Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H10—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10N—ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H10N10/00—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects
  • H10N10/10—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects
  • H10N10/13—Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects operating with only the Peltier or Seebeck effects characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F28—HEAT EXCHANGE IN GENERAL
  • F28F—DETAILS OF HEAT-EXCHANGE AND HEAT-TRANSFER APPARATUS, OF GENERAL APPLICATION
  • F28F1/00—Tubular elements; Assemblies of tubular elements
  • F28F1/10—Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses
  • F28F1/12—Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses the means being only outside the tubular element
  • F28F1/24—Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses the means being only outside the tubular element and extending transversely
  • F28F1/32—Tubular elements and assemblies thereof with means for increasing heat-transfer area, e.g. with fins, with projections, with recesses the means being only outside the tubular element and extending transversely the means having portions engaging further tubular elements

Definitions

• Thermoelectric device in particular for generating an electric current in a motor vehicle
• the present invention relates to a thermoelectric device, in particular for generating an electric current in a motor vehicle.
• thermoelectric devices using so-called electrical thermo elements, for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient between two of their opposite faces according to the phenomenon known as the Seebeck effect.
• These devices comprise a stack of first tubes, intended for the circulation of the exhaust gases of an engine, and second tubes, intended for the circulation of a heat transfer fluid of a cooling circuit.
• the electrical thermo elements are sandwiched between the tubes so as to be subjected to a temperature gradient from the temperature difference between the hot exhaust gases and the cold cooling fluid.
• Such devices are particularly interesting because they make it possible to produce electricity from a conversion of the heat coming from the exhaust gases of the engine. They thus offer the possibility of reducing the fuel consumption of the vehicle by replacing, at least partially, the alternator usually provided therein to generate electricity from a belt driven by the engine crankshaft. .
• a disadvantage of known devices is that they require that a very good contact is ensured between the electric thermo elements and the tubes. It is thus necessary to have tubes having a flatness and a surface condition impacting the cost of the device.
• thermoelectric device comprising a first circuit, said to be hot, capable of allowing the circulation of a first fluid, and a second circuit, said to be cold, capable of allowing the circulation of a second fluid of lower temperature than the first fluid, and so-called electrical thermo elements for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient.
• it comprises fins in heat exchange relationship with said hot circuit and / or said cold circuit, said electric thermo elements being in contact with at least said fins.
• thermo elements By associating the electric thermo elements with fins, it facilitates the intimacy of the contact between them and the components, hot and / or cold, of the device in contact with which they must be to be subjected to a temperature gradient. Indeed, the obligation to establish a close connection between the thermo elements and the component or components creating the temperature gradient necessary for their operation is no longer carried by the fluid circulation tubes but by a specific component, the fins , which can be chosen for this, at least for one of said hot or cold circuits.
• the technical solutions used to establish an effective thermal bridge between, on the one hand, the fins and the tubes and, on the other hand, the fins and thermo elements can therefore be optimized separately.
• the fins have a metal material core, provided with two faces, coated with a thermally conductive substrate and electrically insulating on at least one of the faces of the core, said tracks being provided on a face of the substrate opposite the face of the substrate in contact with the core,
• the substrate is made of a ceramic material
• the tracks consist of copper
• said tracks extend to the periphery of the fins to form connection terminals
• thermoelectric elements are provided between at least some of said fins, said connectors being connected to said connection terminals to enable the same thermoelectric elements connected to said terminals to be put to the same potential
• - Said fins are grouped in pairs, a compressible material being provided between the fins of the same pair, said fins having only tracks at their opposite side to that in contact with the compressible material.
• Said compressible material may be provided electrically insulating.
• the hot circuit comprises tubes, said to be hot, for the circulation of the hot fluid,
• said cold circuit comprises tubes, said to be cold, for the circulation of the cold fluid,
• said fins, said to be cold, are in heat exchange relation with the cold tubes
• thermoelectric elements are in heat exchange relation, on the one hand, with the hot tubes and, on the other hand, with the cold fins.
• the hot tubes may also be provided with tracks for conduction of the current generated by said electric thermo elements.
• said hot circuit comprises tubes, said to be hot, for circulation of the hot fluid,
• said cold circuit comprises tubes, said to be cold, for the circulation of the cold fluid,
• said fins, said to be cold, are in heat exchange relation with said cold tubes
• said so-called hot fins are in heat exchange relation with said hot tubes
• thermoelectric elements are provided in heat exchange relation, on the one hand, with the cold fins and, on the other hand, with the hot fins.
