JP5642419B2 - Thermoelectric conversion module with airtight case - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion module that generates power using a temperature difference applied to a thermoelectric semiconductor. More specifically, the present invention relates to an improvement of a thermoelectric conversion module containing an airtight case that enables an increase in size of the thermoelectric conversion module.

  A conventional thermoelectric conversion element having a general structure on a mass-production scale is an electric circuit configured by providing electrodes on the upper and lower surfaces of a plurality of pairs of thermoelectric semiconductors, and a plate having electrical insulation on the outside of each electrode, for example, a ceramic plate Alternatively, a metal plate having an electrical insulating film is arranged and sandwiched so as to be assembled and modularized by bonding with a bonding material such as an adhesive or a brazing material.

  This thermoelectric conversion module has a structure in which the thermoelectric semiconductor and electrode parts are exposed to the outside air when installed in an oxidizing atmosphere such as high-temperature air or in a corrosive atmosphere such as combustion gas in a garbage incinerator. Modules are subject to oxidation or corrosion. Therefore, since the conventional thermoelectric conversion module cannot be installed by being exposed in such an atmosphere, a method of heating the thermoelectric conversion module indirectly by isolating high-temperature gas with a duct or a partition wall is generally used. However, such a system not only requires new structures such as ducts and partition walls, but also reduces the power generation performance of the thermoelectric conversion module by the amount of temperature difference applied to the thermoelectric semiconductor due to indirect heating. There are drawbacks.

  Therefore, the present inventors have proposed a thermoelectric conversion module containing an airtight case (Patent Document 1). This thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case accommodates a plurality of pairs of thermoelectric semiconductors in an airtight case, and on the surface on the high temperature heat source side of these thermoelectric semiconductors, a heat source side electrode part that electrically connects the thermoelectric semiconductors in series is installed, A heat radiation side electrode portion for connecting the thermoelectric semiconductors electrically in series is installed on the surface of the thermoelectric semiconductor on the low temperature heat source side, and the inside of the case is decompressed or vacuumed. Here, the airtight case includes a heating plate that covers the heat source side electrode portion and receives heat from the high temperature heat source, a cooling plate that covers the heat radiation side electrode portion and transfers heat to the low temperature heat source, and a cooling plate and the heating plate that are connected to each other. And a connecting plate that is integrated with the thermoelectric semiconductor and the electrode portion sandwiched between the cooling plate and the heating plate. Further, a sliding material having thermal conductivity is interposed between at least the heat source side electrode portion and the heating plate in the airtight case so as to allow relative sliding between them in a pressurized state, The sliding material is provided so that it is pressed against the heat source side electrode portion and held integrally with the heat source side electrode portion by the applied pressure acting between the cooling plates.

  On the other hand, the thermoelectric conversion module generally has a planar dimension of about 4 cm square, and even a large one is about 7 cm square. For larger size, the thermal stress due to the temperature difference applied to the module is almost proportional to the product of the temperature difference and the module size, so the generation of shear force due to the thermal expansion of the heating plate that sandwiches the thermoelectric semiconductor. However, this is difficult to realize because there is a risk of destroying the fragile thermoelectric semiconductor or causing peeling at the joint surfaces between the members. Therefore, a conventional thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case has a structure in which one thermoelectric conversion module of about 4 cm square to 7 cm square is enclosed in an airtight case.

JP 2006-49872 A

  However, it is necessary to provide two through electrodes in the airtight case, and it is necessary to connect the through electrode and the module with lead wires inside the case, so one thermoelectric conversion module is enclosed in one airtight case. This structure has a problem that the substantial packing density of the module (the ratio of the module installation area to the given heat transfer area) is lowered.

  In addition, in the structure in which one thermoelectric conversion module is enclosed in one airtight case, the cost of the airtight case including the through electrode and the like is relatively higher than the module body, and the manufacturing cost of the thermoelectric conversion module with the airtight case is increased. There is a problem that pushes up.

  In order to solve the above problem, it is desired to enclose a plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules in one airtight case. However, in a thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case, the adhesion between the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module (hereinafter referred to as a heat receiving surface) and the heat receiving surface of the case (a plane parallel to the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module) is impaired. If this occurs, there is a problem that the contact thermal resistance increases and the temperature difference applied to the thermoelectric conversion module decreases, leading to a decrease in output. When a temperature difference of several hundred degrees is added to the large airtight case, the case undergoes thermal deformation (out-of-plane deformation due to the difference in thermal expansion between the one close to the heating surface and the one close to the cooling surface). In addition, the adhesiveness of the inner surface of the case is impaired, and the contact thermal resistance increases, which may cause a decrease in the output of the module. That is, the airtight case in the form of a box to secure the capacity to accommodate the thermoelectric conversion module is a monocoque structure even if it is easy to deform by reducing the thickness of the container in order to improve adhesion, However, there is a problem that the case cannot be deformed even if it is a thin plate because the case cannot be deformed. The characteristic of the monocoque structure becomes a drawback in an airtight case for a thermoelectric conversion module. For this reason, the deformation of the case cannot follow the out-of-plane deformation of the thermoelectric conversion module, and a gap may be generated between the thermoelectric conversion module and the thermoelectric conversion module.

  Further, thermal stress is generated in the case due to thermal deformation of the case. The magnitude of this thermal stress is proportional to the product of the case size and the temperature difference between the upper and lower surfaces. Therefore, a large thermal stress is generated in a large case, and a large thermal stress is generated in a case where a large temperature difference is added. As a result, in the worst case, the case may be damaged. That is, in the airtight case, the heat receiving surface portion that receives heat well expands or contracts the most, but as the distance from the heat receiving surface portion approaches the peripheral edge to be welded, the influence of heat decreases or from the other case half. It becomes difficult to stretch or shrink under the influence of heat. Therefore, in the case of a box-shaped case, for example, when the heat receiving surface is heated and expands (the area increases), a portion close to the heating surface is pulled out of the side surfaces connecting the peripheral portion and the heat receiving surface. . That is, tensile stress and shear stress act on the side thin plate. However, even a thin plate has a box-shaped (monocoque) structure, so it has a high resistance to tensile stress and shear stress, and it is not easy to deform so that the side surface constituting a part of the box partially extends. Therefore, a large stress is generated in the case, and the case may be damaged.

