Исследование интегральных характеристик охлаждающей системы с термоэлектрическим модулем

Abstract

Thermoelectric modules (TEM) are devices using which it is possible to implement either thermoelectric cooling due to the Peltier effect or electricity generation due to the Seebeck effect. In the first case, electric energy is directly converted into thermal energy, and in the second case, thermal energy is converted into electricity. Recent advances in the development of new thermoelectric nanostructured materials with characteristics significantly better than those found in bulk ones, prompted an increased interest in cooling and electricity generation through the use of thermoelectric devices. Special engineering design techniques are used in developing thermoelectric systems. However, such techniques only yield successful results for some simple designs. If the design of a thermoelectric device is non-trivial, some approximations have to be applied for the design, which seriously affects the accuracy of the result. The existing engineering methods for calculating the parameters and integral characteristics of TEMs involve a large number of simplifications and shortcomings, due to which the calculated integral characteristics of a TEM can differ significantly from their actual ones. In the field of thermoelectric devices, numerical simulation has to be used to solve various problems, in particular, for studying and evaluating promising designs of thermoelectric devices. The article presents the mathematical model of a cooling system equipped with TEMs. Numerical solution of the conjugate heat transfer equations describing the cooling system operation is obtained. It is shown that the TEM operating parameters are influenced by a number of factors that should preferably be taken into account in temperature distribution calculations. It is also shown that under real conditions the integral TEM operation parameters may differ considerably from those calculated according to the standard engineering procedures. Owing to its containing a rigorous body of mathematics, the developed model makes it possible to calculate the TEM parameters and integral characteristics under the real conditions of their operation.