Thermoelectric installations

• US 4,038,831 A
• Filed: 06/22/1976
• Issued: 08/02/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Air Industrie
• Original Assignee: Air Industrie
• Inventors: Krafft, Robert, Gaudel, Gerard
• Primary Examiner(s): King, Lloyd L.
• Application Number:
  US05/698,345
• Time in Patent Office: 406 Days
• Field of Search: 62/3
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device

Abstract

The invention relates to a thermoelectric installation, in particular to a heat pump.

This installation includes thermoelements mounted between thermal exchange walls belonging to hot exchangers through which a hot fluid circulates and cold exchangers through which a cold fluid circulates, said hot and cold exchangers alternating with thermoelements to form batteries arranged side by side or imbricated in such a way as to constitute a drawer of parallelepipedal appearance. A joint is provided at the level of each plane of thermoelements, this joint being constituted by a plate including the same number of apertures as there are thermoelements in said plane, this joint being nipped between the facing walls of the hot exchanger and of the cold exchanger and including, in addition, a peripheral rim acting in conjunction over the whole or part of its length with a bearing surface formed in the framework. A displacement mechanism is provided to produce a relative displacement between the drawer and the framework.

Claims

1. In a thermoelectric installation, particularly a heat pump, including thermoelements mounted between thermal exchange walls belonging to hot exchangers through which a hot fluid circulates and cold exchangers through which a cold fluid circulates, said hot and cold exchangers alternating with thermoelements to form batteries arranged side by side or imbricated in such a way as to constitute a drawer of parallelepipedal appearance in which the thermoelements are arranged in parallel planes and the exchangers facing each other, the elements constituting said drawer being held together by means of attachment and protected by a framework, the improvement consisting in

a joint provided in each plane of thermoelements, this joint being constituted by a plate including the same number of apertures as there are thermoelements in said plane, this joint being nipped between the facing walls of the hot exchanger and of the cold exchanger and including, in addition, a peripheral rim acting in conjunction over the whole or part of its length with a bearing surface formed in the framework,

and a displacement mechanism producing a relative displacement between the drawer and the framework, this relative displacement allowing either the putting of the peripheral rim of each joint into sealing contact with the corresponding bearing surface of the framework, with the installation in operation, or separation of the peripheral rim of each joint from the corresponding bearing surface of the framework, with the drawer in position to be removed from the framework.

2. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the displacement mechanism is arranged to cause said drawer to assume either a high position, with the installation in operation, or a low position, with the drawer in position to be disengaged from the framework.

3. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the drawer is suspended from the upper part of the framework.

4. An installation according to claim 1 wherein the peripheral rim of each joint takes the form of a lip.

5. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the displacement mechanism is arranged to cause the drawer to perform a movement of lateral translation.

6. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the drawer is suspended in the upper part of the framework, its movement of lateral translation being parallel to the upper part of the framework.

7. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the drawer rests on the lower part of the framework, its movement of lateral translation being parallel to the lower part of the framework.

8. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the drawer is suspended in the upper part of the framework through the intermediary of a supporting piece integral with said drawer which rests on two slides integral with the framework.

9. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the displacement mechanism is of the cam type.

10. An installation according to claim 9, wherein the cams of the displacement mechanism act in conjunction with nipples.

11. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the cams are carried by the drawer and the nipples by the framework.

12. An installation according to claim 10, wherein the cams are carried by the framework and the nipples by the drawer.

13. An installation according to claim 3, wherein the displacement mechanism includes a shaft mounted with free rotation in pillow blocks integral with the drawer said shaft resting on at least two abutment surfaces and having a flat at the level of each of the two abutment surfaces.

14. An installation according to claim 13, wherein the shaft is arranged, when it is operated, to cause the drawer to ascend or descend and to produce locking or unlocking of a door forming part of the framework and allowing disengagement of the drawer.

15. An installation according to claim 13, wherein the shaft is arranged to produce, when it is operated, to cause the drawer to ascend or descend, and the locking or unlocking of the drawer in the framework in the sense of the disengagement of said drawer.

16. An installation according to claim 6, wherein the drawer is suspended in the upper part of the framework through the intermediary of a supporting piece integral with said drawer and resting on two slides integral with said framework.

17. An installation according to claim 7, wherein the drawer rests on the lower part of the framework through the intermediary of feet.

18. An installation according to claim 5, wherein the framework is fitted with a mobile side connected to the framework by a sealing packing, this mobile side being displaceable under the action of a mechanism which allows either the setting of the mobile side in sealing contact with the peripheral edge of the joint, with the installation in operation, or the separation of the mobile side from the peripheral edge of the joint, with the drawer in the position to be disengaged from the framework.

19. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each joint includes central raised ribs which are interposed between the exchangers.

20. An installation according to claim 1, wherein each joint includes a peripheral raised rib which encloses the exchangers arranged on the periphery of the drawer.

21. An installation according to claim 1, wherein a switching device is arranged to command the supply of electric current to the thermoelements when the drawer is in the position which corresponds to operation of the installation and to cut off the supply of electric current to the thermoelements when the drawer is in its disengaged position.

22. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the exchanger or exchangers on each side of which the thermoelements are situated are not electrically insulated, the batteries being arranged side by side and the electrical connection of the thermocouples to each other taking place through the exchangers on a straight line path.

23. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the exchanger or exchangers on each side of which the thermoelements are situated are electrically insulated, the batteries being then imbricated and the electrical connection of the thermoelements to each other taking place through the base of the exchangers and following a Greek key pattern path.

24. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral rim of the joint acts in conjunction with the bearing surface of the framework over the whole of its length.

25. An installation according to claim 1, wherein the peripheral rim of the joint acts in conjunction with the bearing surface of the framework over only part of its length.