Cooling Module Research Articles

Enhancing photovoltaic panel efficiency with innovative cooling Technologies: An experimental approach

The increase in photovoltaic panel temperature brought on by solar radiation absorption lowers performance, power output, energy efficiency, and panel longevity (a rise in temperature of just one degree causes power drop of 0.41 %). In an effort to alleviate this problem, this thorough study multiple novel cooling strategies to enhance solar system efficiency, especially photovoltaic panels in Egyptian climates remote areas. The three main routines for photovoltaic panel cooling are contingent on the following techniques: (1) evaporative cooling using marble, (2) evaporative cooling using palm fibers with fan-assisted airflow, and (3) thermoelectric cooler modules. These materials that used in the studied system as coolants are characterized by, abundant local availability in nature and low cost, especially in Egypt. Every method has been designed with a control system. According to the study, starting the cooling process at the greatest temperature that is permitted—45 °C—produces the maximum energy output from photovoltaic panels while balancing the need for cooling and energy production. Using these cooling methods causes the average temperature to be lowered by 16, 11.62, and 9.8 degrees Celsius for thermoelectric, marble, and palm fiber cooling respectively while the voltage output is enhanced by 2.58, 0.94, and 0.7 V. The recorded values indicate 4.59 %, 3.95 %, 2.15 % increase in photovoltaic panel exit power and 25.29 %, 15.79 %, and 15.1 % increase in photovoltaic panel energy conversion efficiency when thermoelectric, marble, and palm fibers cooler modules are used, respectively. This study is a priceless resource for scholars looking to improve photovoltaic panel performance by executing efficient cooling strategies with annual costs 0.017, 0.02, 0.026, and 0.024 $/kWh and payback periods 1.69, 2.07, 2.71, and 2.48 years for reference panel, marble cooling panel, palm fiber cooling pane, and thermoelectric cooling panel respectively.

Experimental investigation of the thermoelectric and double-glazed glass effects on the performance of a solar still

Due to water scarcity, the use of solar stills and their improvements have been widely taken into account. In this regard, researchers are always looking for solutions to improve the performance of solar stills because of their low efficiency. Hence, this study experimentally investigated the effect of adding thermoelectric coolers, a cold air channel, and double-glazed glass on increasing the performance of a conventional solar still. The modified solar still was equipped with six thermoelectric cooler modules under the solar still. The hot sides of the modules were connected to the solar still plate to increase the temperature of the inside water, while the cold parts were used to cool the air blown from a channel toward the double-glazed glass on the solar still. The performance of two solar stills (solar still and the modified solar still) was compared for 2 days in Sabzevar city, in the northeast of Iran. The important analyses, including freshwater production, energy and exergy performances, and economic view are compared. Based on the results, the daily freshwater production, energy efficiency, and exergy efficiency of the modified solar still were improved by 570 %, 137 %, and 215 %, respectively, compared to those in the conventional solar still. The economic analysis results indicated that under optimal conditions (i = 5 %), the cost of distilled water was 0.0326 $/L and 0.0739 $/L for the modified solar still and conventional solar still, respectively. Also, using the modified solar still, the payback period reduced by about 1.74 years (payback period for the modified solar still and conventional solar still was obtained at 1.30 and 3.04 years, respectively).

Mini air conditioning design with two levels of thermoelectric cooler module: cooling heat pipe

As the tropical country, the use of air conditioning (AC) in Indonesia is still high. This will affect energy consumption and global warming issue. This study aims to make solution of the AC issue with a design of the mini-AC using thermoelectrical cooler (TEC) technology and determine the output temperature result of the design, then to find out the coefficient of performance (COP) of the TEC cooler. The mini-AC design or method uses two TEC with additional heat sink, heat pipe, and fan to help release temperature to environment. The temperature measuring uses an 11-point thermocouple with real-time data collection using BTM-4208sd logger. The results of the study concluded that the mini-AC could work well even though one of the TECs was below its best performance. The use of heat pipes can help reduce heat quickly from TEC heat side. The best COP of TEC with ideal heat reduction is 0.69 from the upper position (72 W), and the highest at lower position (48 W) with 2.19.

