KR101842367B1 - Low-power consumption air-conditioning device using a thermoelectric element - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling and heating apparatus with low power consumption using a thermoelectric device which is configured to implement both cooling and heating functions through a single apparatus for a small space by using the thermoelectric device and quickly and effectively transmits heat or cold air generated in the thermoelectric device to a heat transfer medium inside a core, thereby being driven with low power consumption.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a low-power heating / cooling apparatus using a thermoelectric element,

The present invention relates to a cooling and heating apparatus, and more particularly, to a cooling and heating apparatus which is configured to implement both a cooling and heating function through a single device for a small space by utilizing a thermoelectric element, The present invention relates to a low-power heating / cooling apparatus using a thermoelectric element that can be driven with low power by quickly and effectively delivering the heat.

In an environment with a large seasonal temperature difference, such as Korea, heating is performed in a low temperature period and cooling is performed in a high temperature period. That is, in winter, a heating device typified by a heater and a boiler is operated. In summer, a cooling device represented by an air conditioner is operated. In order to smoothly heat and warm the living and working space,

Since the air conditioner and the heating device are generally manufactured as individual devices, they are required to occupy a space even when not in use. Recently, a product combining the same with a single device has been developed. However, It is a reality that they are not interested from the people.

In particular, traditional boilers and air conditioners are energy consuming because they control the temperature of the entire space of the house or office. In recent years, as a way to reduce heating costs, personal heating devices such as hot water mat, electric mat, and small heater are utilized as auxiliary heating devices, and the use of home heating tents, an increase in leisure activities such as camping, Together, the demand for these auxiliary heating appliances is also increasing.

However, most of these auxiliary heating devices use a nichrome wire or a surface heating element that uses electricity, so the power consumption is relatively high and the efficiency is relatively low.

Furthermore, in the case of the air conditioner, there is no apparatus capable of effectively lowering the temperature in a limited space such as an auxiliary heating device due to the requirements of the basic elements such as the compressor and the evaporator, and the efficiency relative to the required power and noise.

Patent Registration No. 10-1505384 (Feb. 25, 2015)

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric module that is capable of realizing both cooling and heating functions by utilizing a thermoelectric element, And which can efficiently perform cooling and heating at a low power with respect to a specific small-sized space.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a cooling and heating apparatus comprising a core and a blowing fan, the cooling and heating apparatus comprising: a pair of receiving portions provided on left and right sides and containing a heat transfer fluid made of a polymeric material; A core of a thermally conductive metallic material having a plurality of connection tubes connected to each other through which a heat transfer fluid passes, and a plurality of heat dissipation plates formed between the connection tubes; At least two thermoelectric elements provided in the longitudinal direction outside the left and right receiving portions and radiating heat or cool air to one surface of the receiving portion in accordance with the polarity of the applied power source, A thermoelectric element having a thermally conductive portion for transferring heat or cool air of the thermoelectric element to the heat transfer fluid; A heat insulating body surrounding the outside of the receiving portion; A control unit for controlling the switching unit, the blowing fan, and the respective thermoelectric elements according to the operation signal, wherein the switching unit switches the polarity of the power supplied to the thermoelectric element, and the interface receives the operation signal. .

The core further includes a tray for accommodating condensed water on the lower side, a cover surrounding the outside of the accommodating portion and forming a passage for heat or cool air on the other side of the thermoelectric element, and a discharging means for discharging heat or cool air inside the cover .

In addition, it is preferable that the controller controls the upper thermoelectric element in the cooling mode and controls the lower thermoelectric element to generate heat in the heating mode.

Further, it is preferable that the heat transfer fluid contains propylene glycol as a main material.

With the present invention, a small space such as a small room or a tent can be cooled and heated with low power through a single device. In particular, by controlling a plurality of thermoelectric elements individually, it is possible to cool or heat the core quickly and effectively by utilizing the convection according to the temperature difference without inducing the forced circulation to the heat transfer fluid like a pump. As such an attachment device is unnecessary, The efficiency can be increased.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outer shape of a core according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG.
2 is an exploded perspective view of a core according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention,
3 is a block diagram illustrating an electronic relationship according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
Fig. 4 is a conceptual view showing a cooling operation of the present invention,
Fig. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the heating operation of the present invention. Fig.

Hereinafter, a configuration of a low-power heating / cooling apparatus using the thermoelectric element of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the outline of a core according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a core according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is an electronically related relationship according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As a block diagram, the present invention basically comprises a core 110 and a blowing fan 150.

The core 110 is basically made of a thermally conductive metal material and is positioned on the front surface of the blowing fan 150 to supply hot air or cold air to the room by radiating heat or cold air. The core 110 is basically provided in a conventional air conditioner.

In the present invention, on the left and right sides of the core 110, there are provided a pair of receiving portions 111 in which a certain amount of a heat transfer fluid made of a polymer material is accommodated. The receiving portions 111 are connected in the transverse direction, And a plurality of heat sinks 113 formed between the connection tubes 112. The heat sinks 113 may be formed of a plurality of heat sinks 112,

Conventionally, a pipe for supplying and discharging a heat transfer fluid typified by water or a coolant is connected to one side of the accommodating portion 111 to supply hot water, thereby dissipating heat from the core. By supplying coolant gas at a low temperature, As shown in Fig. However, such a conventional structure is not only bulky but also low in efficiency as a boiler for hot water generation and circulation, a compressor with a refrigeration cycle, a condenser, and an expansion valve are provided.

