Surface contact behavior of functionally graded thermoelectric materials indented by a conducting punch

Abstract

The contact problem for thermoelectric materials with functionally graded properties is considered. The material properties, such as the electric conductivity, the thermal conductivity, the shear modulus, and the thermal expansion coefficient, vary in an exponential function. Using the Fourier transform technique, the electro-thermoelastic problems are transformed into three sets of singular integral equations which are solved numerically in terms of the unknown normal electric current density, the normal energy flux, and the contact pressure. Meanwhile, the complex homogeneous solutions of the displacement fields caused by the gradient parameters are simplified with the help of Euler’s formula. After addressing the non-linearity excited by thermoelectric effects, the particular solutions of the displacement fields can be assessed. The effects of various combinations of material gradient parameters and thermoelectric loads on the contact behaviors of thermoelectric materials are presented. The results give a deep insight into the contact damage mechanism of functionally graded thermoelectric materials (FGTEMs).