3-D Modeling of Pyroelectric Sensor Arrays Part I: Multiphysics Finite-Element Simulation

When modeling pyroelectric sensors, not all relevant and coupled physical phenomena could be considered contemporaneously up to now. We describe a method to examine problems with coupled thermal, electrical, and mechanical fields using finite-element software. Modeling the complex interaction between the physical fields is realized by implementing a two-step approach that takes advantage of the internal computational routines of finite-element programs. The method will be exemplified on a standard pyroelectric sensor array, whose efficient 3-D modeling and simulation is demonstrated using a public accessible commercial finite element software.