Thermoelectric heat pump
First Claim
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.
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Accused Products
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.
255 Citations
38 Claims
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1. An assembly for a thermoelectric heat pump comprising:
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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. - 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)
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25. An assembly for a thermoelectric heat pump comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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28. An assembly for a thermoelectric heat pump having a first end and a second end opposite the first end, the assembly comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification