JPH07176796A - Thermoelectric converter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve efficiency by clamping a thermoelectric converting element composed of a first electrode with heat exchangers, p- and n-type semiconductors one side of which is joined to the first electrode, and a second electrode that is joined to the other side of the p- and n-type semiconductors. CONSTITUTION:The thermoelectric converter consists of a heat-absorption-side and a heat-radiation-side heat exchangers 11, 12, composed of a good thermal conductor, such as aluminum; and a thermoelectric converting element 20 clamped with them. The thermoelectric converting element 20 is enclosed with heat insulating material 13, which is also clamped with both the heat exchangers 11, 12. A first electrode 23 is joined to one side of p- and n-type semiconductors 24 by soldering or the like. A second electrode 25 is joined to the other side of the semiconductors 24 also by soldering or the like. The p- and n-type semiconductors 24 are electrically and alternately connected in serial through the first and second electrodes 23, 25. In general cases a plurality of p- and n-type semiconductors 24 are used. A good thermal conductive board 21 is thickened as required and acts as a spacer block. This ensures a large space between the heat exchangers 11, 12, and thus minimizes thermal leakage between them.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion device, which is used in, for example, a cold storage cabinet or a water cooler.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a prior art relating to the present invention, there is, for example, the one disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-86960.
This thermoelectric conversion device of the prior art will be described with reference to FIG. 6. A thermoelectric conversion element 103 is sandwiched between a heat absorption side heat exchanger 101 and a heat radiation side heat exchanger 102, and both heat exchangers 1
In order to prevent a heat leak between 01 and 102, a heat insulating material coupling body 104 and a heat transfer block 105 are arranged between both heat exchangers 101 and 102. Here, the heat transfer block 105 is formed of a good heat conductor such as aluminum, and is formed thick to increase the distance between the heat exchangers 101 and 102. Both heat exchangers 101 and 102 are also made of a good heat conductor such as aluminum. The thermoelectric conversion element 103 is formed by sandwiching P-type and N-type semiconductors from both sides with an alumina substrate.

By the way, the thermal conductivity of the alumina substrate is worse than that of the metal, that is, the heat exchanger 102 and the heat transfer block 105, so that the thermal resistance becomes large and the efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion device is poor.

[0004]

Therefore, it is a technical subject of the present invention to improve the efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion device.

[0005]

In order to solve the above problems, in the present invention, a good thermal conductive substrate, an electrically insulating resin layer formed on the good thermally conductive substrate, and the electrically insulating resin are provided. A first electrode patterned on the layer, a P-type and N-type semiconductor having one surface bonded to the first electrode, and a second electrode bonded to the other surface of the P-type and N-type semiconductor A thermoelectric conversion device was constructed by sandwiching the thermoelectric conversion element consisting of the elements with a heat exchanger.

[0006]

According to the above means, the thermoelectric conversion element has the first,
When electric power is supplied through the second electrode, heat is transferred from one heat exchanger to the other heat exchanger.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. A thermoelectric conversion device 10 has heat absorption side and heat dissipation side heat exchangers 11 and 12 formed of a good heat conductor such as aluminum. The thermoelectric conversion element 20 is sandwiched. Here, around the thermoelectric conversion element 20, a heat insulating material (for example, PPS:
It is surrounded by polyphenylene sulfide 13), and the heat insulating material 13 is also sandwiched between the heat exchangers 11 and 12.

The thermoelectric conversion element 20 will be described in detail. For example, an electrically insulating resin layer 22 is formed on the good heat conductive substrate 21 made of aluminum or aluminum-based metal, copper or copper-based metal by a method such as adhesion. The first electrode 23 made of, for example, copper is patterned on the resin layer 22 by a known appropriate method such as etching. One surface of the P-type and N-type semiconductor 24 is bonded onto the first electrode 23 by a method such as soldering.

The second electrode 25 is also joined to the other surface of the P-type and N-type semiconductors 24 by a method such as soldering. At this time, the P-type and N-type semiconductors 24 are
The second electrodes 23 and 25 are electrically connected in series and alternately. Generally, a plurality of P-type and N-type semiconductors 24 are prepared.

Further, since the good heat conductive substrate 21 is formed appropriately thick and acts as a spacer block, the distance between the heat exchangers 11 and 12 can be made large and the distance between the heat exchangers 11 and 12 can be increased. Minimize heat leak.

Incidentally, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, for example, the second electrode 25 patterned on the alumina substrate 26 is bonded onto the P-type and N-type semiconductors 24, or as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Alternatively, the second electrode 25 piece may be directly engaged with the heat radiation side heat exchanger 12 without the alumina substrate. In this case, the heat radiation side heat exchanger 12 needs to be subjected to an insulating treatment such as alumite. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the heat conductive grease 27 is provided between the heat absorption side heat exchanger 11 and the good heat conductive substrate 21 and between the heat radiation side heat exchanger 12 and the alumina substrate 26. 2 may be applied. In the case of the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, between the heat absorption side heat exchanger 11 and the good thermal conductive substrate 21, and between the heat radiation side heat exchanger 12 and the second electrode 2.
Thermally conductive grease 27 may be applied between the two.