  Therefore, in the current situation, it is impossible to increase the size of the case structure of a conventional thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case. This problem is particularly important in a large-sized airtight cased thermoelectric conversion module loaded with a large temperature difference.

  An object of the present invention is to enable a plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules to be enclosed in a large airtight case in a thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case, to improve the substantial packing density of the module, and to reduce the manufacturing cost per module output. .

  In order to achieve this object, the present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case in which the thermoelectric conversion module is housed in an airtight case and the inside is decompressed or evacuated. The airtight case includes a heating side case half and a cooling side case half. And a bottom surface parallel to the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module accommodated in at least one case half, a peripheral edge joined to the other case half, and a bottom surface and a peripheral edge. It is characterized by being a flexible case half having side surfaces that connect each other and the side surfaces being corrugated in the circumferential direction.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the thermoelectric conversion module with the hermetic case according to the first aspect, a cooling panel is installed inside the hermetic case, and the cooling panel is supplied from an external heat medium supply source outside the hermetic case. The heat receiving surface on the cooling side of the thermoelectric conversion module is directly cooled in the airtight case by cooling with a cooling medium that is heated, and the heat receiving surface on the heating side of the thermoelectric module is connected to an external heat source through the heating side case half. I give and receive heat.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the thermoelectric conversion module with the hermetic case according to the first aspect, a heating panel is installed inside the hermetic case, and the heating panel is supplied from an external heat medium supply source outside the hermetic case. The heat receiving surface on the heating side of the thermoelectric conversion module is heated directly in the airtight case by heating with the heating medium to be heated and the heat receiving surface on the cooling side of the thermoelectric module is connected to an external heat source through the cooling side case half. I give and receive heat.

Here, the cooling panel or the heating panel is circulated between the one chamber provided with the thermoelectric conversion module and the electrode led out to the outside of the airtight case, and the external heat medium supply source by introducing the heat medium from the external heat medium supply source. It is preferable that the two chambers, which form the flow path to be formed, are composed of partition plates that partition the inside of the airtight case. The cooling panel or the heating panel is composed of an independent container separated from the case half, and is connected to a heat medium inlet / outlet pipe penetrating the airtight case to circulate the heat medium between the external heat medium supply source. It is preferable.

  According to the thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case of the present invention, when the bottom surface serving as the heat receiving surface of at least one of the case halves is heated to expand (increase in area) or cool and contract (increase in area), By causing a deformation that widens or narrows the corrugated side pitch near the bottom surface, the entire case is deformed without difficulty following the expansion or contraction of the bottom surface to maintain its soundness. That is, by making the side surface of the hermetic case corrugated, the hermetic case can be deformed by a flexible bend in the surface direction of the thin plate, and the structure can be easily expanded or contracted. Therefore, it is possible to realize thermal stress relaxation due to a vertical temperature gradient generated between both the bottom surface of the heating-side case half and the bottom surface of the cooling-side case half of the airtight case.

  That is, the wave interval widens or shrinks near the bottom side of the side surface of the case half, and the wave interval does not change much on the side near the welded part / periphery side away from the bottom surface. The amount of deformation can be made different between the welded part and the peripheral side. As a result, the bottom surface of the case half serving as the heat receiving surface of the airtight case expands or contracts in the surface direction so as to follow the out-of-plane deformation of the module (deformation in which the module that was a flat surface is not a flat surface like a convex lens), A close contact state can be maintained. Therefore, the contact thermal resistance at the contact interface between the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module and the bottom surface of the case half can be reduced, and a large temperature difference can be given to the thermoelectric semiconductor.

  Furthermore, according to the thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case of the present invention, a plurality of thermoelectric conversion modules can be enclosed in one airtight case, so that the substantial packing density of the module (the module for a given heat transfer area) The ratio of the installation area) can be improved, and the output density (output per unit area) can be increased. Moreover, since the cost of the airtight case including the through electrode can be relatively reduced as compared with the module body, the manufacturing cost of the thermoelectric conversion module with the airtight case can be reduced. Furthermore, even a large airtight case can be used with a large temperature difference.

  Further, in the thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case of the present invention, a cooling panel for circulating the cooling medium supplied from the external heat medium supply source or a heating panel for circulating the heating medium is built in the airtight case, and the thermoelectric conversion module If one heat receiving surface is directly cooled or heated in the airtight case and the other heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric module is exchanged with an external heat source through the case half, one side of the airtight case can be obtained. Even when heat is transferred by bringing a duct through which a heating fluid or a cooling fluid flows into contact with pressure, it is only necessary to press the duct against one side of the airtight case, and the pressure mechanism can be simplified. In addition, one heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module is heated or cooled by radiant heat transfer from a radiant heat source facing the thermoelectric conversion module with the hermetic case or convection heat transfer by a heat medium flowing around the thermoelectric conversion module with the hermetic case. At the same time, the other heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module is cooled or heated via a cooling panel or a heating panel in the airtight case, so that the heat contact mechanism or the heat between the airtight case and the duct through which the heat medium passes is heated. It does not require the application of viscous heat conductive materials such as conductive grease. Therefore, the thermoelectric conversion module with a hermetic case according to the present invention is not limited in its use. For this reason, waste heat generated from an object to be heated generated in an industrial furnace such as a powder metallurgy sintering furnace or various electric furnaces under radiant heat from a high-temperature heat source can be used as a heat source for radiant heat transfer, or industrial waste High-temperature fluids such as waste gas and waste liquid discharged from various industrial facilities with heat such as incinerators are used as heat sources for convection heat transfer, and heat obtained by heat conduction by contacting with solid heat sources is also used as heat sources. In any environment, it can be used simply by disposing an airtight cased thermoelectric conversion module.

  Furthermore, in the thermoelectric conversion module with the hermetic case of the present invention, the heat medium is introduced from one chamber provided with the cooling panel or the heating panel and the electrode for leading the thermoelectric conversion module and the outside of the airtight case, and the external heat medium supply source. When it is configured with a partition plate that separates the inside of the airtight case into two chambers that form a flow path that circulates between the external heat medium supply source, the case half is molded by pressing or the like Since the flow path through which the heat medium flows can be formed at the same time, processing is easy. In addition, it has a highly liquid-tight structure because it is simply sealed with a partition plate that divides the chamber containing the thermoelectric conversion module and the chamber through which the heat medium flows, so that the heat medium flows through the airtight container without leakage. One side of the thermoelectric conversion module can be cooled or heated.