Different-sized thermoelectric cooler modules operated by a thermoelectric generator system

This study produced a numerically optimum design of a mini refrigerator with a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) powered by a thermoelectric generator (TEG) system in a turbocharged tractor. The effect of the cross-sectional areas of the thermocouples constituting the TEC on the energy transformation from electricity to thermal was examined. Analyses were performed for five different modules; the p- and n-type thermocouple numbers of each of these were also the same. Thus, the effect of the distance between thermocouples on the performance of the TEC module could be determined. This is the significance of the current study for the literature. The results of the analysis using the Ansys-Thermal-Electric software were for one TEC module of each different size. According to the results of the numerical analysis, the increase in electric current in the TB-127-1.2-1.3 module was 42% compared to the TB-127-1.0-1.3 commercial module. Moreover, the cooling power of the TB-127-1.2-1.3 module was 42.72% higher than the cooling power of the TB-127-1.0-1.3 commercial module. The electrical power requirement of the TEC modules, except for the TB-127-1.1-1.3 and TB-127-1.2-1.3 TEC modules, could be met with all the TEG modules at an outdoor temperature of 30 °C.

Improvement methods for thermal backflow phenomenon in engine compartment blow-type air cooler module

Regarding the thermal backflow problem in the central area of the engine compartment's blow-type cooler module, a computational model for the entire machine's outflow field is first established and validated using experimental results. Next, the formation of thermal backflow phenomenon is analyzed, and a more accurate calculation method for the cooler that takes into account the thermal backflow phenomenon is proposed. Finally, a new structure that can eliminate the thermal backflow phenomenon is presented, and the heat dissipation effect is analyzed. The conclusion shows that the calculated values of the engine compartment cooler module are consistent with experimental results, verifying the correctness of the computational model. The negative pressure caused by the “pump” suction effect in the central area of the cooler module is the fundamental reason for the generation of the thermal backflow phenomenon. The dual heat exchanger model can significantly improve the calculation accuracy of the cooler when taking into account the thermal backflow phenomenon (by at least 10%), providing a more accurate method for evaluating the cooler's heat dissipation ability. The proposed new structure can eliminate the thermal backflow phenomenon in the cooler module and improve the heat dissipation uniformity. After the elimination of the thermal backflow phenomenon, the heat dissipation ability of the cooler is improved by at least 25%. In addition, the improvement of the heat dissipation uniformity of the cooler can effectively solve the problem that multiple coolers in the engine compartment have inconsistent heat dissipation capabilities. The proposed calculation method for the cooler taking into account the thermal backflow phenomenon and the new structure for eliminating the thermal backflow provide a reference for the development of similar products in the future.

Efficient Thermoelectric Cooler for Localized Cooling in Electronic Devices

Abstract Modern electronic devices operate at high power density due to increased processing speeds and the miniaturization of electronic chips. Conventional fan cooling alone is not effective. The thermoelectric cooler (TEC) is one of the most viable substitutes, providing site-specific, rapid, and precise cooling. In the present work, we propose an efficient thermoelectric cooler design for mitigating the cooling demand of high-end electronic components such as microprocessors, semiconductor lasers, etc. A 3D numerical model is developed using the finite element method (FEM)-based commercial software COMSOL Multiphysics to investigate the effect of various geometric and operating parameters on the cooling performance of the thermoelectric cooler. The parameters such as fill factor, leg dimensions, heat sink size, and phase change material (PCM) filling pattern in the inter-fin spacings/gaps are optimized. Two heat sink PCM designs, M1 (alternate fin gaps filled) and M2 (all fin gaps filled), are investigated for hotspot mitigation. For no-load conditions, the thermoelectric cooler module with a 20% fill factor produces a cooling of 20.5 °C with an average cooling per unit input power of 37.5 °CW−1. When a heating load of 625 W/cm2 is applied, its cold-side temperature reaches 91 °C. TEC module with n-eicosane PCM (M2 design) provides an effective cooling of 37 °C and an average cooling per unit input power of 42.3 °CW−1.

Modelling of the temperature profile of heat sinks for a thermoelectric cooler module

Thermoelectric refrigeration achieves cooling through Peltier and Seebeck effect. Heat sinks attached to the hot and cold sides of the thermoelectric module help to efficiently dissipates and absorb heat. This research modelled the temperature profile across a heat sink and its optimization for a thermoelectric refrigeration application. Simulation was carried out using MATLAB to visualize the performance of the heat sink. The optimization was done using FMINCON in MATLAB by setting upper and lower bounds to satisfy space and volume requirement. The optimum values for the hot and cold heat sink geometry obtained using FMINCON tool in OPTIMTOOL box in MATLAB, yields number of fins as 10, fin spacing as 0.003m, the fin thickness as 0.002m and fin length as 0.015m with an optimum temperature of -0.8639.