• the cold fins are grouped in pairs, called the cold pair, and the said compressible material is provided between the fins of the same pair,
• the cold fins and the hot fins are grouped in pairs, so-called, respectively, cold pair, hot pair, and said compressible material is provided between the fins of the same pair for the cold pairs and the hot pairs.
• thermo elements are brazed on the fins tracks in heat exchange relation with the cold circuit
• thermoelectric elements are glued to the fins tracks in heat exchange relation with the hot tubes or the tracks of the hot tubes.
• FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a partial sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of the device according to the invention, the section being taken along a plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of the fins,
• FIG. 2 shows FIG. 1 in a variant embodiment
• FIG. 2bis details a part called 2bis in FIG. 1,
• FIG. 3 illustrates a simplified version of the device of FIG. 1, the cold tubes and the hot tubes being moreover reversed
• FIG. 4 shows FIG. 3 in an alternative embodiment
• FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the device illustrated in FIG.
• thermoelectric device comprising a first circuit 1, said to be hot, capable of allowing the circulation of a first fluid, in particular the exhaust gases of an engine, and a second circuit 2, said to be cold, capable of allowing the circulation of a second fluid, in particular a heat transfer fluid of a cooling circuit, of a temperature lower than that of the first fluid.
• the device also comprises elements 3, called electrical thermo, for generating an electric current in the presence of a temperature gradient.
• substantially parallelepiped shaped elements generating an electric current, according to the Seebeck effect, when they are subjected to said gradient between two of their opposite faces 4a, 4b, said active faces.
• Such elements allow the creation of an electric current in a load connected between said active faces 4a, 4b.
• such elements consist, for example, of Bismuth and Tellurium (Bi 2 Te 3 ).
• thermoelectric elements are, for a first part, elements 3p of a first type, called P, making it possible to establish a difference of one-way electrical potential, said positive, when they are subjected to a given temperature gradient, and, for the other part, elements 3n of a second type, called N, allowing the creation of a potential difference electrical in the opposite direction, called negative, when subjected to the same temperature gradient.
• the device further comprises fins 5f, 6c, 6f in heat exchange relationship with said hot circuit and / or said cold circuit.
• a temperature gradient is thus provided between said fins or between the fins in heat exchange relationship with one of said circuits and the other circuit.
• Said fins 5f, 6c, 6f are also in contact with the electric thermo elements 3p, 3n at the level, in particular, of their active face 4a, 4b.
• the electric thermo elements are arranged between two fins or between one of the fins in heat exchange relationship with one of the circuits and the other circuit. This ensures a current generation by the electric thermo elements 3, 3p, 3n.
• the fins 5f, 6c, 6f which fulfill the function of establishing the thermal contact with the thermo elements, at least for one of the circuits.
• fin means an element having two large surfaces 7a, 7b opposite planar and of much smaller thickness than its width and its length, making it possible to establish a surface contact, for example, between one of said large surfaces 7a and the thermoelectric elements 3p, 3n at or opposite faces 4a, 4b to be subjected to a temperature gradient to generate an electric current.
• said fins 5f have conduction tracks 32 for the current generated by said electric thermo elements 3p, 3n. It will thus be possible to conduct the current, according to any desired circuit topology, to the surface of the fins by grouping the tracks 32 in series and / or in parallel.
• tracks 32 are only shown in connection with the embodiment of FIG. 2, they are also according to the invention, on the fins 6f, 6c of the other illustrated embodiments and the following characteristics are also applicable.
• the fins 5f have, for example, a core 30 of metal material, provided with two faces 30a, 30b.
• the core 30 is coated with a thermally conductive and electrically insulating substrate 31 on at least one of the faces 30a, 30b of the core.
• the latter is, for example, aluminum or aluminum alloy.
• the substrate consists, for example, of a ceramic material chosen for its electrical insulator and thermal conductor properties. It may be a ceramic layer of alumina type (Al 2 0 3 ) of a few micrometers thick.
• the tracks 32 consist, in particular, of copper.
• Said tracks 32 may extend to the periphery of the fins 5f to form connection terminals that will allow, for example, a connection of electrical connectors 33 (shown in particular in Figure 2) provided between at least said fins 5f, 6f , 6c. In this way it is possible to put at the same potential fins having said terminals or, more specifically, electrical thermo elements in contact with the tracks of said fins connected to said terminals.
• Said wings paired pair then have tracks 32 only at their opposite side to that in contact with the compressible material January 1.
• the fins 5f, 6c, 6f are, for example, of identical size and arranged parallel to each other, one of the large faces 7b of one of the fins 5 being disposed opposite to each other. -vis of one of the large faces 7b of the other fins of the pair.