  In addition, when the cooling panel or the heating panel is formed of an independent sealed container separated from the case half, the flexible case whose corrugated side surface is formed even on the case half side which is relatively difficult to deform. It can be arranged on the half body side or any case half body side as required.

It is a top view which shows one Embodiment of the thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case of this invention. It is a side view of the thermoelectric conversion module containing the same airtight case. It is sectional drawing which shows the waveform structure of the side surface of the case half of the thermoelectric conversion module containing the airtight case. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of joining the two case halves of the thermoelectric conversion module containing the same airtight case. It is a schematic plane explanatory drawing which shows one of the example of arrangement | positioning at the time of accommodating nine thermoelectric conversion modules in an airtight case. It is a figure which shows embodiment which applied an example of a flexible case half to the upper case, (A) is the perspective view seen from the top, (B) is the perspective view which looked at the inside of the lower case from the bottom. . It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example which enclosed the single-sided skeleton module provided with a ceramic board only in a cooling surface (lower surface) in the airtight case of the shape shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example which enclosed the module with a double-sided board which equips the airtight case of the shape shown in FIG. 1 with a heating / cooling surface (upper and lower surfaces) with a ceramic board. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example which enclosed the double-sided skeleton module which does not equip the airtight case of the shape shown in FIG. 1 with a ceramic board on both heating and cooling surfaces (upper and lower surfaces). FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment in which the heating and cooling surfaces are reversed in the embodiment of FIG. 9. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the example which accommodated the double-sided skeleton module and the cooling panel in the container of the shape shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the airtight case of FIG. 9, (A) is the perspective view seen from the top, (B) is the perspective view seen from the bottom. FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment in which the heating and cooling surfaces are reversed in the embodiment of FIG. 9. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the Example which employ | adopted the thin flexible container press-molded similarly to FIG. 1 on the heating side, but employ | adopted the metal plate on the cooling side. In the embodiment of FIG. 14, the heating / cooling surface is reversed. FIG. 15 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment in which the double-sided skeleton module and the cooling panel are accommodated in the embodiment of FIG. 14. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the Example which reversed the heating and cooling surface in the Example of FIG. A vertical cross-sectional view showing an embodiment in which a thin flexible container press-molded in the same manner as in FIG. 1 is adopted on the heating side (upper side), but a metal case is adopted on the cooling side (lower side). It is. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows the Example which reversed the heating / cooling surface in the Example of FIG. It is a figure which shows the external appearance of the airtight case of FIG. 19, (A) is the perspective view seen from the top, (B) is the perspective view seen from the bottom. FIG. 20 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an example in which the double-sided skeleton module and the cooling panel are accommodated in the example of FIG. 19. FIG. 22 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an embodiment in which the heating and cooling surfaces are reversed in the embodiment of FIG. 21. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view which shows one Embodiment of the thermoelectric conversion module of this invention. The other embodiment of the heating / cooling panel provided in an airtight case is shown, and it is the perspective view which looked at the inside of the lower case which formed the flow path of the heat carrier and the groove part for electrodes integrally with the case half. is there.

  Hereinafter, the configuration of the present invention will be described in detail based on embodiments shown in the drawings.

  1 to 7 show an embodiment of a thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case of the present invention. In this thermoelectric conversion module 1 with an airtight case, the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is sealed in an airtight container (hereinafter referred to as an airtight case) 13 to reduce the pressure or vacuum inside. As shown in FIG. 7, the thermoelectric conversion module 5 includes at least a pair of thermoelectric semiconductors 2, one electrode 3 electrically connected to the thermoelectric semiconductor 2, and the other electrode 4. , 4 are connected in series to form an electrical circuit that conducts from the lead wire 8 at the end to the pair of electrodes 9a, 9b. Here, the pair of electrodes 9a and 9b penetrates from the corner of the airtight case 13 to the outside of the airtight case 13 with the electrical insulator 18 and the airtight seal 21 interposed between the electrode extraction holes 10 of the airtight case 13. Is provided. Thereby, the electric power generated by the thermoelectric conversion module 5 can be taken out to the outside of the hermetic case 13 while maintaining the hermeticity of the hermetic case 13. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the thermoelectric conversion module 5 includes a plurality of modules connected in series with each other and both ends thereof connected to the through electrodes 9 a and 9 b. For example, when nine of these are housed together in one case, the price of the case body is not 9 times cheaper, so the unit cost per output of the thermoelectric conversion module can be reduced. Moreover, since each module can be arranged closely, compared with the case where the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is accommodated in the airtight case 13 for every one, the thermoelectric conversion module installation density per unit area can be made high. Incidentally, the electric power generated by the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is supplied to the power storage device and the power utilization device via a power recovery line (not shown).

  In the case of this embodiment, the airtight case 13 is composed of two members, a heating side case half 11 and a cooling side case half 12, and the peripheral edges 11 a and 12 a are in a state where the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is sandwiched therebetween. It is provided to be joined to form one airtight container. Here, at least one of the case halves, in the case of the present embodiment, the heating side case halves 11 are, as shown in FIG. 6, a bottom surface 11c parallel to the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5 housed inside. It has the peripheral surface 11a joined to the other case half body 12 and the side surface 11b connecting the bottom surface 11c and the peripheral surface 11a, and the side surface 11c forms a waveform in the circumferential direction so as to form the flexible surface 32. It is comprised in the flexible container made into. In the present invention, the at least one case half mainly refers to a case half facing the heat source on the side that bears the main temperature change when generating power by giving a temperature difference to the thermoelectric conversion module 5. Is the case half 11 on the heating side, but may be the case half 12 on the cooling side when a temperature difference is obtained using a cold heat source. Of course, although not shown, the case halves 11 and 12 on both the heating side and the cooling side are thick enough to be easily bent and deformed, and the flexible surface 32 having the corrugated side surfaces 11b and 12b is formed. It goes without saying that it can also be used as a sex case half. Furthermore, the other case half is exposed to room temperature and is less susceptible to large thermal load fluctuations (temperature changes) than the other case half, and the thermal stress received from the other case half is less. Since it is very small, it does not need to be configured in a flexible container. Therefore, the other case half is not limited to a specific structure, and may be a thin-walled container structure having a relatively large thickness (about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm) as shown in FIG. 4 or FIGS. Further, a thicker container structure as shown in FIGS. 18 to 22, or a flat metal plate 28 as shown in FIGS. 14 to 17 may be used.