COOLING PERFORMANCE OF THERMOELECTRIC COOLER MODULES: EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL METHODS

A novel pulse-driving method in which the pulse frequency modulation is was developed by optimising the input power owing to the duty cycle of rectangular wave to enhance the cooling efficiency and thermal stability of the thermoelectric module. The aim of this driving method is to have better control of the thermoelectric cooler module temperature and to improve its coefficient of performance. In this method, the average current and the peak of pulse drive are in the 50% duty cycle with the same magnitude and the performance of Peltier module driving with average dc is compared with the pulse driving. The measurement results show that the coefficient of performance of the thermoelectric module with the pulse-frequency modulation driving method increased up to 102% as compared to the constant dc driving method. An artificial neural network has been successfully used to analyse these experimentally collected data and predict the performance of the module. When the developed artificial neural network model was tested using untrained data, the average correlation of the model was 99% and the overall prediction error was 1.38%. An accurate and simple analytical equation based on the predicted and experimental results was determined using the MATLAB® Curve Fitting Toolbox. The average correlation of the analytical model was 0.99 and the root-mean-square error was 0.074.

Thermoelectric Refrigeration System

A thermoelectric refrigerator, also known as a thermoelectric cooler module or Peltier cooler, is an electric component made of semi-conductors that acts as a tiny heat pump. When a thermoelectric cooler module is powered by a low voltage direct current power source, heat is transferred from one side to the other. As a result, one module face will be cooled while the opposite face is heated at the same time. The same fundamental laws of thermodynamics govern both thermoelectric and mechanical refrigerators, and both refrigeration systems, despite their vastly different appearances, operate on the same principles.

Active temperature-preserving deep-sea water sampler configured with a pressure-adaptive thermoelectric cooler module

Warming poses a significant threat to the utility of deep-sea samples. This study developed an active temperature-preserving deep-sea water sampler to use at full ocean depths. The most important component of the sampler is the pressure-adaptive thermoelectric cooler module; laboratory experiments validated its high-pressure resistance and waterproof capability under 110 MPa water conditions. The overall structure of the sampler was then designed, and computational fluid dynamics modeled the samples’ temperature distribution. The simulation results were consistent with experimental data. Finally, a sampler prototype was constructed and then tested in the Mariana Trench zone at a large depth of up to 6000 m. Preliminary results indicated that it functioned well during sea trials. The developed sampler should help preserve the in situ temperature of deep-sea samples throughout the recovery process and thus improve the sample quality.

Design and implementation of solar powered mini refrigerator using thermoelectric cooler module

Remote areas are known for lack of conventional electrical power supply. But it is a common phenomenon to find health centres in remote areas, where vaccination campaigns are done regularly. Due to small populations, vaccines opened cannot be completely used and some usually get bad. The objective of this project is to design and implement a portable and energy efficient refrigerator for preservation of vaccines in medical centres found in remote areas where electric power supply is absent. The novelty of this work is on the use of planks, which are local materials and cheap for the construction of the frame of the refrigerator. The experimental method is used, that helps to determine the functional operation of the system and the limit to which the system functions. The main component of the refrigerator is the thermoelectric cooler module tec1-12706.The system is tested under various conditions such as simultaneous use of PV module and storage battery as source of electrical energy. The absence of cooling fan on the hot side of tec1-12706.The results show that the temperature of the system reduces from 280 C to 50c within one hour of operation. And the temperature of the hot side of the tec1-12706 module increases drastically within 15 minutes of operation if there is an absence of fan on the hot side. With this the module is easily damaged. From the literature review, the COP is maximum0.6 but the present work raises the COP to 0.7.this is done by reducing the input energy. It is then recommended that the system should not be operated without a fan attached to the hot side of the tec1 module.

An Investigation of Thermoelectric Generators Used as Energy Harvesters in a Water Consumption Meter Application

In this study, we present the results of measuring the performance of selected Peltier cells such as thermoelectric Peltier cooler modules (TEC), thermoelectric micro-Peltier cooler modules (TES), and thermoelectric Seebeck generator modules (TEG). The achieved results are presented in the form of graphs of powering system output voltage or power efficiency functions of the load impedance. Moreover, a technical solution is also presented that consists of designing a water consumption power supply system, using a renewable energy source in the form of a Peltier cell. The developed measuring system does not require additional batteries or an external power source. The energy needed to power the system was obtained from the temperature difference between two sides of a thermoelectric cell, caused by the measured medium which was flowing in a copper water pipe. All achieved results were investigated for the temperature difference from 1 to 10 K in relation to the ambient temperature.

