Thermoelectric heat pump

• US 8,640,466 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gentherm Incorporated
• Original Assignee: BSST LLC (Gentherm Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bell, Lon E., Diller, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bauer, Cassey D
• Application Number:
  US12/477,812
• Publication Number:
  US 20090301103A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,707 Days
• Field of Search: 62 32- 33, 62/37, 165/76, 165110-102, 165/154, 165166-167
• US Class Current: 62/3.7
• 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. An assembly for a thermoelectric heat pump comprising:

a heat transfer region comprising a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows comprising a plurality of thermoelectric modules, each of the thermoelectric modules comprising a high temperature junction and a low temperature junction;

a waste fluid channel configured to be in substantial thermal communication with a high temperature portion of the heat transfer region;

a main fluid channel configured to be in substantial thermal communication with a low temperature portion of the heat transfer region; and

a channel enclosure providing a barrier between fluid in the waste fluid channel and fluid in the main fluid channel;

wherein the channel enclosure comprises wedge shaped projections configured to contact the heat transfer region at boundaries between the high temperature portion of the heat transfer region and the low temperature portion of the heat transfer region such that leakage between the waste fluid channel and the main fluid channel at a junction between the channel enclosure and the heat transfer region is eliminated;

wherein a first row of thermoelectric modules are electrically connected in parallel, wherein a second row of thermoelectric modules are electrically connected in parallel, and wherein the first row and the second row are electrically connected in series; and

wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules are oriented such that a high temperature junction of a first thermoelectric module and a high temperature junction of a second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein 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 channel enclosure are substantially minimized at corresponding positions along the channels.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the high temperature portion of the heat transfer region comprises a first heat exchanger operatively connected to at least one high temperature junction of the plurality of thermoelectric modules.

4. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises:

at least one gap dividing the heat exchanger into a plurality of heat transfer sections that are at least partially thermally isolated from adjacent heat transfer sections by the at least one gap, the at least one gap oriented such that fluid flows across the at least one gap as fluid flows through the waste fluid channel of the thermoelectric heat pump; and

at least one bridge member extending across the at least one gap, the at least one bridge member connecting at least one of the plurality of heat transfer sections to a second heat transfer section.

5. The assembly of claim 3, wherein the low temperature portion of the heat transfer region comprises a second heat exchanger operatively connected to at least one low temperature junction of the plurality of thermoelectric modules.

6. The assembly of claim 5, wherein thermal interface material is disposed between heat conducting fins and junctions of the plurality of thermoelectric modules.

7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises an arrangement of fins spaced at regular intervals, and wherein the arrangement of fins in the first heat exchanger provides a different heat transfer capability than the second heat exchanger.

8. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises at least one heat conducting fin that has a thickness greater than a thickness of heat conducting fins of the second heat exchanger.

9. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the first heat exchanger comprises at least one overhanging portion that protrudes past the at least one high temperature junction and the second heat exchanger comprises at least one overhanging portion that protrudes past the at least one low temperature junction.

10. The assembly of claim 9, wherein the wedge shaped projections are configured to nestle between the overhanging portions of the first heat exchanger and the overhanging portions of the second heat exchanger and configured to contact the heat transfer region at boundaries between high temperature portions of the heat transfer region and low temperature portions of the heat transfer region such that leakage between the waste fluid channel and the main fluid channel at the junction between the channel enclosure and the heat transfer region is eliminated.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the wedge shaped projections are configured to compress the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger upon nestling between the overhanging portions of the first heat exchanger and the overhanging portions of the second heat exchanger.

12. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a first fan operatively connected to provide fluid flow in the waste fluid channel; and

a second fan operatively connected to provide fluid flow in the main fluid channel in a direction opposite the fluid flow in the waste channel.

13. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the first thermoelectric module and the second thermoelectric module each contain an input terminal and an output terminal, the input terminal of the first thermoelectric module and the output terminal of the second thermoelectric module being disposed on a first side, and the output terminal of the first thermoelectric module and the input terminal of the second thermoelectric module being disposed on a second side.