  In the case of the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 7, a press-formed thin flexible container is used for the heating-side case half 11, and a thin-walled container is also used for the cooling-side case half 12. . The flexible container of the heating-side case half 11 is obtained by pressing (deep drawing) a thin metal sheet having a thickness of, for example, about 0.1 mm, and its side surface 11b forms a waveform in the circumferential direction. By configuring the flexible surface 32 formed in the above structure, it is possible to easily relax the thermal stress against the difference in thermal expansion between the upper and lower heat receiving surfaces of the airtight case 13. It is preferable to make the flexible container as thin as possible within a range that can maintain a strength that does not break due to a pressure difference or thermal deformation. On the other hand, the thin container of the cooling-side case half 12 is obtained by pressing a thin metal sheet having a thickness of about 0.5 mm, for example. In the present embodiment, the two electrodes 9 a and 9 b penetrating the airtight case 13 are welded to at least the bottom surface 12 c of the cooling side case half 12. Furthermore, inlet / outlet pipes 19 a and 19 b for introducing and circulating a cooling medium or a heating medium into the airtight case 13 as necessary are welded to the bottom surface 12 c of the cooling side case half 12. In order to weld the through electrodes 9a, 9b and the inlet / outlet pipes 19a, 19b to the cooling-side case half 12, the thickness of the cooling-side case half 12 is preferably 0.5 mm or more. In the structure of the airtight case 13, since the press-processed product can be used for both the heating side case half 11 and the cooling side case half 12, a significant cost reduction can be expected by mass production. In addition, the magnitude | size of the waveform which comprises the flexible surface 32, a pitch, etc. are not limited to a specific value, The curvature radius according to the material which can implement | achieve the deformation | transformation which can follow the out-of-plane deformation of a thermoelectric conversion module, height, and a pitch It is formed. For example, when the hermetic case 13 incorporating the four thermoelectric conversion modules 5 of 4 cm square is implemented, a case half body having a rectangular shape with an outer dimension of 110 mm in length and 130 mm in width is provided with a pitch of about 21 mm and a radius of about 7. It is preferable that the corrugation is 25 mm, the side surface is formed with a slope of 70 °, and the height is set to 5.6 mm. In this embodiment, it is formed of a thin plate having a thickness of 0.1 mm. The pitch, radius, and the like of the waveform are not limited to the specific values described above, and are appropriately set as necessary.

  Here, the heating-side and cooling-side case halves 11 and 12 are formed of a thin plate made of a material excellent in thermal conductivity. For example, when a thermoelectric conversion module for low temperature using BiTe or the like is used as the thermoelectric semiconductor 2 (case heating side temperature 250 ° C. or less), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), stainless steel (for example, SUS304, SUS316), etc. Use is preferred. Further, when a thermoelectric conversion module for high temperature using SiGe, FeSi, or the like as the thermoelectric semiconductor 2 (a heating temperature of the case of about 600 ° C.) is used, it is preferable to use heat-resistant steel such as titanium (Ti). In any case, the thickness of the material is suitably about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, but is not limited to this, and is preferably determined in consideration of the size of the module and the differential pressure. Of course, the most suitable material is selected from the viewpoints of heat resistance, corrosion resistance, workability and the like according to the use environment. The number of thermoelectric conversion modules 5 that can be accommodated in one airtight case 13 is not limited, but in order for the heating-side case half 11 to be in close contact with each thermoelectric change module 5, the airtight case 13 is square. It is desirable to be close. However, the material of the case half is not limited to that illustrated, and is not limited to being integrally formed by press molding.

  In the case of this embodiment, these heating-side case half 11 and cooling-side case half 12 are, for example, the heating-side case half in a vacuum atmosphere after housing the auxiliary equipment such as the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and the electrodes 9a and 9b. 11 and the peripheral edges 11a and 12a of the cooling-side case half body 12 are overlapped and the peripheral edges 11a and 12a are joined by electron beam welding so that the inside is integrated in a reduced pressure or vacuum state. At this time, in order to eliminate the difference in thickness between the heating-side case half 11 and the cooling-side case half 12, the other case half is placed on the peripheral case 11 a of the thin case half, ie, the heating-side case half 11. In other words, the auxiliary ring 23 having substantially the same thickness as that of the cooling-side case half 12a is directed to be welded so as to form the edge joint 24 by beam welding. The joining of the flanges 11a and 12a is not limited to electron beam welding, but can be joined by other welding methods suitable for the case material, brazing material, adhesive, or the like. Moreover, you may make it join the heating side case half body 11 and the cooling side case half body 12 which were faced | matched directly, without providing the flanges 11a and 12a.

The pressure inside the airtight case 13, that is, the pressure in the thermoelectric conversion module storage chamber 17 is lower than the pressure outside the airtight case 13, for example. A vacuum is preferred. Due to the presence of this differential pressure, pressure applied to the airtight case 13 from the outside is pressed and adhered to each of the contact interfaces between the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and the heating-side case half 11 and the cooling panel or the heating panel 7, thereby causing contact heat. Resistance is reduced. Incidentally, according to experiments by the present inventors (see Patent Document 1), for example, assuming a thermoelectric conversion module 1 with an airtight case that operates at 550 ° C. and atmospheric pressure, the sealed pressure (P _RT at room temperature (27 ° C.)) ) Is −0.8 atm (gauge pressure), the internal pressure P ₅₅₀ when heated to 550 ° C. is 0.55 atm in absolute pressure and −0.45 atm in gauge pressure, giving a sufficient temperature difference. It has been found that sufficient pressure can be applied. In this case, the pressure for pressing the container 7 from the outside is 0.45 kg / cm ² = 4.5 ton / m ² .