Design, modeling and parametric optimization of thermoelectric cooling systems for high power density electronic devices

Abstract The present article reports on the design, modeling and parametric optimization of a thermoelectric cooling system for electronics applications. An analytical model based on energy equilibrium is developed for cooling a microprocessor using a thermoelectric module with an air-cooled finned heat sink. The proposed analytical model is validated by experimental measurements and by comparison with detailed 3D numerical simulations. Estimation of effective material properties of the thermoelectric module using manufacturer-reported performance characteristics is found to reduce the uncertainty in the calculation of module input power as compared to experimental measurements. A parametric optimization of the thermoelectric module and heat sink is carried out to maximize the coefficient of performance (COP) and achieve the required cooling capacity of the microprocessor. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated for cooling current high power microprocessors. At a constant input current, the cooling capacity and COP of the thermoelectric cooling system increase with increasing thermoelectric module geometric ratio. Furthermore, at a constant geometric ratio, the cooling power increases with increasing input current to reach a maximum value and then decreases. The present study highlights the importance of designing and fabricating high-performance thermoelectric cooler modules with optimum parameters for cooling specific electronic components. The results indicate that the cooling capacity can be increased by ~70% using thermoelectric modules with optimized parameters as compared to using non-optimized commercially available thermoelectric modules.

An integrated absorption cooling technology with thermoelectric generator powered by solar energy

A novel integrated solar absorption refrigeration system with a thermoelectric generator and thermoelectric cooler is presented. The proposed system is of a 20-kW single-stage lithium bromide absorption cycle driven by solar evacuated tube collectors or by the heat rejected by the thermoelectric cooler module. The governing equations of the thermodynamic model are solved, and the results are validated. It was found that the coefficient of performance of the system approaches a constant value at a generator temperature of 100 °C. The best performance of the system was found in the case of placing the thermoelectric cooler between the generator and the condenser. The coefficient of performance and the overall thermal efficiency were found to be 1.12 and 73.4%, respectively. Furthermore, a 20% rise in the generator temperature would increase the power produced by thermoelectric generator modules by 60%. An increase of 20% in the thermoelectric generator modules would result in a reduction of 11.5% in its efficiency, while doubling the temperature difference would increase the generated power by a factor of three.

Solar based polio-drop box system with Peltier effect technology: A review

In the current review article, the main usage of thermoelectric effect or Peltier’s effect modules in a thermoelectric cooler (TEC), a compressor less refrigerator is diagnosed and Highlighted. The basic idea is to design and fabricate a refrigerator which gives refrigeration effect without using a compressor. Almost 20 degree drop in the ambient temperature is observed as compared to ambient temperature by various researchers. The work of several researchers is reviewed and showcased. The usage of the energy produced by solar power to promote the sustainable use of Natural energy. Here, the concept of the refrigeration is based on Peltier effect, which states that, whenever the DC current is passed through a thermoelectric module, it creates a heat transfer between the substrate thus creating a temperature difference between them cooling one side and heating the other. The main objective is to use the cooler module to decrease the ambient temperature so that it can be used a refrigerator for our polio drop box. Additional attachment of switching mode power supply is also designed to change disordered Direct current input voltage to a smooth DC output voltage at different voltage levels which is properly regulated to drive the thermoelectric modules used in the refrigerator. An off shelf SMPS power supply system will be used for testing or measurement. A basic temperature controller will also be used for the cooling system. After analyzing the design and size of the thermoelectric module, it can be said that the cooling system will be convenient. Solar based refrigeration technique will be very helpful in Sustainable use of energy for future. Also, the similar efforts are being made to develop a COVID 19 Vaccine box as a future scope of the current findings.

Optimization and Experimental Validation of a Modular Thermoelectric Heat Pump System for a Premature Baby Incubator

In this paper, a modular thermoelectric heat pump system (MTEHPS)-driven premature baby incubator is optimized, constructed and tested. The input parameters used in the optimization were experimentally determined from a commercial resistance incubator. In the theoretical part, mathematical modeling of the MTEHPS including a thermoelectric cooler module, heatsinks and fans for premature infant incubators has been created by using the basic laws of physics. Then, in order to improve the MTEHPS, two-step limited optimization was performed using the volume obtained by removing the control unit and heating element of the commercial incubator. In the first optimization step, the optimum geometric configurations of the heatsinks were determined based on the fin thickness and spacing to maximize the heat transfer rate for the limited volume. In the second step, using the optimum heatsink parameters as input, the total MTEHPS was optimized for the maximum coefficient of performance (COPheating) around the maximum heating power by using dimensional analysis method with developed MATLABR software, and optimum parameters of the system were determined. For the experimental part of the study, the MTEHPS was manufactured based on thermal and hydraulic parameters obtained as a result of the optimization and tested for thermal and electrical output parameters during steady-state operation of the incubator for a hood temperature of 36°C and ambient temperature of 25°C. It is found that the output parameters obtained from the optimization are in good agreement with the experimentally measured values. With an optimized MTEHPS, a COPheating of around 1.4 is reached, and the proposed system is economically feasible.

