Articles techniques et présentations

A mathematical model based on a finite element method (FEM) is presented as an initial approach for a system converting waste heat energy into chemical energy. This system consists of a pyroelectric LiNbO3 plate placed into a cylinder which undergoes a laminar water flow with an appropriate periodic heat source. It solves the heat transfer equation in non-isothermal flow, where the density of process fluid varies in the presence of an inhomogeneous temperature field T(r,t) in space r and time t. In addition, a pyroelectric current and the resulting polarization are calculated. The harvested energy can be used for pyrocatalytic water splitting, which in turn can be utilized for electricity generation from fuel cells.