Hot Side Of Thermoelectric Module Research Articles

Fabrication of Instant Water Cooler Using Thermoelectric Module

Hot and cold water is always needed for human being and we use different systems to get hot and cold water. The devices which are available in market for heating and cooling purpose have more costly and heavy like refrigerator, electric heater and solar water heater. So, we decide to make project on “fabrication of instant water cooler using thermoelectric module to get cold water and hot water at same time.” Peltier effect is used to get cold as well as hot water at same time with cheapest cost and applicable to use in residential area also. Our aim is toward developing a system which will provide cooling and heating effect at same time without moving mechanical parts. Thermoelectric cooling and heating system not require working fluids. This device can be used to cool water without refrigerants. And simultaneously heating can be achieved from the hot side of thermoelectric module to heat the water, this because of heat absorption and rejection using Peltier element. This compact design is very useful in elimination of CFC and it would replace refrigeration system.

Key factors affecting the water production in a thermoelectric distillation system

A thermoelectric distillation system has recently been demonstrated to have a great potential of improving the efficiency of distillation processes due to the use of waste heat from the hot side of thermoelectric module to assist evaporation while the cold side for condensation. This work investigates the key factors that affect the water production in a thermoelectric distillation system. An experimental investigation was performed to investigate the influence of evaporation temperature, vapour volume, Peltier current and input power on the water production rate. The results of the experiment show that an increase in the sample water temperature from 30 °C to 60 °C led to an increase in total water production by 47%. In addition, an increase in total water production by 58% was obtained by reducing the vapour volume from 600 cm3 to 400 cm3 during a 3-h operation. The maximum water production rate is achieved by appropriate selection and control of the Peltier current to the thermoelectric device based on the operating condition of the distillation system.

Empirical Analysis for the Heat Exchange Effectiveness of a Thermoelectric Liquid Cooling and Heating Unit

This study aims to estimate the performance of thermoelectric module (TEM) heat pump for simultaneous liquid cooling and heating and propose empirical models for predicting the heat exchange effectiveness. The experiments were conducted to investigate and collect the performance data of TEM heat pump where the working fluid was water. A total of 57 sets of experimental data were statistically analyzed to estimate the effects of each independent variable on the heat exchange effectiveness using analysis of variance (ANOVA). To develop the empirical model, the six design parameters were measured: the number of transfer units (NTU) of the heat exchangers (i.e., water blocks), the inlet water temperatures and temperatures of water blocks at the cold and hot sides of the TEM. As a result, two polynomial equations predicting heat exchange effectiveness at the cold and hot sides of the TEM heat pump were derived as a function of the six selected design parameters. Also, the proposed models and theoretical model of conventional condenser and evaporator for heat exchange effectiveness were compared with the additional measurement data to validate the reliability of the proposed models. Consequently, two conclusions have been made: (1) the possibility of using the TEM heat pump for simultaneous cooling and heating was examined with the maximum temperature difference of 30 °C between cold and hot side of TEM, and (2) it is revealed that TEM heat pump has difference with the conventional evaporator and condenser from the comparison results between the proposed models and theoretical model due to the heat conduction and Joule effect in TEM.

Performance Evaluation for Peltier Coolers Focused on Energy Consumption

The objective of this research is to obtain basic data for miniaturization and saving energy of thermoelectric cooler (Peltier cooler). For that objective, we made three types of experimental thermoelectric coolers which each have a different heat dissipating component on the hot side of thermoelectric module. We evaluated the cooling capacities and energy consumptions of them on various driving conditions (e.g. applied voltage for thermoelectric module and cooling fan). Per these results, we obtained the relation between heat dissipation performances of the hot side and cooling capacities, and some optimum applied voltages for the cooling fan in order to save energy of thermoelectric cooler. These experimental results show a maximum reduction of energy by nearly half compared to the cooling fan driven rated voltage.

Effective use of thermal energy at both hot and cold side of thermoelectric module for developing efficient thermoelectric water distillation system

An efficient thermoelectric distillation system has been designed and constructed for production of drinkable water. The unique design of this system is to use the heat from hot side of the thermoelectric module for water evaporation and the cold side for vapour condensation simultaneously. This novel design significantly reduces energy consumption and improves the system performance. The results of experiments show that the average water production is 28.5mL/h with a specific energy consumption of 0.00114kWh/mL in an evaporation chamber filled with 10×10×30mm3 of water. This is significantly lower than the energy consumption required by other existing thermoelectric distillation systems. The results also show that a maximum temperature difference between the hot and cold side of the thermoelectric module is 42.3°C, which led to temperature increases of 26.4°C and 8.4°C in water and vapour, respectively.

The Study of Cook-Stove Thermoelectric Generator Power

This research studies the alternative way of electricity generating from the waste heat of economy oven by using 4 modules of thermoelectric modules. The hot side of thermoelectric module is attached to the heat plate while the cold side is installed on the rectangular, plate-fin heat exchanger. Variety of system adjustments were used during this study in terms of finding the maximum electric power rate. Adjusting the heating value and the electrical resistance to the thermoelectric was the procedure in this study. From the research, we found out that at the temperature of 200°C on the heat pad, the released maximum electric current was 4.5 W. The percentage of heat converting to electric current was 11.9%, with the 0.84 A and 5.35 V. The efficiency of the economy oven was 23.20%, and comes up to 23.39% while generating power via thermoelectric module.

Optimum design and experimental study of a thermoelectric ventilator

Thermoelectric technology was introduced into a ventilator providing an active method for heat recovery from exhaust air out of buildings. This study aims to improve the performance of the thermoelectric ventilator using a heat pipe exchanger. First, a mathematical model is proposed to develop an integrated design method and identify the impact factors of TEM's performance. According to the analysis, the optimal design involving a heat pipe exchanger for improving the performance of the thermoelectric ventilator is conducted. Then, the thermoelectric ventilator is analyzed from energy and exergy perspectives. To identify the working current and estimate the ventilator's performance, a simulation program is established. Accordingly, a series of experiments were conducted to test the ventilator's performance under different weather conditions in summer and winter in Changsha, China. Finally, results are analyzed and discussed from energy and exergy perspectives. It is found that the thermoelectric ventilator can provide sufficient energy for fresh air handling and heat recovery from exhaust air. The maximum Coefficient of Performance (COP) is 4.78 in summer mode and 4.16 in winter mode. It is concluded that the thermoelectric ventilator is adequate for the mild weather conditions. According to the exergy analysis, the largest exergy destruction occurs during the process of energy transfer inside the thermoelectric modules (TEMs). Further study should focus on reducing the working current, improving the performance of TEMs, and increasing heat transfer efficiency of the heat exchangers, especially for those on the hot side of TEMs.

Heat rejection alternatives for thermoelectric refrigerators

The main objective of this work is to enhance the performance of thermoelectric refrigerators by developing an effective heat rejection method for the hot side of thermoelectric modules. Single fan, double fan and natural chimney draft heat rejection alternatives have been tested. The minimum temperature reached is −3°C. The temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side is 26°C for natural cooling, 22°C for the single fan and 14°C for the two fan systems. It has been concluded that, if we use a long chimney, the performance of the refrigerator may be improved, and the fan current is used for cooling instead of wasting its power for heat rejection fans.