14. The assembly of claim 1, configured such that the thermoelectric heat pump continues to operate after one or more thermoelectric modules fails until each of the plurality of thermoelectric modules in any of the plurality of rows fails.

15. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a conductor positioning apparatus having a first electrical conductor and a second electrical conductor;

wherein each of the plurality of thermoelectric modules comprises a first electric terminal and a second electric terminal;

wherein positions of the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor are fixed with respect to the conductor positioning apparatus;

wherein at least the first electrical conductor is configured to electrically connect the first electric terminals of the thermoelectric modules in at least one of the plurality of rows to a first power supply terminal; and

wherein at least the second electrical conductor is configured to electrically connect the second electric terminals of the thermoelectric modules in at least one of the plurality of rows to at least one of a second power supply terminal or ground.

16. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the conductor positioning apparatus comprises an electrically insulating member.

17. The assembly of claim 16, wherein the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor comprise electrically conductive traces deposited on the electrically insulating member.

18. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising:

a first clip positioned on a first end of the heat transfer region;

a second clip positioned on a second end of the heat transfer region opposite the first end; and

a bracket secured to the first clip and to the second clip, the bracket extending along a top side of the heat transfer region.

19. The assembly of claim 18, wherein the heat transfer region further comprises a plurality of elongate heat transfer members operatively connected to the plurality of thermoelectric modules, and wherein at least one of the first clip or the second clip is curved such that the at least one of the first clip or the second clip is configured to clamp the plurality of thermoelectric modules and the plurality of elongate heat transfer members in tight engagement.

20. The assembly of claim 19, wherein the at least one of the first clip or the second clip is configured to generate a compressive force on the plurality of thermoelectric modules and the plurality of elongate heat transfer members.

21. The assembly of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first clip or the second clip comprises a shaped surface configured to flatten when tension is applied thereto.

22. The assembly of claim 18, wherein at least one of the first clip or the second clip has a parabolic shape.

23. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the wedge shaped projections increase in the width along the length of the projections proceeding away from the heat transfer region.

24. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules are oriented such that a low temperature junction of the first thermoelectric module and a low temperature junction of the second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

25. An assembly for a thermoelectric heat pump comprising:

a heat transfer region comprising a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows comprising a plurality of thermoelectric modules, each of the thermoelectric modules comprising a high temperature junction and a low temperature junction;

a waste fluid channel configured to be in substantial thermal communication with a high temperature portion of the heat transfer region;

a main fluid channel configured to be in substantial thermal communication with a low temperature portion of the heat transfer region;

a channel enclosure providing a barrier between fluid in the waste fluid channel and fluid in the main fluid channel;

a first row of thermoelectric modules electrically connected in parallel, wherein a second row of thermoelectric modules are electrically connected in parallel, and wherein the first row and the second row are electrically connected in series; and

one or more additional rows having a plurality of thermoelectric modules electrically connected in parallel, wherein the one or more additional rows are electrically connected in series with one another, with the first row, and with the second row;

wherein the channel enclosure comprises wedge shaped projections configured to contact the heat transfer region at boundaries between the high temperature portion of the heat transfer region and the low temperature portion of the heat transfer region such that leakage between the waste fluid channel and the main fluid channel at a junction between the channel enclosure and the heat transfer region is eliminated.

26. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules are oriented such that a high temperature junction of a first thermoelectric module and a high temperature junction of a second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

27. The assembly of claim 25, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules are oriented such that a low temperature junction of a first thermoelectric module and a low temperature junction of a second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

