THERMOELECTRIC DEVICE EFFICIENCY ENHANCEMENT USING DYNAMIC FEEDBACK

• US 20110107772A1
• Filed: 01/13/2011
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BSST LLC (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Goenka, Lakhi Nandlal
• Granted Patent: US 8,424,315 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/3.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00478 Air-conditioning devices using the Peltier effect for air-conditioning in general F24F5/0042; for refrigeration F25B21/02; electric devices exhibiting the Peltier effect H10N10/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00878 the components being temperature regulating devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/00 Machines, plants or systems, using a combination of modes of operation covered by two or more of the groups F25B1/00 - F25B23/00
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/13 Pump speed control

Abstract

A cooling system is disclosed including a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a means for regulating a flow of a fluid, and a thermoelectric device for cooling a fluid, wherein a difference in temperature between a hot side and a cold side of the thermoelectric device is minimized and an efficiency of the thermoelectric device is maximized.

Claims

1. A method for cooling an area using a cooling system, the method comprising:

circulating a first fluid through a first heat exchanger adapted to cool the first fluid;

circulating the first fluid through a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger;

transferring energy between the first fluid and a second fluid to condition the second fluid to reach a desired temperature;

providing a thermoelectric device disposed between and in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the thermoelectric device configured to heat the first fluid and cool the second fluid to a temperature lower than the desired temperature; and

transferring energy between the first fluid and the second fluid using the second heat exchanger to increase a coefficient of performance of the thermoelectric device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is circulated using a pump.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises a low-temperature core.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second heat exchanger comprises a heater core.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fluid is a liquid and the second fluid is a gas.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first fluid is water and the second fluid is air.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a thermoelectric device bypass, wherein the thermoelectric device bypass is configured to cause at least a portion of the first fluid to bypass at least a portion of the thermoelectric device.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising circulating the at least a portion of the first fluid through the thermoelectric device bypass using a flow regulator disposed between the thermoelectric device and the first heat exchanger.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the flow regulator comprises a valve.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the thermoelectric device bypass is configured such that the at least a portion of the first fluid does not flow through the second heat exchanger.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a hot side and a cold side, and the second heat exchanger is configured to reduce a temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side of the thermoelectric device.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired temperature is set by controls located in a passenger compartment.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein circulating the first fluid through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger comprises circulating the first fluid in a first conduit system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second fluid flows through a second conduit system in fluid communication with a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

15. A method for cooling an area using a cooling system, the method comprising:

circulating a first fluid through a first heat exchanger adapted to cool the first fluid;

providing a thermoelectric device disposed between and in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger, the thermoelectric device configured to heat the first fluid and cool a second fluid;

providing a bypass conduit disposed between the first heat exchanger and the thermoelectric device, wherein the bypass conduit is configured to facilitate a flow of at least a portion of the first fluid from said first heat exchanger through the bypass conduit to the thermoelectric device such that the at least a portion of the first fluid does not flow through the second heat exchanger;

circulating the at least a portion of the first fluid through the bypass conduit; and

transferring energy between the first fluid and the second fluid using the thermoelectric device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising a flow regulator disposed between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, wherein the at least a portion of the first fluid is circulated through the bypass conduit using the flow regulator.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the flow regulator comprises a valve.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the flow regulator comprises a pump.

19. A method for cooling an area using a cooling system, the method comprising:

circulating a first fluid through a first heat exchanger adapted to cool the first fluid;

circulating the first fluid through a second heat exchanger in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger;

transferring energy between the first fluid and a second fluid using the second heat exchanger to condition the second fluid to reach a desired temperature;

providing a thermoelectric device disposed between and in fluid communication with the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, the thermoelectric device comprising a hot side and a cold side and configured to heat the first fluid and cool the second fluid to a temperature lower than the desired temperature; and

reducing a temperature difference between the hot side and the cold side of the thermoelectric device using the second heat exchanger.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to aid in demisting of the second fluid by cooling the second fluid to a temperature lower than the desired temperature.