Comprehensive modeling for optimized design of a thermoelectric cooler with non-constant cross-section: Theoretical considerations

Abstract

With the popularization of electric vehicles, a thermoelectric cooler can be a promising battery thermal-management device that achieves the heat dissipation and uniform heating of a battery pack to improve its performance. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model was established in order to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the factors affecting the cooling performance for a thermoelectric cooler with a non-constant cross-section via the finite element method, and a one-dimensional mathematical model was constructed in order to explain the working mechanism of the influencing factors. The optimization included the geometric structure, temperature difference, leg geometry, and contact layers. The results show that compared with a thermoelectric cooler with a constant cross-section, the cooling capacity and the coefficient of performance of an optimized thermoelectric cooler with a non-constant cross-section were improved by 35.73% and 21.59%, respectively. Compared with the thermoelectric cooler with a non-constant cross-section before optimization, the cooling capacity and the coefficient of performance after optimization increased by 20.98% and 20.52%, respectively.