In the present invention, as a relatively small space such as a small room or a tent is cooled and / or cooled, heat or cool air is discharged from the core 110 without a pipe for supplying and discharging the heat transfer fluid and an accessory such as a boiler or a refrigeration system So that the volume of the entire apparatus can be remarkably reduced and the efficiency can be increased. Of course, it is also possible to install a pump for the circulation of the heat transfer material, but it may have only a valve or a cap which can replenish or discharge the heat transfer fluid for maintenance purpose outside the accommodation part 111 without a separate accessory device.

In the present invention, various materials including water may be used as the heat transfer fluid. However, as described later, when the surface temperature of the thermoelectric element 121 is decreased to -40 ° C during the heat absorption, a substance not frozen at a temperature of 0 ° C or lower Need to use. Further, since the heat transfer fluid filled in the accommodating portion 111 is used without being replaced for a relatively long period of time, the possibility of bacterial growth and deterioration is great depending on the material, so that the present invention preferably has a wide upper- Propylene glycol which is not deteriorated and has stable properties is used as a main material. At this time, the propylene glycol may be used purely or optionally mixed with water at a certain ratio.

A thermoelectric element 121 for generating heat or cool air and a thermoelectric element portion 120 including a thermoelectric element 122 are provided outside the left and right receiving portions 111.

The thermoelectric element (thermoelectric element) is a device using endothermic or exothermic heat generated by the Peltier effect. When two kinds of metal ends are connected and a current is flowed, one terminal absorbs heat and the other terminal Causing heat generation. Especially, it is cooled to about -40 ° C in a very short time or the temperature of the heat radiation part is increased up to 60 ~ 70 ° C. Therefore, it has an appropriate temperature range for heating and cooling.

In the present invention, at least two thermoelectric elements 121 are provided in the longitudinal direction outside the left and right receiving portions 111, and heat or cool air is emitted to one surface of the receiving portion 111 according to the polarity of the applied power source do. The number of the thermoelectric elements 121 to be installed may differ according to the size of the core. In the drawings, four thermoelectric elements 121 are installed on the left and right sides, respectively.

The thermoelectric element 121 may be simply attached to the outside of the receiving portion 111 made of a material having high thermal conductivity. In order to increase the thermal efficiency, the thermoelectric element 121 may be inserted into the receiving portion 111, It is also possible to form the cavity 118 and insert the cavity into the insertion hole 118 so that a heat generating part or a part of the heat absorbing part which is one surface of the thermoelectric element 121 can be inserted into the receiving part 111 . In this case, a packing material having a heat insulating property is installed between the insertion hole 118 and the inserted thermoelectric element so that the heat transfer fluid stored in the accommodating portion 111 is not leaked, and the thermoelectric element provided is not separated from the insertion hole 118 It is necessary to provide protrusions or supporting protrusions in the front and rear direction connected to the accommodating portion 111 so as to prevent the protrusion.

The thermally conductive portion 122 is formed inside the accommodating portion 111 and efficiently transfers heat or cool air generated from the thermoelectric element 121 to the heat transfer fluid. The thermally conductive portion 122 is made of a material having excellent thermal conductivity And a plurality of heat dissipating fins 123 having a shape in which a thin plate is folded several times are attached to one surface of the thermoelectric element 121 and the inner wall of the receiving portion 111. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the heat or cool air generated from the thermoelectric element 121 is diffused through the heat transfer fluid in the core 110 through the convection, And forms a flow path in a vertical direction by folding.

The heat or cool air of the heat transfer fluid heated or cooled through the thermoelectric element 121 is concentrated to the connection tube 112 and the heat sink 113, And a heat insulating body 130 for preventing heat from being emitted to the outside and increasing the thermal efficiency.

That is, the heat insulating body 130 covers the housing part 111 by using a variety of materials having various heat insulating properties including synthetic resin, so that heat is radiated from the outside of the thermoelectric element 121, The thermoelectric element 130 is configured not to cover the outer side of the thermoelectric element to prevent the performance of the thermoelectric element from deteriorating.

In addition, by providing the heat conduction part 122 having the same function as the above-mentioned heat conduction part 122 for the heat dissipation from the outside of the thermoelectric element 121, that is, the opposite side of the housing part 111, The cooling of the thermoelectric element 121 from the outside is performed smoothly.

In addition, a control unit 140 having a switching unit 141 and an interface unit 142 is provided for controlling the heating or cooling operation by receiving power from the outside.

The control unit 140 includes a power supply unit 143 and receives a commercial power source to adjust the temperature of the thermoelectric device 121 to an appropriate voltage for operating the blower fan 150 or a temperature sensor unit 144 The temperature of the air flowing through the heat transfer medium or the core 110 can be measured.

