, respectively. He obtained his Ph.D degree at the Mechanical Engineering of International Islamic University Malaysia in January 2012. His main research focus is on the study of gas dynamics, as well as heat transfer and thermophysics of thermoelectrically controlled microthrusters.

Raed Ismail Kafafy is an Associate Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). He received his BSc and MSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering from Cairo University, Egypt in 1996 and 2000, respectively. And then he received his Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering from Virginia Tech, USA in 2005. He is the author or co-author of more than 50 scientific articles in conferences and refereed journals. His current research interests include space propulsion and analysis of thermofluid systems. Dr. Kafafy is a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the Egyptian Engineers Syndicate.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hameed, A.H., Kafafy, R. Thermoelectrically controlled micronozzle — A novel application for thermoelements. J Mech Sci Technol 26, 3631–3641 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0847-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0847-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation