Thermoelectric device and thermoelectric manifold

• US 6,474,073 B1
• Filed: 11/20/2001
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Refrigeration Company (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Morishita, Kenichi, Kido, Osao, Uetsuji, Toshio, Fujimoto, Masatsugu, Inamori, Syouhei
• Primary Examiner(s): JIANG, CHEN WEN
• Application Number:
  US09/936,991
• Time in Patent Office: 350 Days
• Field of Search: 62/32, 62/33, 62/37, 624/34, 136/203, 136/204
• US Class Current: 62/3.3
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect

Abstract

In a thermoelectric device such as a thermoelectric manifold having a plurality of stages of thermoelectric modules, not only are distributions of heat at endothermic and exothermic surfaces equalized to increase the heat exchange efficiency and also to suppress thermal strains in the thermoelectric modules, but also heat transmission between the thermoelectric modules is facilitated even though bowing occurs. For this purpose, in the thermoelectric device utilizing the plural thermoelectric modules, a fluid serving as a heat transfer medium is intervened between the thermoelectric modules and is utilized to achieve a transmission of heat from the exothermic surface of the thermoelectric module on a cooling side to the endothermic surface of the thermoelectric module on a heating side.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric device having a cooling end side and a heating end side, said thermoelectric device comprising:

a plurality of thermoelectric modules each having an endothermic surface capable of becoming cooled when an electric current is supplied and an exothermic surface capable of becoming heated when the electric current is supplied, said thermoelectric modules being juxtaposed with the endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules being in face-to-face relation with the exothermic surface of an adjacent one of said thermoelectric modules;

a cavity defining member for defining a heat transfer cavity between adjacent thermoelectric modules, the heat transfer cavity being capable of containing therein a heat transfer medium; and

an O-ring member mounted on said cavity defining member and held in engagement with a peripheral edge portion of one of said thermoelectric modules.

2. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a cooling cavity defining member for defining a cooling cavity between said cooling cavity defining member and the endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules located at said cooling end side, said cooling cavity defining member having a fluid intake port and a fluid discharge port defined therein.

3. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heating cavity defining member for defining a heating cavity between said heating cavity defining member and the exothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules located at said heating end side, said heating cavity defining member having a fluid intake port and a fluid discharge port defined therein.

4. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a heat transfer medium contained within the heat transfer cavity,

wherein said heat transfer medium comprises water as a principal fluid.

5. A thermoelectric manifold having a cooling end side and a heating end side, said thermoelectric manifold comprising:

a manifold body having an interior;

a plurality of thermoelectric modules each having an endothermic surface capable of becoming cooled when an electric current is supplied and an exothermic surface capable of becoming heated when the electric current is supplied, said thermoelectric modules being juxtaposed with the endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules being in face-to-face relation with the exothermic surface of an adjacent one of said thermoelectric modules; and

an O-ring member mounted on said cavity defining member and held in engagement with a peripheral edge portion of one of said thermoelectric modules,

wherein said interior of said manifold body is divided into a cooling cavity that is adjacent to an endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules that is located on said cooling end side, a heating cavity that is adjacent to an exothermic surface of another of said thermoelectric modules that is located on said heating end side, and a heat transfer cavity that is between two of said thermoelectric modules and that is between the cooling cavity and the heating cavity, and the heat transfer cavity is capable of containing therein a heat transfer medium.

6. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 5, further comprising:

a stirring member for stirring a heat transfer medium within the heat transfer cavity when the heat transfer cavity contains therein a heat transfer medium, said stirring member being disposed in the heat transfer cavity;

a support shaft rotatably supporting said stirring member; and

an oscillation preventing member positioned within said manifold body,

wherein said support shaft is supported by said oscillation preventing member.

7. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 5, further comprising a heat transfer medium contained within the heat transfer cavity,

wherein said heat transfer medium comprises water as a principal fluid.

8. A thermoelectric device having a cooling end side and a heating end side, said thermoelectric device comprising:

a plurality of thermoelectric modules each having an endothermic surface capable of becoming cooled when an electric current is supplied and an exothermic surface capable of becoming heated when the electric current is supplied, said thermoelectric modules being juxtaposed with the endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules being in face-to-face relation with the exothermic surface of an adjacent one of said thermoelectric modules;

a cavity defining member for defining a heat transfer cavity between adjacent thermoelectric modules, the heat transfer cavity being capable of containing therein a heat transfer medium;

an O-ring member mounted on said cavity defining member and held in engagement with a peripheral edge portion of one of said thermoelectric modules; and

a stirring member for stirring a fluid within the heat transfer cavity when the heat transfer cavity contains therein a fluid.

9. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said stirring member comprises a stirring blade rotatably supported within the heat transfer cavity.

10. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a rotor carried by said stirring blade; and

a stator disposed within said cavity defining member at a location adjacent an outer periphery of said stirring blade,

wherein said rotor and said stator constituting an electric motor.

11. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 10, further comprising:

a support shaft rotatably supporting said stirring blade; and

an oscillation preventing member held in abutment with an inner surface of said cavity defining member,

wherein said oscillation preventing member supports said support shaft.

12. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a support shaft rotatably supporting said stirring blade; and

an oscillation preventing member held in abutment with an inner surface of said cavity defining member,

wherein said oscillation preventing member supports said support shaft.

13. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising an electric power source common to all of said thermoelectric modules for supplying the electric current thereto,

wherein each of said thermoelectric modules comprises a Peltier element including an array of series connected P-type and N-type semiconductors, and

wherein a number of series connected P-type and N-type semiconductors of each Peltier element is unique with respect to the other Peltier elements.

14. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 8, further comprising a heat transfer medium contained within the heat transfer cavity,

wherein said heat transfer medium comprises water as a principal fluid.

15. A thermoelectric manifold having a cooling end side and a heating end side, said thermoelectric manifold comprising:

a manifold body having an interior;

a plurality of thermoelectric modules each having an endothermic surface capable of becoming cooled when an electric current is supplied and an exothermic surface capable of becoming heated when the electric current is supplied, said thermoelectric modules being juxtaposed with the endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules being in face-to-face relation with the exothermic surface of an adjacent one of said thermoelectric modules;

an O-ring member mounted on said cavity defining member and held in engagement with a peripheral edge portion of one of said thermoelectric modules;

a cooling stirring member;

a heating stirring member; and

a heat transfer stirring member;

wherein said interior of said manifold body is divided into a cooling cavity that is adjacent to an endothermic surface of one of said thermoelectric modules that is located on said cooling end side, a heating cavity that is adjacent to an exothermic surface of another of said thermoelectric modules that is located on said heating end side, and a heat transfer cavity that is between two of said thermoelectric modules and that is between the cooling cavity and the heating cavity, the heat transfer cavity is capable of containing therein a heat transfer medium,

wherein said cooling stirring member is disposed in the cooling cavity for stirring a cooling fluid within the cooling cavity when the cooling cavity contains a cooling fluid therein,

wherein said heating stirring member is disposed in the heating cavity for stirring a heating fluid within the heating cavity when the heating cavity contains a heating fluid therein, and

wherein said heat transfer stirring member is disposed in the heat transfer cavity for stirring a heat transfer fluid within the heat transfer cavity when the heat transfer cavity contains a heat transfer fluid therein.

16. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 15, further comprising:

a cooling paramagnetic body secured to said cooling stirring member;

a heating paramagnetic body secured to said heating stirring member; and

a heat transfer paramagnetic body secured to said heat transfer stirring member,

wherein each of said thermoelectric modules are arranged such that the endothermic and the exothermic surfaces of each of said thermoelectric modules are parallel with respect to each other,

wherein said cooling stirring member is rotationally supported within the manifold body for rotation about a first axis that is perpendicular to any one of the endothermic and exothermic surfaces,

wherein said heating stirring member is rotationally supported within the manifold body for rotation about a second axis that is perpendicular to any one of the endothermic and exothermic surfaces,

wherein said heat transfer stirring member is rotationally supported within the manifold body for rotation about a third axis that is perpendicular to any one of the endothermic and exothermic surfaces, and

wherein said cooling stirring member, said heating stirring member and said heat transfer stirring member are operable to rotate in unison with each other.

17. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a rotor carried by one of the group consisting of said cooling stirring member, said heating stirring member and said heat transfer stirring member; and

a stator disposed within said manifold body,

wherein said rotor and said stator constitute an electric motor.

18. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 17, further comprising:

a support shaft for rotatably supporting said heat transfer stirring member; and

an oscillation preventing member positioned within said manifold body,

wherein said oscillation preventing member supports said support shaft.

19. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a stator disposed radially about said heat transfer stirring member; and

a rotor comprising a paramagnetic body that is secured to said heat transfer stirring member,

wherein said stator is cooperable with said paramagnetic body to drive said heat transfer stirring member.

20. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 19, further comprising:

a support shaft for rotatably supporting said heat transfer stirring member; and

an oscillation preventing member disposed within said manifold body,

wherein said oscillation preventing member supports said support shaft.

21. The thermoelectric device as claimed in claim 16, further comprising:

a support shaft rotatably supporting said stirring blade; and

an oscillation preventing member held in abutment with an inner surface of said cavity defining member,

wherein said oscillation preventing member supports said support shaft.

22. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 15, further comprising an electric power source common to all of said thermoelectric modules for supplying the electric current thereto,

wherein each of said thermoelectric modules comprises a Peltier element including an array of series connected P-type and N-type semiconductors, and

wherein a number of series connected P-type and N-type semiconductors of each Peltier element is unique with respect to the other Peltier elements.

23. The thermoelectric manifold as claimed in claim 15, further comprising a heat transfer medium contained within the heat transfer cavity,

wherein said heat transfer medium comprises water as a principal fluid.