18.1.3. Energy Equation Source Term

When electric current flows through a medium, it produces heat. This phenomenon is called Joule heating. Joule heating generated inside the medium, , can be computed as:

(18–2)

When contact resistance is defined on a wall, an extra Joule heating source term, , is added to the wall's neighboring cell:

(18–3)

where
	= current flux through the wall (A/m²)
	= contact resistance (Ohm.m²)
	= wall area
	= cell volume

When solving the potential equation (Equation 18–1), you can add the Joule heating to the energy equation (Equation 5–1).