When assembling the airtight case and the thermoelectric conversion module configured as described above, the internal height of the airtight case 13 formed between the heating-side case half 11 and the cooling-side case half 12 before welding is The total height of various components such as the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and the sliding material 30 such as a carbon sheet and the mica sheet 27 is set to be smaller by about 0.2 mm. That is, when the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and various components are placed in the lower cooling side case half 12 and the heating side case opposite 11 is further placed on the upper side, the heating side case half 11 and the cooling side case half 12 are placed. A gap of about 0.2 mm occurs between the two. When this gap is pressed from the periphery of the case with a jig and electron beam welding is performed under vacuum, the heating side case half 11 which is the upper thin flexible container and the cooling side case opposite 12 which is the lower thin container are deformed. It is sealed by doing (swelling). Since electron beam welding is performed in a vacuum chamber, the inside of the container is evacuated. Therefore, the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and various components to be housed are 1 atm (0.1 MPa = 1) with the upper and lower case halves 11 and 12 being in close contact with each other due to the deformation of the vicinity of the corrugated flexible surface 32. Since it is pressed from above and below by the force of kg / cm ² ), the contact thermal resistance existing between the contact surfaces of various components can be reduced, and a large temperature difference can be given to the thermoelectric conversion module 5.

  The thermoelectric conversion module 5 in the present embodiment is a single-sided skeleton module supported by a substrate 6 having electrical insulation, for example, a ceramic substrate, as shown in FIG. 7, but is not particularly limited thereto. For example, a module with a double-sided board in which both sides are supported by an electrically insulating substrate 6 as shown in FIG. 8 or a mica sheet 27 such as that shown in FIG. It is also possible to incorporate a double-sided skeleton module that only comprises an electrically insulating material or the like. Here, since the double-sided skeleton module is very fragile and weak against bending force and easily breaks, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, for example, a thickness is formed on the cooling side (or at least one side) of the thermoelectric conversion module 5. It is preferable to insert a mica sheet 27 having a thickness of about 20 μm and a backup metal plate 33 having a thickness of about 1 mm. The mica sheet 27 is mainly for electrical insulation, and a polymer sheet or glass plate having a similar thickness may be used. Further, the backup metal plate 33 is for preventing a bending force from acting on the module body, and a metal having a high thermal conductivity (for example, a copper plate) is suitable and may have a thickness necessary for obtaining rigidity. Accordingly, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, when the cooling panel 25 (or heating panel) is installed on one surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5, or the other case half as shown in FIGS. When the body is a flat metal plate with a thickness of several millimeters, or the other case half is thicker than a press-molded product as shown in FIGS. In order to prevent the bending force from acting on the double-sided skeleton module, it is not necessary to incorporate the backup metal plate 33.

  In addition, as the substrate 6 having electrical insulation, for example, a product obtained by depositing copper on an alumina plate in the shape of an electrode can be obtained as DBC (Direct Bonding Copper), and this can be obtained by using the substrate 6 and the electrode 3 or 4 can also be used. Further, as the substrate 6, in addition to the ceramic substrate, a metal substrate having a structure in which the electrode 3 or 4 is bonded by an electrically insulating bonding agent may be used. In any case, the substrate 6 and the bottom surface 11c of the heating-side case half 11 or the bottom surface 12c of the cooling-side case half 12 are brought into close contact, for example, by bonding with an adhesive or a brazing material, or heat conductive grease or It adheres via the sliding material 30, such as a carbon sheet.

  As shown in FIG. 7, a sliding material 30 having thermal conductivity is interposed between the surface of the heating case half 11 of the package thermoelectric conversion system 1 facing the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and the electrode plate 3. It is preferable. The thermal conduction between the heating-side case half 11 and the electrode 3 is achieved by the interposition of the heat conductive sliding material 30 and the relative sliding or deviation between the heating-side case half 11 and the electrode 3 is prevented. Make it easy. Here, the sliding material 30 has at least thermal conductivity and slidability (sliding), but more preferably has electrical insulation. However, if an electrical insulating material or an electrical insulating layer is interposed between the electrode portion 3 and the sliding material 30, the sliding material 30 itself does not need to have electrical insulation. Therefore, it is preferable to use a viscous material such as a low friction coefficient sheet material having thermal conductivity or grease as the sliding material 30. Specifically, it is preferable to use a carbon sheet or a polymer sheet as the sheet material. The carbon sheet is excellent in slidability, heat conductivity and heat resistance, so that it is possible to use a thermoelectric semiconductor at a higher maximum operating temperature and there is no thermal resistance at the interface where the carbon sheet is interposed. It can be reduced to 1/10 or less of the case. In addition, as shown in FIG. 7, the electrical insulation can be ensured by the combined use with the mica sheet 27, and heat conduction and slipping at the interface can be made favorable. In particular, when used in the airtight case 13, it can be used up to a higher temperature than when used in the atmosphere. Moreover, since the polymer sheet is excellent in slidability and electrically insulating, it can be brought into direct contact with the electrode material. Furthermore, when the grease, which is a viscous material, is interposed between the heating-side case half 11 and the electrode 3 as a sliding material, the generation of shear stress is prevented, and since the viscous material is a viscous material, It is possible to reduce the contact thermal resistance at the interface by closely adhering. Thereby, a large temperature difference can be loaded on the thermoelectric semiconductor. In addition, since it is hermetically sealed in the airtight case 13, there are no problems such as grease deterioration or grease evaporation due to thermal oxidation, and the grease can be stably held between the container and the heat source side electrode portion for a long period of time.

  According to the thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case configured as described above, the airtight case 13 receives a pressing force from the outside due to a differential pressure inside and outside the container. Using this pressing force, the bottom surface 11c of the heating side case half 11 of the airtight case 13 facing the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is uniformly pressed against the thermoelectric conversion module 5. The heat received by the heating case half 11 of the airtight case is uniformly transferred to the thermoelectric conversion module 5. And even if it raise | generates expansion (an area increases) by heating the bottom face 11c used as the heat receiving surface of the heating side case half body 11, the pitch of the corrugated flexible surface 32 in the part close | similar to the bottom face 11c of the side surface 11b. By causing the bending deformation to spread, the entire case is deformed without difficulty following the expansion of the bottom surface 11c. Thereby, the bottom face 11c of the heating-side case half 11 can be deformed in the surface direction so as to follow the out-of-plane deformation of the thermoelectric conversion module 5, and the contact state can be maintained. Therefore, the contact thermal resistance at the contact interface between the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module and the bottom surface of the case half can be reduced, and a large temperature difference can be given to the thermoelectric semiconductor.

