JPH08149866A - Thermoelectric converter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve the performance of a thermoelectric converter, by eliminating its each thermal resistance between its each electrode and each heat exchanger while making its each interelectrode distance between its heat absorbing and radiating sides large. CONSTITUTION: Electrically insulating paired plates 101, 102, each having a pair of through holes 101a, 102a, are provided while they are opposed to each other in a planar way at a predetermined space, and U-shaped solid electrodes 52 are joined respectively to respective radiating fins for hear exchanger. A thermoelectric converter is provided with a predetermined number of assembling units 50 and a predetermined number of P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements 53. The respective assembling units 50 are fastened to the electrically insulating paired plates 101, 102 while the end parts of the respective solid electrodes 52 are engagement-inserted respectively into the through hole parts 101a, 102a. The respective P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements 53 are provided alternately in the forming parts of the through holes 101a, 102a which are interposed between the electrically insulating paired plates 101, 102. Further, the stuck end parts of the respective solid electrodes 52 into the through holes are joined respectively is a butted way to a predetermined number of P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements 53.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion device,
In particular, the present invention relates to a thermoelectric conversion device having high performance by increasing the distance between the electrodes on the suction and heat dissipation sides to eliminate the thermal resistance between the electrodes and the heat exchanger.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As is well known, a thermoelectric conversion device for converting heat into electricity or converting electricity into heat is a P-type semiconductor thermoelectric element using a heat absorbing side electrode 13 and a heat radiating side electrode 14 as shown in FIG. 11 and the N-type semiconductor thermoelectric element 12, the elements 11 and 12 are electrically connected in series or in parallel in a state of being sandwiched between them, and generate power by applying a temperature difference between electrodes on both sides or apply a voltage to generate a current. Cooling and heating are performed by passing them through.

[0003]

As described above, in the conventional thermoelectric conversion device, as shown in FIG. 3, a pair of P and N type semiconductor thermoelectric elements 11 and 12 have heat absorbing side and heat radiating side electrodes 13,
They were electrically connected in series or in parallel via 14.

However, in the structure according to this prior art, the heat absorbing side electrode 13 and the heat radiating side electrode 14 are the elements 11 and 12.
Since they are close to each other, the heat loss during this period was large. When actually used as a product, the heat absorption side and heat radiation side heat exchangers 15 and 16 are attached to the electrodes 13 and 14 as shown in FIG.
Since it is necessary to electrically insulate the joint surface, the insulating surfaces 17 and 18 made of ceramics are sandwiched between them.

However, this electrical insulation hinders the passage of heat and causes so-called contact thermal resistance,
This has been a cause of degrading the performance of the thermoelectric conversion device. Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above points, and the absorption and heat dissipation side electrodes and the heat exchanger are configured substantially integrally, and the distance between the heat absorption and heat dissipation electrodes does not cause heat loss. It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermoelectric conversion device having high performance by having a structure that can be configured to be sufficiently large.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to the present invention, they are arranged face-to-face with each other at a predetermined interval, and a set of two penetrating pieces each is provided. A U-shaped three-dimensional electrode is joined to a pair of electrically insulating plates having holes and heat dissipating fins for a heat exchanger, respectively.
A predetermined number of assembly units are fitted into the through holes of the solid electrodes by penetrating the tips of the three-dimensional electrodes, and the through holes are formed between the pair of electrically insulating plates. A predetermined number of P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements that are alternately arranged; A thermoelectric conversion device is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a thermoelectric conversion device characterized in that the radiation fin has a cut-and-raised shape such as an L-shape or a U-shape. . Further, according to the present invention, there is provided the thermoelectric conversion device, wherein the pair of electrically insulating plates is made of resin.

[0008]

The thermoelectric conversion device according to the present invention has two (L-shaped) radiating fins and two (E-shaped) three-dimensional electrodes joined by soldering or the like to form a plurality of sets of assembly products each having two fitting holes. Since the P-type element and the N-type element are alternately inserted into the abutting portions where the three-dimensional electrodes face each other by alternately press-fitting into the insulating plate, and the three-dimensional electrodes are joined by soldering or the like, suction, By increasing the distance between the electrodes on the heat radiation side to eliminate the thermal resistance between the electrodes and the heat exchanger, a thermoelectric conversion device with improved performance can be obtained.

The (L-shaped) heat radiation fin can be easily and inexpensively formed by forming it as a cut and raised fin. Further, the electrically insulating plate made of resin can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. That is, as shown in FIGS. 1 (a) to 1 (d), a pair of resin-made electrical insulating plates 101 and 102, which are arranged to face each other at a predetermined interval, have a predetermined pitch. A predetermined number of sets of through holes 101a and 102a are formed in the vertical and horizontal directions.