Effect of motorcycle exhaust pipe temperature and electrical circuit on harvested dc power from thermoelectric generators

The need for energy consumption nowadays becomes very important things, especially the need for electrical energy. Technology to convert heat into electricity directly can be realized using thermoelectric generators. To know the thermoelectric generator performance, this study performs an investigation of thermoelectric generator operated using motorcycle exhaust heat to generate DC power. Three identical thermoelectric generators model TE-MOD-5W5V-35S were used in this investigation. To generate different high temperatures the motorcycle was run at 1600 rpm, 2100 rpm, 3100 rpm. The circuits examined were series, parallel and combination of the two. All data were recorded using DAQ MX 9714 NI data logger that was connected to the PC using LabView program. The loads used in the current measurements were a thermoelectric cooler module model SP1848 and a fan 12 V - 0.13 A. Those two loads were installed in a parallel circuit. The results show that the tests without load produce the highest voltage, while the tests with the load result in the highest power. Increasing the temperature difference increases the power, and the parallel circuit results in the biggest power but the lowest voltage. The highest voltage of 3.3 V with series circuit was attained, and the highest power of 0.133 W with a parallel circuit was also obtained.

Optimization of Two-Stage Combined Thermoelectric Devices by a Three-Dimensional Multi-Physics Model and Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm

Due to their advantages of self-powered capability and compact size, combined thermoelectric devices, in which a thermoelectric cooler module is driven by a thermoelectric generator module, have become promising candidates for cooling applications in extreme conditions or environments where the room is confined and the power supply is sacrificed. When the device is designed as two-stage configuration for larger temperature difference, the design degree is larger than that of a single-stage counterpart. The element number allocation to each stage in the system has a significant influence on the device performance. However, this issue has not been well-solved in previous studies. This work proposes a three-dimensional multi-physics model coupled with multi-objective genetic algorithm to optimize the optimal element number allocation with the coefficient of performance and cooling capacity simultaneously as multi-objective functions. This method increases the accuracy of performance prediction compared with the previously reported examples studied by the thermal resistance model. The results show that the performance of the optimized device is remarkably enhanced, where the cooling capacity is increased by 23.3% and the coefficient of performance increased by 122.0% compared with the 1# Initial Solution. The mechanism behind this enhanced performance is analyzed. The results in this paper should be beneficial for engineers and scientists seeking to design a combined thermoelectric device with optimal performance under the constraint of total element number.

Thermal cooling enhancement of dual processors computer with thermoelectric air cooler module

The thermal cooling enhancement technique of dual processors workstation computer couple thermoelectric air cooler module is studied experimentally. The monitored parameters mainly focus on the computer load conditions, with and without thermoelectric air cooler module, cooling fan turns on/off modes, and different cooling fan sizes. In experiment process, the working computer load of 0–100% is performed. The temperature distribution inside the computer chassis depends on the density, position of the components inside the computer both active and passive components. It is found that the thermoelectric air cooler module has a significant effect on the air and the CPU temperatures of the dual processor computer. In addition, the operating modes, positions and sizes of the cooling fan have significant effect on air distribution inside the computer chassis. However, energy consumption is also increased. The results of this study are expected to lead to guidelines that will allow the design of the cooling system with improved heat transfer performance of the electronic equipment.

The Thermoelectric Cooler Performance Coefficient Based on Configuration of p-type and n-type Semiconductors of Bi2Te3 Materials

This research aims to perform fabrication and simulation of thermoelectric cooler module with Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3) semiconductor material. The results obtained from this research is the higher the value of the given current, then the temperature difference generated by the module will be higher and the preparation of semiconductors in series can produce the highest temperature difference. The coefficient of performance (COP) of the cooler thermoelectric module is influenced by several factors, among others, given current, electrical resistance, seebeck coefficient, and thermal conductance of the module The lowest consecutive temperature values are generated by module three on the Ampere current five, the module of the two Ampere current pads, and the module one on the four Ampere current. The coefficients of the performance of module one on the four Ampere currents are 0.12881 ± 0.000005; in the second module when the current flow of 4.5 amperes is 0.63361 ± 0.000005; and in the three modules when the current flow of five amperes is 0.92906 ± 0.000005. The error values of the measurement and simulation results respectively in module one, module two, and module three are 7.041%; 5.577%; and 10.387%.