  Further, since the mica sheet 27 and the sliding material 30 are interposed between the bottom surface 11c of the heating-side case half 11 and the electrode 3, even if the bottom surface 11c is thermally expanded, the bottom surface 11c is placed on the sliding material 30. Since it is slid in the surface direction, a large shear stress does not act on the thermoelectric conversion module 5. Therefore, even if the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with the hermetic case is enlarged, the fragile thermoelectric semiconductor 2 is not broken and peeling does not occur on the joint surface.

  Here, the arrangement of the heating-side case half 11 and the cooling-side case half 12 of the airtight case 13 is not particularly limited to the relationship shown in FIG. 7. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the heating-side case half 11 The cooling-side case half 12 may be arranged on the upper side. The flexible container having the flexible surface 32 does not necessarily need to be thinner than the opposite case half as described above. The thickness of the flexible surface 32 is not limited to a thickness of 0.1 mm as long as the corrugated shape of the flexible surface 32 can be bent and deformed. For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10, it is necessary to penetrate the electrodes 9a and 9b through the cooling side case half 12 as a flexible container and weld it, so that a thickness of about 0.5 mm is desirable. On the other hand, the thickness of the heating-side case half 11 that does not weld the two through electrodes 9a and 9b may be about 0.1 mm.

  Further, the thermoelectric conversion module with the hermetic case of the present invention is heated from the outside via the upper and lower heat receiving surfaces of the hermetic case 13 (the bottom surface 11c of the heating case half 11 and the bottom surface 12c of the cooling case half 12). For example, as shown in FIGS. 11 and 13, a cooling panel 25 or a heating panel is arranged inside the airtight case 13 and a heat medium introduced from the outside of the airtight case 13 is circulated to generate heat. One surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5 may be directly cooled or heated. Here, the cooling panel (or heating panel) 25 is formed by forming a flow path through which a heat medium passes in a sealed box. For example, the cooling panel (or heating panel) 25 has a tube built in or is bottom-formed by press molding as shown in FIG. It is also possible to use a box in which a groove is formed with a lid. In the case of the embodiment of FIG. 11, the cooling panel 25 is arranged on the cooling side case half 12 side of the airtight case 13 having the shape shown in FIG. 1, and the double-sided skeleton module 5 is accommodated thereon via the mica sheet 27. Furthermore, the upper heat receiving surface of the double-sided skeleton module 5 is brought into contact with the bottom surface 11c of the heating-side case half 11 made of a flexible container via the mica sheet 27 and the carbon sheet 30. In this case, the heat receiving surface under the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is efficiently cooled by the heat of the heat medium flowing through the internal flow path (not shown) of the cooling panel 25. Therefore, a temperature difference is appropriately given to the thermoelectric conversion module 5 without applying an external force to the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with an airtight case using a pressurizing mechanism. Note that two through electrodes 9a and 9b and two cooling pipes 19a and 19b are welded to the bottom surface 12c of the cooling side case half 12 below the airtight case 13. The external appearance of this airtight case is shown in FIG.

  Further, the cooling panel 25 is not limited to the case where the cooling panel 25 is disposed on the thin container side which is the other half of the case, and may be disposed on the flexible container side having the corrugated flexible surface 32. For example, as in the embodiment shown in FIG. 13, the present invention can also be applied to a case where the heating / cooling surface of the airtight case 13 of the embodiment of FIG. 11 is reversed. In this case, the heating side (lower surface side) container may have a thickness of about 0.1 mm. On the other hand, since the flexible container on the cooling side (upper surface side) needs to weld the two through electrodes 9a and 9b and the two cooling pipes 19a and 19b, a thickness of about 0.5 mm is desirable.

  As described above, according to the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with the hermetic case in which the cooling panel 25 (or the heating panel) is arranged inside the hermetic case 13, radiant heat or convection heat is provided as the other heat source that gives the thermoelectric conversion module 5 a temperature difference. Or since heat transfer etc. can be used through a duct, it can be used for various uses. Moreover, even when the heating duct or the cooling duct is used as one heat source, it is necessary to press-contact the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with the airtight case and the heating duct or the cooling duct, but heating is performed as in a conventional thermoelectric conversion system. The pressurization mechanism can be simplified as compared with the method of pressurizing the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with the airtight case sandwiched between the duct and the cooling duct. On the other hand, when using radiant heat transfer or convective heat transfer, one heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is cooled or heated by the cooling fluid or the heating fluid flowing through the cooling panel (or heating panel) in the airtight case 13. Therefore, a mechanism for pressing contact is not required. Thus, since the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with the airtight case of the present invention is provided so that the cooling fluid or the heating fluid flows in the airtight case 13, the thermoelectric conversion module 1 with the airtight case is disposed in any environment. It can only be used.

  Further, the two members of the heating side case half 11 and the cooling side case half 12 constituting the airtight case 13 are not necessarily overlapped with a relatively thin press-formed product as shown in FIGS. The structure is not limited to the above, and a combination of a thermally conductive material plate and a case half may be used. For example, as shown in FIG. 14, a thin flexible container press-molded in the same manner as in FIG. 1 may be used for the heating case half 11, and a metal plate 28 may be used as the cooling case half. good. In this case, it is desirable that the metal plate 28 has high thermal conductivity, excellent corrosion resistance in the use atmosphere, and can be welded to the flexible container on the heating side. The thickness of the metal plate 28 depends on the size of the case, but may be several mm. However, when considering the corrosion allowance when used in a corrosive atmosphere, it is desirable to set the thickness according to the use conditions and the service life. Two through electrodes 9a and 9b are welded to the metal plate 28. The metal plate 28 is not limited to the case where it is disposed on the cooling side. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, the metal plate 28 may be disposed on the heating side as opposed to the embodiment of FIG. In this case, the flexible container constituting the cooling-side case half (upper surface side) 12 is desirably about 0.5 mm in thickness because the two through electrodes 9a and 9b are welded.

