Temperature-Dependent Modeling of Thermoelectric Elements

Abstract

Active thermal control is crucial in achieving the required accuracy and throughput in many industrial applications, e.g., in the medical industry, high-power lighting industry, and semiconductor industry. Thermoelectric Modules (TEMs) can be used to both heat and cool, alleviating some of the challenges associated with traditional electric heater based control. However, the dynamic behavior of these modules is non-affine in their inputs and state, complicating their implementation. To facilitate advanced control approaches a high fidelity model is required. In this work an approach is presented that increases the modeling accuracy by incorporating temperature dependent parameters. Using an experimental identification procedure, the parameters are estimated under different operating conditions. The resulting model achieves superior accuracy for a wide range of temperatures, demonstrated using experimental validation measurements.