JP4015435B2 - Heating and cooling devices using thermoelectric elements - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a technique for heating and cooling using a thermoelectric element.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In a conventional apparatus for heating or cooling with a heat pump using a thermoelectric module, as a method of increasing COP, a method of increasing the ability of a radiator and a heat absorber bonded to an insulating plate of the thermoelectric module has been used.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The COP of the heating and cooling device using the thermoelectric module is determined by the ability of the radiator and heat sink coupled to the thermoelectric module and the COP of the thermoelectric module itself. However, the COP of the thermoelectric module changes depending on the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side. In a conventional heating and cooling device using a thermoelectric module, the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side of the thermoelectric module is determined by the usage environment, and thus the temperature difference cannot be controlled to increase COP.
[0004]
Further, the thermoelectric module generates thermal stress because of the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side. When this thermal stress is repeatedly applied to the thermoelectric element, the joint, and the insulating plate, it is often damaged.
[0005]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
When the thermoelectric module is used as a heat pump, the COP increases as the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side decreases, as shown in FIG. On the other hand, if the thermoelectric module is divided into multiple stages, the load is shared, electrodes are attached to the partial thermoelectric modules 4 at each stage to make them electrically independent, and a temperature sensor is attached to each insulating plate, the partial thermoelectric module 4 can be individually controlled based on the temperature of each insulating plate. Therefore, by controlling the current so that the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side of each partial thermoelectric module 4 is set to a temperature difference at which a high COP can be obtained, heating or cooling with high energy efficiency can be performed.
[0006]
Since the multi-stage thermoelectric module of the present invention distributes the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side to each partial thermoelectric module, the generated thermal stress can be reduced. And if the bonding of each partial thermoelectric module and the insulating plate is not a fixing method such as soldering but mechanical bonding that allows relative movement, thermal stress can be further reduced and damage due to thermal stress can be prevented. Can do.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
1, 2, 3, and 5 are diagrams for explaining an embodiment of the present invention. The multi-stage thermoelectric module 8 (FIGS. 2 and 5) of the present invention includes a partial thermoelectric module 4 in which a P-type semiconductor thermoelectric element 1 and an N-type semiconductor thermoelectric element 2 are joined by a conductive bridge 3 via an insulating plate 6. It is connected in multiple stages. The partial thermoelectric modules at each stage are electrically insulated and each has an electrode 7 attached thereto. A temperature sensor 5 is attached to the insulating plate 6. The electrode 7 of each stage of the partial thermoelectric module 4 and the temperature sensor 5 of the insulating plate 6 are connected to a controller 9. The controller 9 includes a power source that supplies electricity to each partial thermoelectric module 4 and a control unit. The control unit controls the current supplied to the partial thermoelectric module 4 so that the temperature difference between the high temperature side and the low temperature side of the partial thermoelectric module becomes a predetermined temperature difference.
[0008]
A multi-stage thermoelectric module 8 shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a multi-stage thermoelectric module used in the present invention with special consideration for reducing thermal stress. It is a combined multi-stage thermoelectric module. The first-stage partial thermoelectric module and the second-stage partial thermoelectric module are coupled with bolts via springs. Accordingly, the respective partial thermoelectric modules can slide with respect to each other, and as a result, thermal stress can be reduced.
[0009]
【The invention's effect】
Since the multi-stage thermoelectric module of the present invention has multi-stages of electrically independent partial thermoelectric modules, the thermoelectric module can be used with a high COP temperature difference by controlling the current of each partial thermoelectric module.
[0010]
In addition, the multistage thermoelectric module of the present invention can reduce the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side per step, and as a result, the thermal stress can be reduced. Moreover, thermal stress can be further reduced by mechanically joining each partial heat module or between the insulating plate and the partial thermoelectric module. As a result, damage due to thermal stress can be prevented.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is an example of a heating and cooling device using a thermoelectric element of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a side view of an example of a multi-stage thermoelectric module used in the present invention.
FIG. 3 is an example of a partial thermoelectric module used in the thermoelectric module of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a side view of an example of a multi-stage thermoelectric module used in the present invention, particularly considering thermal stress.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermoelectric element of P type semiconductor 2 Thermoelectric element of N type semiconductor 3 Conductive bridge 4 Partial thermoelectric module 5 Temperature sensor 6 Insulating plate 7 Electrode 8 Multi-stage thermoelectric module 9 Controller 10 Radiator 11 Heat absorber 12 Spring 13 Bolt, nut

Claims (2)

A multi-stage thermoelectric module in which partial thermoelectric modules in which P-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements are connected by conductive bridges are joined in multiple stages via an insulating plate with a temperature sensor attached. And a multi-stage thermoelectric module in which an electrode is attached to each partial thermoelectric module, and a current flowing through the partial thermoelectric module of each stage individually based on the temperature of the insulating plate measured by the temperature sensor A controller that controls and controls the temperature difference between the low temperature side and the high temperature side of each partial thermoelectric module to be the indicated temperature difference, and controls the temperature difference between the high temperature surface and the low temperature surface of each partial thermoelectric module. By sharing the load to each partial thermoelectric module by control, each partial thermoelectric module is operated at high COP , Heating and cooling devices, characterized in that perform the heating and cooling with high energy efficiency compared with the case of no load sharing. In order to alleviate the thermal stress generated in the thermoelectric module, said multi-contact portions of all the contact portion or a portion between the said partial thermoelectric module and between the insulating plate portion thermoelectric module is characterized by slidable The heating and cooling device of claim 1 having a thermoelectric module.

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