  Further, the cooling panel 25 and the metal plate 28 may be used in combination. For example, as shown in FIG. 16, in the embodiment of FIG. 14, the cooling panel 25 is disposed on the cooling side metal plate 28 and then the double-sided skeleton module 5 is accommodated with the mica sheet 27 interposed. May be. In the case of this embodiment, two penetration electrodes 9a and 9b and two cooling pipes 19a and 19b can be welded to the metal plate 28 which is a cooling side case half. Further, as shown in FIG. 17, the cooling panel 25 is arranged in the flexible container on the upper cooling surface side, that is, the cooling side case half 12 with the metal plate 28 as the heating surface side, and the embodiment of FIG. It is good also as arrangement | positioning relationship contrary to. In this case, since the flexible container on the cooling side (upper surface side) needs to weld two through electrodes 9a and 9b, a thickness of about 0.5 mm is desirable.

  Further, as the other case half that does not require flexibility, an inflexible case half that is thicker than the press-formed product may be employed. For example, as shown in FIG. 18, a heating-side case half 11 made of a thin flexible container press-molded in the same manner as in FIG. 1 is adopted on the heating side (upper side), and on the cooling side (lower side). You may make it employ | adopt the cooling side case half body 12 which consists of an inflexible metal case. In this case, two penetration electrodes 9a and 9b are welded to the cooling-side case half 12 made of an inflexible metal case. Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the two through-electrodes 9a and 9b are taken out from the cooling-side case half 12 made of an upper flexible container with the non-flexible metal case as the heating surface side. Also good. In this case, since the flexible container on the cooling side (upper surface side) needs to weld the through electrodes 9a and 9b, a thickness of about 0.5 mm is desirable. FIG. 20 shows the appearance of the case of FIG.

  Further, the inflexible case half that is thicker than the press-molded product and the cooling panel 25 (or heating panel) may be used in combination. For example, as shown in FIG. 21, in the embodiment of FIG. 19, the cooling panel 25 is arranged on the inflexible cooling side case half 12 with the inflexible metal case as the cooling surface side. Alternatively, the double-sided skeleton module 5 may be accommodated with the mica sheet 27 interposed therebetween. In the case of this embodiment, two penetration electrodes 9a and 9b and two cooling pipes 19a and 19b are welded to the metal case which becomes the cooling-side case half 12. Further, as shown in FIG. 22, a non-flexible metal case is used as the heating surface side (heating side case half 11), and the cooling container is placed on the upper cooling surface side flexible container, that is, the cooling side case half 12. 25 may be arranged so that the arrangement relationship is opposite to that of the embodiment of FIG. In this case, since the flexible container on the cooling side (upper surface side) needs to weld two through electrodes 9a and 9b, a thickness of about 0.5 mm is desirable.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but is not limited thereto, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, in the above-described embodiment, as a method for introducing a cooling medium or a heating medium into the airtight case 13 and directly cooling or heating one heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5 in the airtight case 13, Is mainly described with an example in which a separate cooling panel 25 or a heating panel (not shown) is built in, but depending on the case, as shown in FIGS. A thermoelectric conversion module storage chamber 17 including a thermoelectric conversion module and an electrode led out of the hermetic case by providing an unevenness forming the flow path 16 at the bottom of the case half 12 and closing it with the partition plate 7, and an external heat medium The inside of the airtight case is divided into two chambers, a heat medium circulation chamber 14 that forms a flow path for introducing a heat medium from a supply source and circulating between the heat medium supply source and a partition. It is also possible to work the plate 7 as a cooling panel or heating panels.

  In the airtight case 13 of this embodiment, the entire area of the cooling-side case half 12 is not used as the heat medium circulation chamber 14, but an electrode groove portion 22 for taking out and arranging the electrode is provided on one side, and above the partition plate 7. A part of the thermoelectric conversion module storage chamber 17 is configured to communicate with the space. The heat medium circulation chamber 14 and the electrode groove portion 22 are separated by a weir 20, and are covered with a cooling panel or a heating panel 7 so as to be placed on the upper surface of the weir 20 surrounding the heat medium circulation chamber 14. A flow path 16 in which the heat medium flows uniformly is provided only under a part of the cooling-side case half 12, that is, a portion where the thermoelectric conversion module 5 is disposed. The partition plate 7 is fitted and joined to a receiving seat 31 formed with a step on the upper surface of the weir 20, thereby forming a liquid-tight channel 16 with the cooling-side case half 12. At this time, the partition plate 7 is supported by the receiving seat 31 at the periphery thereof and supported by the plurality of partition walls 15 at the inside. Thus, the partition plate 7 is directly cooled or heated with a heat medium supplied from an external heat medium supply source (not shown), and heat is efficiently applied to one surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5 via the thermoelectric conversion module substrate 6. Can be given. The heat medium is not limited to a specific substance, and is usually selected as appropriate from water, oil, refrigerant, and the like. It is possible to realize that the heat medium flows uniformly without unevenness and efficiently applies heat to one surface of the thermoelectric conversion module 5. In the case of this embodiment, the cooling-side case half 12 is formed into a shape shown in the drawing by drawing a thin plate made of a material excellent in coexistence with the heat medium. Furthermore, the material of the partition plate 7 and the inlet / outlet pipes 19a and 19b is preferably excellent in coexistence with cooling or heating fluid, and stainless steel is suitable for water, for example.

  For example, as shown in FIGS. 23 and 24, the flow path 16 through which the heat medium flows includes a plurality of protrusions that protrude in the opposite directions alternately so as to protrude from the bottom surface of the cooling-side case half 12 toward the partition plate 7 and to be entangled with each other. It is one groove formed by the partition wall 15 that is tortuously wound, and an inlet pipe 19a and an outlet pipe 19b are formed at both ends of the groove, respectively. The heat medium inlet pipe 19a and the outlet pipe 19b are configured by piping joined by brazing or welding to a hole 29 opened in the bottom surface of the cooling-side case half 12, and an external heat medium supply (not shown) is provided. Connected to the source. As a result, the heat medium circulation chamber 14 is formed with a flow path 16 through which the heat medium is introduced from an external heat medium supply source (not shown) and circulated with the external heat medium supply source, and the partition plate 7 is interposed. Thus, heat is transferred to one surface of the thermoelectric semiconductor 2 by a heat medium circulating in the flow path 16.

