Experimental Performance Analysis of a Small Thermoelectric System Applicable to Real-Time PCR Devices

Jae Hoon Chung,Sehoon Jeong

doi:10.3390/sym12121963

Abstract

At the International Space Station (ISS), not only observation of the space environment, but also biological and medical research under weightlessness has been conducted. The efficient use of energy from waste heat from the ISS away from the Earth is very important to the efficient operation of the ISS. To develop a thermoelectric module that can be used for real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machinery used in biological and medical research, we simulated and evaluated the thermoelectric waste heat recovery system. Specifically, the thermoelectric module was attached to a stainless steel duct, and a hot air blower was faced with the duct inlet. The power of the thermoelectric system was measured by controlling the temperature of the hot air inlet. Additionally, the thermoelectric performance was evaluated according to the heat sink attached to the cold side of the thermoelectric module. Here, we also found the optimal heat exchange factors to improve the power and efficiency of the thermoelectric module. In this regard, it is expected that the thermoelectric module development and analysis study using waste heat will play an important role in the biological and medical research that is being conducted at ISS by developing a real-time PCR utilizing it.

Highlights

The increasing presence of humans in orbit over the last 50 years has shown that humans can adapt to short-term space flight
By studying experimental animals aboard the space probe, scientists can better understand the adaptive response of animals or humans to long-term space flight
We explored the applicability of the method of using thermoelectric power modules to utilize the temperature changes in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) process performed on spacecraft

Summary

Introduction

The increasing presence of humans in orbit over the last 50 years has shown that humans can adapt to short-term space flight. The ISS era promises an opportunity to observe and test various features of animal development during long-term exposure to microgravity, as well as access to centrifuges where specimens can be exposed to partial gravity loads. Space probes such as Neurolab provided evidence that frogs and rats need critical periods of gravity for biological development. By studying experimental animals aboard the space probe, scientists can better understand the adaptive response of animals or humans to long-term space flight The results of these missions can help determine the requirements for optimal human health in space [2,3]

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