Thermoelectric configuration employing thermal transfer fluid flow(s) with recuperator
First Claim
1. A thermoelectric system comprising:
- at least one thermoelectric module that exhibits, during operation, a thermal differential between a first and second side thereon;
a first fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with the first side of the thermoelectric module;
a second fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with the second side of the thermoelectric module; and
a recuperator coupled into a fluid flow path to at least partially equilibrate temperatures of thermal transfer fluid destined for the first and second fluid pathway portions.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Active cooling technologies such as thermoelectrics can be used to introduce thermal “gain” into a cooling system and, when employed in combination with forced flow liquid metal cooling loops, can provide an attractive solution for cooling high heat flux density devices and/or components. In such configurations, it can be advantageous to configure fluid flows to provide heat transfer between hot-side and cold-side flows. For example, it can be desirable to substantially equilibrate temperature of liquid metal flows entering hot-side and cold-side paths. In this way, thermal differential (ΔT) across individual thermoelectric elements can be reduced, thereby improving efficiency of the thermoelectric. Various suitable recuperator designs are described including designs that provide heat exchange with and without mixture of respective flows.
98 Citations
64 Claims
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1. A thermoelectric system comprising:
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at least one thermoelectric module that exhibits, during operation, a thermal differential between a first and second side thereon; a first fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with the first side of the thermoelectric module; a second fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with the second side of the thermoelectric module; and a recuperator coupled into a fluid flow path to at least partially equilibrate temperatures of thermal transfer fluid destined for the first and second fluid pathway portions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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- 27. A thermoelectric configuration including a closed thermal transfer fluid system that at least partially equilibrates temperatures of thermal transfer fluid flows destined for opposing first and second sides of a thermoelectric module, wherein the flows are motivated using at least one magnetofluiddynamic (MFD) pump.
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40. A method of operating a thermoelectric system that includes at least one thermoelectric module, the method comprising:
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motivating flow of a first liquid metal thermal transfer fluid through a first fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with a first side of the thermoelectric module; motivating flow of a second liquid metal thermal transfer fluid through a second fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with a second sides of the thermoelectric module; and at least partially equilibrating temperatures of thermal transfer fluid destined for the first and second fluid pathway portions. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A method of making a thermoelectric system product, the method comprising:
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providing at least one thermoelectric module; configuring a first fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with a first side of the thermoelectric module; configuring a second fluid pathway portion in thermal communication with a second side of the thermoelectric module; and introducing a recuperator into thermal transfer fluid flow paths destined for the first and second fluid pathway portions to at least partially equilibrate, during operation, temperatures of thermal transfer fluid destined for the first and second fluid pathway portions. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. An apparatus comprising:
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at least one thermoelectric module; means for motivating flow of a liquid metal thermal transfer fluid away from, or back to, the thermoelectric module; and means for at least partially equilibrating temperatures of liquid metal thermal transfer fluid flows destined for first and second sides of the thermoelectric module. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64)
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Specification