  One or both of the electrodes 9a, 9b and the heat medium inlet / outlet pipes 19a, 19b can be installed on the side surface or the upper surface (the bottom surface 11c of the heating case half 11) instead of the bottom surface of the airtight case 13. When the electrodes 9a and 9b are installed on the side surface of the cooling side case half 12, the entire cooling side case half 12 is divided into two layers by the partition plate 7, and the thermoelectric conversion module 5 and the layer above the partition plate 7 are arranged. A thermoelectric conversion module housing chamber 17 in which the electrodes 9 a and 9 b are placed is formed, and a flow path 16 through which a cooling or heating heat medium flows can be formed in the entire layer below the partition plate 7.

  In each of the above-described embodiments shown in FIGS. 11 to 22, the description has been made with the double-sided skeleton module enclosed, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a single-sided skeleton module or a module with a double-sided board may be used.

(Material and shape of panel and entrance / exit piping)
The material of the case is selected from the viewpoint of heat resistance, corrosion resistance, workability, and the like. For example, in a low-temperature module using BiTe or the like as a thermoelectric semiconductor (case heating temperature: 250 ° C. or less), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), stainless steel (SUS304, SUS316, etc.) can be used. In addition, titanium (Ti) or the like can be used in a high-temperature module using SiGe or the like as the thermoelectric semiconductor (case heating side temperature of about 600 ° C.). In any case, the thickness of the material is suitably about 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, but is not limited to this and should be determined in consideration of the size of the module and the differential pressure. The materials of the cooling or heating panel and the entrance / exit piping are preferably those excellent in coexistence with the cooling or heating medium. For example, stainless steel is suitable for water.
(Cooling or heating medium flow rate)
Here, when water is used as the cooling fluid, the required flow rate when the water inlet temperature is 25 ° C. and the outlet temperature is 45 ° C. is obtained by the following procedure. Incidentally, if the conversion efficiency of the thermoelectric conversion module is 10% and the output per one is 10 W, the amount of heat to be removed by the cooling water is 90 W.
P = WCpΔT
Where P is the amount of heat to be removed with cooling water (= 90 W = 0.09 kW)
W: Flow rate of water (kg / s)
Cp: Specific heat of water (= 4.2 kWs / kgK)
ΔT: Water inlet / outlet temperature difference (= 20 K)
W = P / (CpΔT) = 0.09 / (4.2 × 20)
= 0.0011 (kg / s) = 1.1 (g / s)
Further, the flow rate of water inside the cooling panel 25 is calculated by the following equation. If the channel width of the channel in the cooling panel 25 is 7 mm and the channel height is 5 mm, the channel cross-sectional area is 0.35 cm ² . Therefore,
V = Q / A = 1.1 / 0.35 = 3.1 (cm / s)
Where V: Cooling water flow velocity (cm / s)
Q: Cooling water flow rate (= 1.1 cm ³ / s)
A: Channel cross-sectional area (= 0.35 cm ² )
If the flow velocity is 3.1 (cm / s), the flow pressure loss is extremely small and does not cause a problem.

  The present invention utilizes a waste heat radiated from a heated part inside or outside an industrial furnace such as a powder metallurgy sintering furnace or various electric furnaces, which is heated by radiation from a high-temperature heat source. Thermoelectric conversion module that generates electricity, or thermoelectric conversion module that uses waste heat of high-temperature fluid such as waste gas and waste liquid discharged from various industrial facilities using or accompanying heat from industrial waste incinerators, etc., by convective heat transfer Furthermore, it is suitable for thermoelectric conversion modules that generate electricity by heating or cooling in contact with a solid heating source or cooling source, and can be used by simply placing an airtight cased thermoelectric conversion module in any environment. It can be done.

1 Thermoelectric conversion module with airtight case 5 Thermoelectric conversion module 7 Partition plate (functions as cooling panel or heating panel)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 Heating side case half 11a Periphery 11b Side surface 11c Bottom surface 12 Cooling side case half 12a Periphery 12b Side surface 12c Bottom surface 13 Airtight case 14 Heat medium circulation chamber 16 Flow path 17 through which heat medium circulates Thermoelectric conversion module housing chambers 19a, 19b Heat medium inlet / outlet (pipe) connected to the heat medium supply source
25 Cooling panel 28 Metal plate 32 constituting the other case half Flexible surface (corrugated side surface)

Claims (5)

In the thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case in which the thermoelectric conversion module is housed in an airtight case and the inside is depressurized or vacuumed, the airtight case is composed of two members, a heating side case half and a cooling side case half, A bottom surface parallel to the heat receiving surface of the thermoelectric conversion module housed in at least one of the case halves, a periphery joined to the other case half, and a side surface connecting the bottom and the periphery. A thermoelectric conversion module containing an airtight case, wherein the thermoelectric conversion module is a flexible case half having a side surface corrugated in the circumferential direction. A cooling panel is installed inside the airtight case, the cooling panel is cooled with a cooling medium supplied from an external heat medium supply source outside the airtight case, and a heat receiving surface on the cooling side of the thermoelectric conversion module is sealed with the airtight 2. The thermoelectric case-encased thermoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric module is directly cooled in the case and the heat receiving surface on the heating side of the thermoelectric module is exchanged with an external heat source through the heating case half. Conversion module. A heating panel is installed inside the airtight case, the heating panel is heated with a heating medium supplied from an external heat medium supply source outside the airtight case, and the heat receiving surface on the heating side of the thermoelectric conversion module is 2. The thermoelectric case-encased thermoelectric device according to claim 1, wherein the thermoelectric module is directly heated in the case and the heat receiving surface on the cooling side of the thermoelectric module is exchanged with an external heat source through the cooling side case half. Conversion module. The cooling panel or the heating panel is a flow that introduces a heat medium from an external heat medium supply source and circulates between the one chamber provided with a thermoelectric conversion module and an electrode leading out of the hermetic case, and the external heat medium supply source. The thermoelectric conversion module with an airtight case according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the thermoelectric conversion module is composed of a partition plate that partitions the inside of the airtight case into two chambers, the other chamber forming a path. The cooling panel or heating panel is composed of an independent container separated from the case half, and is connected to a heat medium inlet / outlet pipe penetrating the airtight case to circulate the heat medium between an external heat medium supply source. The thermoelectric conversion module containing an airtight case according to claim 2 or 3.