Quick method for determining the reliability of a thermoelectric module via pulse testing

Abstract

Users and manufacturers of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are experiencing increasing demand for reliable products. As the volumes of manufactured TEMs increase, the need for a faster method of reliability testing is essential to minimize costs while ensuring the overall quality of the product. The typical methods of reliability testing can take as many as 3-4 months to determine the projected operational life of a TEM. In many cases, there is not enough time or resources to qualify the growing manufactured quantities of TEMs, until now. TE Technology has developed a pulse test method to quickly determine the integrity of the most crucial components within the TEM. This test process consists of applying a high magnitude, but very short duration, AC pulse through a TEM. This energy burst preferentially generates heat, pin-pointed wherever high contact resistance may be present throughout the TEM. These Hot Spots can be observed through thermal imaging methods applied to the exterior ceramics. Thus, every junction in the TEM is tested. Analyses of these thermal images are used to identify potential future failures. Test data will be presented to correlate the results of the pulse tests with those obtained from longer term, conventional reliability testing.