• Said compressible material 1 1 may be electrically insulating.
• the hot circuit comprises tubes 8, said to be hot, for the circulation of the hot fluid.
• the cold circuit it includes tubes 9, called cold, for the circulation of the cold fluid.
• the fins 5f, called cold are provided in heat exchange relation with the cold tubes 9.
• the electric thermo elements 3p, 3n are in heat exchange relation, on the one hand, with the hot tubes 8 and, d on the other hand with cold fins 5f.
• Said cold fins 5f are here grouped in pairs, said compressible material 11 being provided between the fins of the same pair.
• Said hot tubes 8 are, for example, substantially flat tubes comprising two large opposite faces parallel 10a, 10b on which are arranged the electric thermo elements 3p, 3n by one of their active face 4a, 4b. They are configured to allow the circulation of exhaust gas and are, in particular, stainless steel. They are formed, for example, by profiling, welding and / or brazing. They may have a plurality of passage channels of the first fluid, separated by partitions connecting the opposite planar faces of the tubes.
• the hot tubes 8 are also provided with tracks 34 for conduction of the current generated by said electric thermo elements. More specifically, here, the hot tubes 8 are coated at said large faces 10a, 10b of a layer of electrically insulating material 35 and thermally conductive, for example ceramic, on which are provided said tracks 34 which connect, for example in copper, in series and / or in parallel, all or part of the thermoconductive elements arranged on the hot tubes 8, this for each of their face 10a, 1 0b.
• the cold fins 5f have, for example, orifices 12 for the passage of cold tubes 9.
• Said cold tubes are, for example, aluminum or copper and have a round and / or oval section.
• the contact between the tubes 9 and the cold fins 5f is achieved, for example, by an expansion of the material of the tubes as in the heat exchangers known as mechanical exchangers in the field of heat exchangers for motor vehicles .
• each flat face 10a, 10b of the hot tubes 8 are associated at least two said cold fins 5f-p, 5f-n, said neighbors, provided vis-à-vis said flat face and electrically isolated from each other.
• the thermoelectric elements provided between a first 5f-p of said neighboring fins, said P-type fin, and one of said planar faces, are of the P type and the thermoelectric elements provided between the other 5f-n of said two fins, called the fin N-type, and said flat face are N-type, so as to create a potential difference between said two neighboring fins 5f-p, 5f-n.
• This subassembly consists of a cold 5f-p fin, one or more P-type thermoelectric elements, a face 10a or 10b of the hot tube 8, one or more thermo element N-type and a cold fin 5f-n defines a base brick that can be reproduced, the bricks then being electrically assembled in parallel and / or in series in different ways to allow the generation of a current having the intensity and / or the desired potential difference.
• 5f-p type P fins are, for example, on either side of the same hot tube 9 and are electrically connected to each other so as to associate, in particular, in parallel thermo elements located on both sides of the hot tube 9.
• Said hot tubes are superimposed in a first orthogonal direction Y to the fins 5f in one or more rows 16, said tubes 8 said hot tubes 9 are oriented in the direction Y of stacking hot tubes 8.
• the hot tubes 8 of each row 16 are, for example, provided in the extension of each other from one row 16 to the other.
• the thermo elements of the hot tubes 8 located in the extension of one another are, for example, connected in series from one row 1 6 to the other.
• the fins 5f-p, 5f-n lying on either side of the same hot tube 8, on one side of said tube, and the fins 5f-p, 5f-n of the hot tube 8 are found in the extension of the first in the row of hot tubes 8 neighbors are put to the same potential.
• the cold fins 5f-p, 5f-n provided vis-à-vis the same flat face 10a or 10b are two separate components.
• two separate fins are provided opposite each face 10a, 10b of the same hot tube 8.
• these fins consist of one and the same component.
• said hot circuit comprises tubes 17, said to be hot, for circulation of the hot fluid
• said cold circuit comprises tubes 18, said to be cold, for the circulation of the cold fluid.
• These include, in particular, round and / or oval tubes, for example stainless steel for hot tubes 17 and aluminum or copper for cold tubes 18.
• said fins 6f, said cold are in heat exchange relation with said cold tubes 18 and, for the other part, said fins 6c, said hot, are in heat exchange relationship with said hot tubes 17.
• thermoelectric elements 3 are provided in heat exchange relation, on the one hand, with the cold fins 6f and on the other hand with the hot fins 6c.
• passages of passages 1 3, 14 for the hot tubes 17, respectively cold 18, in the hot fins 6c, respectively cold 6f are provided.
• the tube / fin contact is, in particular, mechanical type, as mentioned above.
