Performance evaluation of an integrated heatsink and thermoelectric module by two-way coupled numerical analysis

Abstract

Experimentally validated numerical models contribute to the literature and provide clues to researchers. In recent years, thermoelectric coolers have come to the fore as an alternative to existing cooling systems. The effect of the geometric parameters of a heat sink (wave amplitude, wave width, and wavelength) and the parameters of a thermoelectric module (conductor thickness, solder thickness, and the leg lengths of P and N type) are investigated parametrically. The numerical study has been carried out by coupled CFD and Thermal Electric tools and validated with experimental data. The three-dimensional model has consisted of a heat sink with converging diverging channels integrated with a thermoelectric module. It has been investigated by the numerical model how the specified design parameters of the heat sink and thermoelectric module affect the cooling performance of the fluid flowing through the heat sink. Evaluation of the results has been made according to the temperature of the fluid out of the heat sink, the bottom temperature of the heat sink, the current produced on the thermoelectric module and the heat transfer coefficient. The results showed that the parameters have an effect on the thermal performance, but their effect on the current change is limited.