Thermoelectric cooling device and gas analyzer

• US 4,494,380 A
• Filed: 04/19/1984
• Issued: 01/22/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1984
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bilan Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bilan Incorporated
• Inventors: Cross, Ronald H.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US06/602,193
• Time in Patent Office: 278 Days
• Field of Search: 62/3
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 3/00 Exhaust or silencing apparatus having means for purifying, rendering innocuous, or otherwise treating exhaust electric control F01N9/00; monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus F01N11/00 ; collecting or removing exhaust gases of vehicle engines in workshops B08B15/00, on highways E01C1/005
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0014 by eliminating a gas by a chemical reaction G01N33/0013; a chemical reaction taking place or a gas being eliminated in one or more analysing channels G01N33/0024
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/12 Improving ICE efficiencies

Abstract

There is disclosed a thermoelectric device suitable for drying gases in which a finned heat-dissipating device is in contact with the hot face of a thermoelectric element and a thermal sink is in contact with the cold face thereof. The thermal sink has formed therein a conduit which zig-zags from an inlet at the upper part thereof to a point at the bottom thereof and then upwardly to an outlet at the other side. The conduit is formed by routing out a channel in a block and sealing it off with a face plate to provide the desired conduit. The various elements are held together by face plates spanning the heat-radiating device and the thermal sink, and the space between the two is desirably filled with insulating material. The device is used in combination with a gas analyzer in which exhaust gases, for example, from an internal combustion engine, are fed through the dryer and then into the analyzer.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric device comprising a thermoelectric element having a cold face and a hot face,

a heat-radiating device in heat-transfer with said hot face and having a flat, inner surface having a substantially greater area than the area of contact with said hot face and a thermal sink in heat-transfer contact with said cold face and comprising a flat, inner surface apposed to the flat, inner surface of said heat-radiating device and having an area substantially coextensive with the area of the flat, inner surface of the heat-radiating device;

and

a conduit in heat-transfer with said thermal sink,

said conduit zig-zagging back and forth from an inlet adjacent the top of said thermal sink to a point adjacent the bottom thereof and thence upwardly to an outlet adjacent the top thereof.

2. A thermoelectric device of claim 1, in which said thermal sink comprises a block of a heat-conductive material having said conduit formed integrally therewith.

3. A thermoelectric device of claim 2, in which said conduit is routed in said block and covered by a cover plate.

4. A thermoelectric device of claim 1, in which said conduit has a drain located at the bottom thereof.

5. A thermoelectric device of claim 1, in which said thermal sink comprises a projection having a cross section complementary with said cold face and in heat-transfer, surface-to-surface contact therewith.

6. A thermoelectric device of claim 5, in which said thermal sink comprises two parts, one of which comprises said projection and the other one of which comprises a planar surface which includes the flat, inner surface of said thermal sink, said projection having a planar surface abutting the planar surface of said thermal sink in heat-transfer, surface-to-surface contact therewith.

7. A thermoelectric device of claim 6, in which the portion of said projection which abuts the planar surface of said thermal sink has a larger cross sectional area than that of the cold face of said thermoelectric element.

9. A thermoelectric device of claim 6, which further comprises face-plates of non-heat-conductive material fastened to the side edges of said heat-radiating device and said thermal sink and in which said heat-radiating device and said thermal sink are maintained pressed against the faces of said thermoelectric device by said faceplates.

10. A thermoelectric device of claim 1, which further comprises insulating material insulating said thermal sink from said heat-radiating device.

12. A device for analyzing exhaust gases which comprises a thermoelectric device of claim 1 interposed between the source of the exhaust gases and an analyzer, whereby the exhaust gases are dried before being fed into the analyzer.

8. A thermoelectric device which further comprises faceplates of non-heat-conductive material fastened to the side edges of said heat-radiating device and said thermal sink.

11. A thermoelectric device of claim 8, in which the space bounded by said faceplates is filled with insulating material.