• said cold tubes 18 and said hot tubes 17 extend in the same direction, called Y, and the hot fins and the cold fins are arranged parallel to each other in planes, orthogonal to the direction Y, the fins extending in a first direction, called Z, and in a second direction, called X.
• the cold fins 6f and the hot fins 6c are grouped in pairs, so-called cold pair 19 / hot pair 20 respectively, and said compressible material 11 is provided. between the fins 6f, 6c of the same pair for the cold pairs and the hot pairs.
• the hot pairs and the cold pairs are alternated in the direction Y so that at least one said cold pair is located on either side of a said hot pair.
• a first of the hot fins 6c-u of said hot pair 20 is provided facing two cold fins 6f-u1, 6f-u2, of distinct cold pairs, called first and second upstream cold pairs, located in the extension of one another, on the one hand of said hot pair 20, the other fin 6c-d of the same hot pair 20 facing two cold fins 6f-d1, 6f-d2 distinct cold pairs, said first and second downstream cold pair, located in the extension of one another, on the other hand of said hot pair 20.
• One or more P-type members are provided between the first 6c-u of the hot fins and the vane 6f-u1 of the first upstream cold pairs.
• One or more N-type elements are provided between said first of the hot fins 6c-u and the cold fin 6f-u2 of the second upstream cold pair.
• One or more P-type elements are provided between the other hot fin 6c-d of said hot pair 20 and the cold fin 6f-d2 of the second downstream pair.
• One or more N-type elements are provided between said other hot fin 6c-d of said hot pair 20 and the cold fin 6f-d1 of the first downstream pair.
• the upstream P-type elements face downstream N-type elements and the upstream N-type elements face downstream P-type elements.
• the device according to the invention may comprise, according to this embodiment example, a plurality of hot pairs 20 lying in line with each other in the X direction and electrically isolated from each other so as to form a series of hot pairs in the X direction. Said hot pairs are also distributed in rank in which they follow each other in the direction Y.
• the cold pairs 19 are also distributed in rank in which they follow each other in the direction Y and / or in series in the direction X.
• the hot pairs 20 and the cold pairs 19 are, for example, provided for in FIG. staggered.
• the hot tubes 17 are provided, for example, between two rows of cold pairs January 19, in the direction Y, and / or the cold tubes 18 are provided between two rows of hot pairs 20 in the direction Y.
• the succession of hot pair 20 and / or cold 19 along the Y direction may end on both sides, in particular, by a hot wing 6c-t, provided only, rather than pair.
• the fins 6c, 6f extend longitudinally in the Z direction and transversely in the X direction and the hot tubes, respectively the cold tubes, are grouped in rows 21, 22 extending in planes orthogonal to the X direction.
• the device further comprises manifolds 23 for the hot fluid in which the hot tubes open at their ends.
• the cold tubes and / or the hot tubes are also distributed in rows extending in planes orthogonal to the direction Z.
• the cold tubes 18 of the same rank orthogonal to Z are connected in pairs by bent ducts 27 connected to their end so as to define a circulation of the cold coil fluid in said orthogonal row at Z.
• the ends of the coils are connected on both sides to a manifold 28 in which they open.
• the connections between the fins are made by the hot fins in Figure 1. That being the case, we can also realize by the cold fins and, in Figure 3, we see that the pattern mentioned above is assembled in the following manner.
• the cold fins 6f-u2 of the second upstream pair of a pattern are connected to the cold fins 6f-u1 of the first upstream pair of the adjacent pattern, in the X direction.
• the device comprises one or more hot pairs:
• the cold fin 6f-u2 of the second upstream cold pair and the cold fin 6f-d2 of the second downstream cold pair are set to the same potential, for the fins of the cold pairs located at a first end of the series of pairs cold,
• the cold fin 6f-d1 of the first downstream cold pair of one of the hot pairs is put at the same potential as the cold fin 6f-u1 of said first upstream cold pair of the next hot pair in the Y direction, said cold fins 6f-d2, 6f-u1 forming part of the same pair of cold fins, for the fins of the cold pairs being at the other end of the series of cold pairs.
• the fins of the cold pairs 6f present along one and / or the other of their longitudinal sides a folded edge 29 for thermally isolating the remainder of the fin of a radiation of heat from the hot tubes 17 vis-à-vis.
• the cold fins 6f are grouped in pairs, said cold pair 50, and said compressible material 1 1 is provided between the fins of the same pair for cold pairs.
• the cold pairs 50 alternate with the hot fins in the Y direction so that at least one said cold pair is located on either side of a said hot fin 6c.
