Thermoelectric heat pump

• US 10,473,365 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2017
• Issued: 11/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Inventors: Bell, Lon E., Diller, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bauer, Cassey D
• Application Number:
  US15/664,208
• Publication Number:
  US 20170343253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 62 37
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2321/0251 by a gas
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4935 Heat exchanger or boiler making

Abstract

In certain embodiments, a thermoelectric heat pump includes a heat transfer region having an array of thermoelectric modules, a waste channel in substantial thermal communication with a high temperature portion of the heat transfer region, and a main channel in substantial thermal communication with a low temperature portion of the heat transfer region. An enclosure wall provides a barrier between fluid in the waste channel and fluid in the main channel throughout the interior of the thermoelectric heat pump. In some embodiments, the waste fluid channel and the main fluid channel are positioned and shaped such that differences in temperature between fluids disposed near opposite sides of the enclosure wall are substantially decreased or minimized at corresponding positions along the channels.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric assembly comprising:

an array of thermoelectric modules, wherein each of the thermoelectric modules comprises a first electric terminal and a second electric terminal, wherein each of the thermoelectric modules comprise a plurality of thermoelectric elements;

a first printed circuit board coupled to the array on a first side of the array, the first printed circuit board electrically connecting at least two first electric terminals together; and

a second printed circuit board coupled to the array on a second side of the array, the second printed circuit board electrically connecting at least two second electric terminals together.

2. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein the first printed circuit board connects the at least two first electric terminals to a first power supply, and wherein the second printed circuit board connects the at least two second electric terminals to at least one of a second power supply or a ground.

3. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least two of the thermoelectric modules of the array are in parallel electrical communication with each other.

4. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 3, wherein the first printed circuit board electrically connects the at least two first electric terminals in parallel to provide the parallel electrical communication between the at least two of the thermoelectric modules.

5. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 3, wherein the second printed circuit board electrically connects the at least two second electric terminals in parallel to provide the parallel electrical communication between the at least two of the thermoelectric modules.

6. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least two of the thermoelectric modules of the array are in series electrical communication with each other.

7. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 6, wherein the array comprises a plurality of rows in series electrical communication with each other, wherein each row comprises a plurality of thermoelectric modules, and wherein the series electrical communication between the rows provides the series electrical communication between the at least two of the thermoelectric modules.

8. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 7, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules of each row are in parallel electrical communication with each other.

9. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 7, wherein the first and second printed circuit boards are coupled to the array on outer rows of the plurality of rows to form outer surfaces of the array on the first and second sides of the array, the first side opposite the second side.

10. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second printed circuit board comprises an aperture for the first or second electric terminal.

11. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second printed circuit board comprises an aperture for electrical wiring.

12. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second printed circuit board comprises a space for a lead wire from a power supply.

13. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second printed circuit board comprises an opening for accommodating a protrusion from the array of thermoelectric modules.

14. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second printed circuit board comprises a trace for electrically connecting the array of thermoelectric modules.

15. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 14, wherein a wire is soldered to the trace for electrically connecting the array of thermoelectric modules.

16. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 14, wherein the trace comprises copper or another suitable conductor material.

17. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 14, wherein the trace is disposed along a side of the at least one of the first or second printed circuit board.

18. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 17, wherein an other trace is disposed along an other side of the at least one of the first or second printed circuit board.

19. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second printed circuit board extends along a fin of a heat exchanger of a thermoelectric module of the array.

20. The thermoelectric assembly of claim 1, wherein both the first and second printed circuit boards extend along a plurality of fins of one or more heat exchangers of the array of thermoelectric modules.