SPICE steady state modelling of thermoelectric generators involving the Thomson effect

During operation thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are subject to the following thermal effects; Heat conduction according to Fourier´s law, Joule heating, Peltier heating and Thomson heating. Many SPICE-based models exist for TEGs however in the vast majority of them the Thomson effect is neglected due to its relatively small size compared to the other effects, as well as the complexity that results from including the Thomson effect in the model. This paper seeks to present a model that governs the steady state performance of a TEG that includes the Thomson effect whilst limiting the complexity of the SPICE model.