• It may be provided at least two cold pairs in the extension of one another in the direction X and electrically isolated from each other.
• said hot fin 6c is provided, for example, facing two cold fins 6f-u1, 6f-u2, of distinct cold pairs, called first and second upstream cold pairs, provided in the extension l one of the other, situated on the one hand of said hot fin, said hot fin 6c also facing two cold fins 6f-d1, 6f-d2, of distinct cold pairs, called first and second cold downstream pairs, located in the extension of one another, on the other hand of said hot fin 6c.
• One or more P-type elements are provided between said hot vane 6c and the cold vane 6f-u1 of the first upstream cold pair.
• One or more N-type elements are provided between said hot vane 6c and the cold vane 6f-u2 of the second upstream cold pair.
• N-type elements are provided between the hot vane 6c and the cold vane 6f-d2 of the second downstream cold pair.
• P-type elements are provided between the hot vane 6c and the cold vane 6f-u1 of the first downstream cold pair.
• the upstream and downstream type elements P are located face to face on either side of the hot vane 6c. Similarly for N type elements.
• the cold fin 6f-u2 of the second upstream cold pair and the cold fin of the second downstream cold pair 6f-d2 are electrically connected so as to be at the same potential. Likewise for the cold fin 6f-u1 of the first upstream cold pair and the cold fin 6f-d1 of the first downstream cold pair.
• the fins 6f-d1, 6f-u1 of the first upstream and downstream cold pairs of one of said fins 6c are set to the same potential as those associated with the following hot fins, in the Y direction.
• the cold fins of the first downstream cold pairs and the cold fin of the first upstream cold pairs associated with two successive hot fins 6c, depending on the direction Y, are part of the same pair of cold fins.
• 6f-d2, 6f-u2 second cold pairs upstream and downstream.
• An advantage of the two embodiments of FIGS. 3 and 4 is that they make it possible to avoid thermal bridges between the hot components and the cold components, thanks to the production of hot-tube and hot-fin subsets. and subassemblies of cold tubes and cold fins, separated, even if they are nested, the only contact between these subassemblies taking place via the thermoelectric elements. In other words, there is an alternation between the N-type and P-type thermoelectric elements, in the X direction.
• the hot tubes and the cold tubes are interposed with each other while hot fins and cold fins are interposed each other, in planes perpendicular to the tubes, the cold fins and / or the hot fins being optionally distributed in pairs, the fins of the same pair being separated by said compressible material.
• each cold fin, respectively hot is provided with a passage opening and thermal contact with the cold tubes, respectively hot. They are also provided with passage orifices without contact or with a thermally and electrically insulating contact with the hot tubes, respectively cold.
• thermoelectric elements of the same type.
• the fins of the same pair are put to the same electrical potential.
• the cold fins are successively connected in series.
• thermo elements are first assembled with the hot components, hot tubes 8 or hot fins 6c, then are then assembled with the cold fins 5f, 6f.
• connection thermoelectric elements / hot components The advantage of proceeding successively, in this order, and that one can use relatively severe execution conditions for the connection thermoelectric elements / hot components and less severe conditions for the connection elements thermoelectric / cold fins , without the latter being likely to be damaged by the execution of the connection thermoelectric elements / hot components.
• thermoelectric elements 3p, 3n and the tracks 32 of the fins 6f are connected in heat exchange relation with the cold circuit, for example by soldering. This is made with a brazing material having a relatively low melting point, for example less than 600 ° C.
• a brazing material having a relatively low melting point, for example less than 600 ° C.
• the fins are stacked and, in a subsequent step, the cold tubes 9, 18 are assembled in the cold fins 5f, 6f. Similarly for the hot tubes 17 in the hot fins 6c in the embodiments with hot fins.
• the tubes 9, 17, 1 8 in contact with the fins are then subjected, for example, to an expansion.
• This is, in particular, a radial expansion, obtained by the passage of an expansion olive inside the tube, resulting in a crimping of the fins 5f, 6f, 6c on the tubes.

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• Cooling Or The Like Of Semiconductors Or Solid State Devices (AREA)
• Electric Propulsion And Braking For Vehicles (AREA)

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• 2010
  • 2010-09-29 FR FR1057879A patent/FR2965403B1/fr active Active
• 2011
  • 2011-07-28 WO PCT/EP2011/063021 patent/WO2012041558A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2011-07-28 US US13/876,726 patent/US9209376B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2011-07-28 JP JP2013530639A patent/JP6111472B2/ja not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2011-07-28 EP EP11736115.4A patent/EP2622655A1/de not_active Withdrawn

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