By the way, in order to improve the performance of the thermoelectric conversion device 10, the first and second electrodes 23 and 25 and the P-type and N-type semiconductors 2 are used for the purpose of dispersing the heat source of the heat exchanger.
Groups 30a to 30d formed by collecting a plurality of 4 (see FIG. 3)
A plurality of them may be separated from each other and arranged on the good thermal conductive substrate 21. Even in the case of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3, of course, as in the case shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second electrode 2 patterned on the alumina substrate 26 as in the embodiment shown in FIG.
5 may be bonded to the P-type and N-type semiconductors 24, or the second electrode 25 piece may be directly bonded to the P-type and N-type semiconductors 24 as in the embodiment shown in FIG. Although the electrically insulating resin layer 22 is not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, it is also possible to actually omit it and form the good thermal conductive substrate 21 from a non-conductive material substrate. This configuration has the following merits as compared with the conventional arrangement of a plurality of thermoelectric conversion units with substrates (that is, groups). In order to operate the thermoelectric conversion device 10, power must be supplied to all of the groups 30a to 30d. For this purpose, the connection electrodes 32, 33, 34 and the extraction electrodes 35, 36 are formed on the substrate 21. In this way, the groups 30 are connected by the connection electrodes 32 to 34, and the extraction electrodes 35 and 36 are in charge of the electrodes for power supply.
It can be seen that regardless of the number of 0, only one pair of extraction electrodes 35 and 36 is required. In the conventional unit, there are twice as many extraction electrodes as there are units. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the group 30
Although a to d are connected in series, the structures of the connection electrodes 32 to 34 may be appropriately changed to be connected in parallel. In that case, since the lead wires are not connected between the units as in the conventional case, there is no fear of incorrect assembly in series / parallel. In addition, the extraction electrode 3
Reference numerals 5 and 36 penetrate through the heat insulating material 13. 37 indicates a seal ring.

Looking at the electrodes used in the thermoelectric conversion device 10, the first and second electrodes 23 and 25 can have the same shape as is well known (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 62-158850, etc.), and the connection electrodes 32-34 and extraction electrodes 35, 3
Only 6 has a different shape. This is very advantageous for manufacturing the thermoelectric conversion device 10. That is, this is particularly advantageous in the case of the embodiments of FIGS. 2 and 5, but in these embodiments, since the first electrode 23, the connection electrodes 32 to 34, and the extraction electrodes 35 and 36 are formed by patterning, there is no particular problem. However, since the second electrode 25 is prepared as an electrode piece, all the prepared electrode pieces have the same shape, there is no fear of incorrect assembly, and the effect is extremely great in various aspects such as inventory control. Incidentally, the connection electrodes 32 to 34 and the extraction electrodes 35, 36 have the same shape as the first and second electrodes 23, 25 by devising a space between the groups 30 and a lead wire connected to the extraction electrodes 35, 36. It is also possible, and in this case the productivity is further increased.

[0014]

Since the thermoelectric conversion element is formed by using the good heat conductive substrate, the portion which becomes the thermal resistance is reduced and the amount of heat transport from the heat absorbing surface to the heat radiating surface of the thermoelectric conversion device is increased, so that the thermoelectric conversion is performed. The efficiency of the device is improved. In particular, a good thermal conductive substrate and
If the second electrode is formed of materials having the same or similar linear expansion coefficients, repeated thermal stress does not adversely affect the joining state between the electrode and the substrate. From the conventional alumina substrate,
Copper substrates and aluminum substrates are advantageous because they are closer to the linear expansion coefficient of the conductive electrode.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a thermoelectric conversion device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an alternative view of a main part of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a top perspective view of a thermoelectric conversion device according to another embodiment.

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA shown in FIG.

5 is a sectional view taken along line AA shown in FIG. 3 (another embodiment).

FIG. 6 Prior art thermoelectric converter

[Explanation of symbols]

10 Thermoelectric Conversion Device 11 Thermoelectric Conversion Element 21 Good Thermal Conductivity Substrate 22 Electrical Insulation Resin Layer 23 First Electrode 24 P-type and N-type Semiconductor 25 Second Electrode

Claims (7)

[Claims] 1. A good thermal conductive substrate, an electrically insulating resin layer formed on the good thermally conductive substrate, a first electrode patterned on the electrically insulating resin layer, and on the first electrode. A thermoelectric conversion element comprising a P-type and N-type semiconductor whose one surface is joined to the second surface and a second electrode which is joined to the other surface of the P-type and N-type semiconductor, sandwiched by a heat exchanger. Thermoelectric converter. 2. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the good thermal conductive substrate acts as a spacer block. 3. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the good thermal conductive substrate is made of aluminum or an aluminum-based metal. 4. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the good thermal conductive substrate is made of copper or copper-based metal. 5. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 2, wherein the first and second electrodes are made of copper. 6. The first and second electrodes and P-type and N-type
The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of type semiconductors are collected to form a group, and the plurality of groups are spaced apart from each other and arranged on the good thermal conductive substrate. 7. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 6, wherein the connection electrodes between the groups are formed on the good thermal conductive substrate.