28. An assembly for a thermoelectric heat pump having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the assembly comprising:

an enclosure comprising a plurality of heat transfer regions stacked in a first direction;

a single waste fluid inlet in the enclosure at the first end of the assembly;

a plurality of waste fluid channels stacked in a second direction, wherein the single waste fluid inlet diverges at the first end of the assembly into the plurality of waste fluid channels;

a single waste fluid outlet in the enclosure at the second end of the assembly, wherein the plurality of waste fluid channels stacked in the second direction converge at the second end of the assembly into the single waste fluid outlet;

a single main fluid inlet in the enclosure at the second end of the assembly;

a plurality of main fluid channels stacked in the second direction, wherein the single waste fluid inlet diverges at the second end of the assembly into the plurality of waste fluid channels; and

a single main fluid outlet in the enclosure at the first end of the assembly, wherein the plurality of main fluid channels stacked in the second direction converge at the first end of the assembly into the single waste fluid outlet;

wherein a waste fluid flow is directed from the single waste fluid inlet at the first end of the assembly, through the plurality of waste fluid channels stacked in the second direction into the plurality of heat transfer regions stacked in the first direction, to the single waste fluid outlet at the second end of the assembly;

wherein a main fluid flow is directed from the single main fluid inlet at the second end of the assembly, through the plurality of main fluid channels stacked in the second direction into the plurality of heat transfer regions stacked in the first direction, to the single main fluid outlet at the first end of the assembly;

wherein each of the heat transfer regions comprise, a high temperature portion, a low temperature portion, and a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows comprising a plurality of thermoelectric modules, each of the thermoelectric modules comprising a high temperature junction and a low temperature junction;

wherein a high temperature portion of a heat transfer region comprises a first heat exchanger operatively connected to at least one high temperature junction of the plurality of thermoelectric modules, and a low temperature portion of the heat transfer region comprises a second heat exchanger operatively connected to at least one low temperature junction of the plurality of thermoelectric modules;

wherein the first heat exchanger comprises at least one overhanging portion that protrudes past the at least one high temperature junction and the second heat exchanger comprises at least one overhanging portion that protrudes past the at least one low temperature junction; and

wherein wedge shaped projections of the enclosure are configured to nestle between the overhanging portions of the first heat exchanger and the overhanging portions of the second heat exchanger and configured to contact the heat transfer region at boundaries between high temperature portions of the heat transfer region and low temperature portions of the heat transfer region such that leakage between the waste fluid channel and the main fluid channel at a junction between the enclosure and the heat transfer region is eliminated.

29. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the single waste fluid inlet is contiguous with the single main fluid outlet and the single main fluid inlet is contiguous with the single waste fluid outlet.

30. The assembly of claim 29, wherein the single waste fluid inlet is contiguous with the single main fluid outlet in the first direction and the single main fluid inlet is contiguous with the single waste fluid outlet in the first direction.

31. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the first direction is horizontal and the second direction is vertical.

32. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the main fluid channels similarly direct the main fluid flow through the heat transfer regions as the waste fluid channels direct the waste fluid flow through the heat transfer regions.

33. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the waste fluid channels distribute waste fluid flow through the plurality of heat transfer regions between the single waste fluid inlet and the single waste fluid outlet with a same total flow length, and the main fluid channels distribute waste fluid flow through the heat transfer regions between the single main fluid inlet and the single main fluid outlet with the same total flow length.

34. The assembly of claim 28, wherein at least a portion of the waste fluid flow through the heat transfer regions is a same cross-sectional area perpendicular to a waste fluid flow direction as a cross-sectional area perpendicular to a main fluid flow direction of at least a portion of the main fluid flow through the heat transfer regions.

35. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the waste fluid channels are symmetric on the first end and the second end of the assembly, and wherein the main fluid channels are symmetric on the first end and the second end of the assembly.

36. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the single waste fluid inlet on the first end of the assembly is symmetric to the single waste fluid outlet on the second end of the assembly, and wherein the single main fluid outlet on the second end is symmetric to the single main fluid outlet on the first end of the assembly.

37. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules are oriented such that a high temperature junction of a first thermoelectric module and a high temperature junction of a second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

38. The assembly of claim 28, wherein the plurality of thermoelectric modules are oriented such that a low temperature junction of a first thermoelectric module and a low temperature junction of a second thermoelectric module face towards one another.