The above-mentioned resin electric insulating plates 101, 1
No. 2 formed with a large number of through holes 101a, 1
As shown in an enlarged scale in FIG. 2, a heat radiation fin 51 formed by cutting and raising an L-shaped or U-shaped side surface of the reference numeral 02a has a U-shaped three-dimensional electrode 52 penetrating its bottom side in advance and soldering or the like. A plurality of sets of assembly units 50 joined by
It is fitted so as to penetrate through the pair of two tip portions.

In this case, the assembly unit 50 of the radiation fins 51 and the three-dimensional electrodes 52 fitted to the resin electric insulating plate 101 on the upper side of the drawing is all aligned vertically as shown in FIG. 1 (a). It is fitted as is.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1 (c), only the middle three rows of the assembly unit 50 fitted to the resin electric insulating plate 102 on the lower side of the drawing are vertically aligned and vertically arranged. The both rows are fitted so that they are aligned laterally.

This is a pair of electrically insulating plates 101,
This is because a large number of assembly units 50 assembled to the 102 are electrically connected in series as a whole through P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements 53 and 54 described later.

That is, a large number of through-holes 10 of the above-mentioned two sets.
1a and 102a are a large number of such mounting units 50.
Is formed on the premise of the arrangement of. A predetermined number of P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements 53, 54 are arranged in advance between the pair of electrically insulating plates 101, 102. Each of the above-mentioned many assembly units 50
In, the pair of tip ends of the three-dimensional electrode 52 penetrating through a large number of pairs of through holes 101a, 102a of the pair of electrical insulating plates 101, 102 are butted and joined by soldering or the like.

That is, in the above structure, if the three-dimensional electrode 52 fitted to the electric insulating plate 101 on the lower side in the drawing is used as the heat absorption side electrode, the three-dimensional electrode fitted to the electric insulating plate 102 on the lower side in the drawing is used. Although the electrode 52 serves as the heat dissipation side electrode, since any of the three-dimensional electrodes 52 is U-shaped, it is possible to increase the distance between the lead surfaces of each other, and the heat loss between them is significantly larger than the conventional one. It is possible to decrease.

Further, the radiation fin 5 of each assembly unit 50
Since the 1 and the three-dimensional electrode 52 are directly joined by soldering or the like without causing thermal resistance, it is possible to prevent the heat exchange performance from decreasing during this period.

As described above, in the thermoelectric conversion device of the present invention, the (L-shaped) radiating fin is provided with the fitting holes of the plurality of sets in which the (U-shaped) three-dimensional electrode is joined by soldering or the like. And two P-type elements and N-type elements are alternately inserted into the abutting portions where the three-dimensional electrodes face each other, and they are joined to the three-dimensional electrodes by soldering or the like. Therefore, by increasing the distance between the electrodes on the absorption and heat dissipation sides to eliminate the thermal resistance between the electrodes and the heat exchanger, a thermoelectric conversion device with improved performance can be obtained.

Further, the (L-shaped) heat radiation fin can be easily and inexpensively formed by forming it as a cut and raised fin. Further, the electrically insulating plate made of resin can be easily and inexpensively manufactured.

[0020]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the heat absorbing and radiating electrodes and the heat exchanger are substantially integrated with each other, and the distance between the heat absorbing and radiating electrodes causes heat loss. It is possible to provide a thermoelectric conversion device having high performance by adopting a structure that can be configured to be sufficiently large so as not to do so.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows a thermoelectric conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a top view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a side view.

FIG. 2 is a detailed view of the assembly unit in FIG.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional thermoelectric conversion device.

FIG. 4 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional thermoelectric conversion device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101, 102 ... Resin electrical insulating plate, 101a, 102a ... Through hole, 50 ... Assembly unit, 51 ... Radiating fin, 52 ... Solid electrode, 53 ... P-type semiconductor thermoelectric element, 54 ... L-type semiconductor thermoelectric element.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A pair of electrically insulating plates, which are arranged so as to face each other at a predetermined interval, and each of which has a predetermined number of through holes, and a pair of electrically insulating plates, respectively. A heat dissipation fin to which a U-shaped three-dimensional electrode is joined, and the tip of each three-dimensional electrode is inserted through the pair of through-holes of the pair of electrical insulating plates. Number of assembling units and a predetermined number of P-types and Ns alternately arranged in the formation portion of the pair of through holes between the pair of electrically insulating plates.
A thermoelectric conversion device, comprising: a semiconductor thermoelectric element of the type, and a predetermined number of P-type and N-type semiconductor thermoelectric elements, with the penetrating tips of the three-dimensional electrodes being abutted and joined to each other. 2. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the radiating fin has a cut-and-raised shape such as an L-shape or a U-shape. 3. The thermoelectric conversion device according to claim 1, wherein the pair of electrically insulating plates are made of resin.