Thermoelectric heat pump

• US 8,701,422 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2009
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• 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:
  US12/477,806
• Publication Number:
  US 20090293499A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,784 Days
• Field of Search: 62/32, 62/33, 62/37, 62/36.2, 165/135
• US Class Current: 62/3.3
• 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:

an enclosure enclosing a plurality of physically isolated fluid channels;

a contiguous single waste fluid inlet configured to accept a waste stream when the thermoelectric heat pump operates and to direct the waste stream into the enclosure;

a waste stream divider assembly inside of the enclosure and configured to divide the waste stream and to direct the waste stream into a plurality of waste fluid channels;

a contiguous single main fluid inlet configured to accept a main stream when the thermoelectric heat pump operates and to direct the main stream into the enclosure;

a main stream divider assembly inside of the enclosure and configured to divide the main stream and to direct the main stream into a plurality of main fluid channels;

a heat transfer region comprising a first thermoelectric module operatively connected to the enclosure, the first thermoelectric module comprising a main junction and a waste junction;

an elongate heat transfer member extending from at least one of the main junction and the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module into at least one of the plurality of physically isolated fluid channels;

at least one gap dividing the elongate heat transfer member 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 at least one of the plurality of physically isolated fluid channels 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;

wherein the waste stream has a first flow pattern from the contiguous single waste fluid inlet through the plurality of waste fluid channels, and wherein the main stream has a second flow pattern from the contiguous single main fluid inlet through the plurality of main fluid channels, and wherein the first flow pattern and the second flow pattern create a fluid flow system with counter flow through a stacked array of thermoelectric modules within the heat transfer region when the thermoelectric heat pump operates.

2. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a second thermoelectric module operatively connected to the enclosure, the second thermoelectric module having a second main junction and a second waste junction.

3. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the first thermoelectric module and the second thermoelectric module are arranged in parallel planes, and wherein the first and second thermoelectric modules are oriented such that the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module and the second waste junction of the second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

4. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the elongate heat transfer member extends from the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module to the second waste junction of the second thermoelectric module.

5. The assembly of claim 2, wherein the elongate heat transfer member extends about half the distance from the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module to the second waste junction of the second thermoelectric module.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bridge member is formed by removing portions of the elongate heat transfer member.

7. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least a second bridge member connecting the second heat transfer section to a third heat transfer section, wherein the at least one bridge member and the second bridge member are disposed at staggered positions along the at least one gap and at least a second gap.

8. The assembly of claim 1:

wherein the heat transfer region comprises a plurality of rows, each of the plurality of rows comprising a plurality of thermoelectric modules;

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

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

and

wherein the main stream divider assembly and the waste stream divider assembly provide a barrier between fluid in the plurality of waste fluid channels and fluid in the plurality of main fluid channels.

9. The assembly of claim 8, wherein the waste fluid channels and the main fluid channels 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 main fluid channels and the waste fluid channels.

10. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a support member extending across the plurality of physically isolated fluid channels in a direction substantially parallel to the elongate heat transfer member, the support member comprising a curved base portion configured to clamp together the stacked array of thermoelectric modules and one or more elongate heat transfer members when the support member is attached to the heat transfer region.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the curved base portion is configured to generate a compressive force on the stacked array of thermoelectric modules and one or more elongate heat transfer members.

12. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the curved base portion has a parabolic shape.

13. The assembly of claim 10, wherein the curved base portion comprises a dip or U-shaped feature.

14. A method of manufacturing a thermoelectric heat pump, the method comprising:

providing an enclosure enclosing a plurality of physically isolated fluid channels formed inside of the enclosure;

connecting a waste stream divider assembly inside of the enclosure, wherein the waste stream divider assembly is configured to divide a waste stream received through a contiguous waste fluid inlet and to direct the waste stream into a plurality of waste fluid channels;

connecting a main stream divider assembly inside of the enclosure, wherein the main stream divider assembly is configured to divide a main stream received through a contiguous main fluid inlet and to direct the main stream into a plurality of main fluid channels;

operatively connecting a heat transfer region comprising a first thermoelectric module to the enclosure, the first thermoelectric module comprising a main junction and a waste junction;

connecting the heat transfer region to the waste stream divider assembly and to the main stream divider assembly, wherein the waste stream has a first flow pattern from the contiguous single waste fluid inlet through the plurality of waste fluid channels, and wherein the main stream has a second flow pattern from the contiguous single main fluid inlet through the plurality of main fluid channels, and wherein the first flow pattern and the second flow pattern create a fluid flow system with counter flow through a stacked array of thermoelectric modules within the heat transfer region when the thermoelectric heat pump operates;

disposing an elongate heat transfer member within the enclosure, the elongate heat transfer member extending from at least one of the main junction and the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module into at least one of the plurality of physically isolated fluid channels;

providing at least one gap in the elongate heat transfer member, the at least one gap dividing the elongate heat transfer member 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 at least one of the plurality of fluid channels of the thermoelectric heat pump; and

disposing at least one bridge member 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.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising operatively connecting a second thermoelectric module operatively connected to the enclosure, the second thermoelectric module having a second main junction and a second waste junction.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

arranging the first thermoelectric module and the second thermoelectric module in parallel planes; and

orienting the first and second thermoelectric modules such that the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module and the second waste junction of the second thermoelectric module face towards one another.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising disposing the elongate heat transfer member between the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module and the second waste junction of the second thermoelectric module.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising disposing the elongate heat transfer member such that the elongate heat transfer member extends about half the distance from the waste junction of the first thermoelectric module to the second waste junction of the second thermoelectric module.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising forming the at least one bridge member by removing portions of the elongate heat transfer member.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the at least one bridge member joins a plurality of separate heat transfer sections to form an elongate heat transfer member.

21. The method of claim 14, further comprising disposing at least a second bridge member between the second heat transfer section and a third heat transfer section, wherein the at least one bridge member and the second bridge member are disposed at staggered positions along the at least one gap and at least a second gap.

22. A method of operating a thermoelectric heat pump having an enclosure enclosing a plurality of physically isolated fluid channels and a heat transfer region comprising a stacked array of thermoelectric modules, the method comprising:

receiving a waste stream into the enclosure through a contiguous waste fluid inlet;

dividing the waste stream received through the contiguous waste fluid inlet and directing the waste stream into a plurality of waste fluid channels, wherein the plurality of waste fluid channels are connected to a plurality of waste heat transfer passageways disposed within the heat transfer region, and wherein the plurality of waste heat transfer passageways comprise heat exchangers in thermal communication with waste surfaces of thermoelectric modules in the heat transfer region;

directing the waste stream through the waste heat transfer passageways, wherein the waste stream flows through the waste heat transfer passageways in a first flow pattern;

receiving a main stream into the enclosure through a contiguous main fluid inlet;

dividing the main stream received through the contiguous main fluid inlet and directing the main stream into a plurality of main fluid channels, wherein the plurality of main fluid channels are connected to a plurality of main heat transfer passageways disposed within the heat transfer region, and wherein the plurality of main heat transfer passageways comprise heat exchangers in thermal communication with main surfaces of thermoelectric modules in the heat transfer region;

directing the main stream through the main heat transfer passageways, wherein the main stream flows through the main heat transfer passageways in a second flow pattern, and wherein the first flow pattern and the second flow pattern create a fluid flow system with counter flow through the heat transfer region; and

transferring heat between the waste stream and the main stream in the heat transfer region using the stacked array of thermoelectric modules.