In addition, as described above, the thermoelectric element 121 changes the phenomenon that one end of the thermoelectric element 121 absorbs heat and the other terminal generates heat, depending on the current direction. Therefore, the thermoelectric element 121 It is possible to select the cooling or heating function by switching the polarity of the power source.

In addition, the interface unit 142 is configured to receive an operation signal according to heating or cooling from a user, and is configured to be able to control a desired indoor temperature and a blowing amount, as well as on / off and function selection of the apparatus, The controller 140 individually controls the switching unit 141, the blowing fan 150, and the thermoelectric elements 121 according to the input operation signal.

In the present invention, the controller 140 controls the upper thermoelectric element to cool the upper thermoelectric element in the cooling mode and the lower thermoelectric element to generate heat in the heating mode in order to maximize thermal efficiency and operate at a lower power.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual view showing a cooling operation of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a conceptual view showing a heating operation of the present invention.

In other words, it is also important to efficiently supply heat or cool air generated from the thermoelectric element 121 to the heat transfer fluid. However, in order to efficiently transmit heat or cool air through the air blown through the blowing fan 150, It is important that heat or cool air is transferred to the entire core 110 quickly and efficiently through the narrow connection tube 112.

When the fluid is pushed in one direction like a pump or a refrigerant gas of a conventional boiler, heat or cool air can be easily and quickly diffused through the coupling pipe 112. However, as in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, So that the diffusion of heat or cool air can be performed quickly and efficiently by convection by the partial temperature difference of the heat transfer medium.

5, heat is released through the thermoelectric elements provided on the lower side as shown in FIG. 5, thereby heating the heat transfer fluid stored in the lower part of the housing part 111, and rapid thermal diffusion is performed upward through the convection, And heated.

In contrast, when the cooling operation is performed, the endothermic reaction is performed through the thermoelectric elements provided on the upper side as shown in FIG. 4, so that the heat transfer fluid accommodated above the accommodating portion 111 is cooled and the rapid cool air is diffused upward through the convection, The whole is cooled quickly.

For example, it is initially used as a method for rapidly heating or cooling a core using convection, and when it is determined that the core is heated or cooled to a predetermined temperature through the temperature sensor unit 144, the entire thermoelectric element is operated So that various thermoelectric elements can be individually controlled.

In addition, when the present invention is used for cooling, since the surface temperature of the core 110 falls below the dew point, moisture in the air condenses on the connection pipe 112 and the heat sink 113, A tray 114 for containing condensed water is provided. At this time, the tray 114 may be formed to be downwardly sloped so that the condensed water stored in the tray 114 can be collected and discharged easily.

In addition, the tray 114 may be formed only below the portion where the connection pipe 112 and the heat radiating plate 113 are formed, but the tray 114 may be formed to extend to the lower side of the cover, And may be configured to receive condensation water or cooling water outside the thermoelectric element 121.

As described above, since outside or outside of the thermoelectric element 121 generates heat dissipation or endothermic phenomena opposite to the inside thereof, external heat or cool air, which is opposite to the intended use, is shut off or introduced into the blowing fan 150 side It is necessary to discharge it separately.

To this end, in the present invention, a cover 115 surrounding the outside of the receiving part 111 and forming a passage for heat or cool air on the other side of the thermoelectric element 121 is formed, and if necessary, And a discharging means 116 for discharging heat or cool air inside the cover 115, which is composed of a small fan of low power to be controlled.

To this end, the cover 115 is provided with a suction port for sucking the air and a discharge port for discharging the air inside the cover. The flexible pipe 117 is connected to the discharge port, And a separate auxiliary temperature sensor 145 may be provided inside the cover so that the controller 140 may measure the result of the auxiliary temperature sensor 145 So that the operation of the small fan can be selectively controlled. In the accompanying drawings, a small fan is formed on the suction port side, but it may be installed separately from the discharge port side or the cover.

As the air is forcibly discharged through the discharging means 116 and the piping 117, an ejector function is added to the piping 117 to suck and discharge the condensed water collected in the tray at the time of discharging air It is also possible.

In addition, when the present invention is used for cooling in the summer, the tray 114 is formed on the lower side of the entire core 110 including the cover 115, And the condensation water collected in the tray 114 is sucked and discharged from the upper part of the inside of the cover 115 to cool the heat generated from the outer surface of the thermoelectric device 121, thereby improving the cooling efficiency. In this case, measures are taken such that the discharge port for discharging the condensed water is installed at a predetermined height or higher, so that a certain amount of condensed water exists in the tray 114.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be construed in light of the claims set forth to cover all such variations.

110: Core 111:
112: connector 113: heat sink
114: tray 115: cover
116: discharge means 117: piping
118: insertion hole 120: thermoelectric element part
121: thermoelectric element 122:
123: heat sink fin 130:
140: Control section 141:
142: interface section 143: power section
144: temperature sensor unit 145: auxiliary temperature sensor
150: blowing fan

Claims (4)

In the cooling / heating apparatus having the core (110) and the blowing fan (150)
A pair of receiving portions 111 which are provided on the right and left sides and in which heat or cool air is diffused through convection but are not frozen even at a temperature of 0 ° C or lower and a pair of receiving portions 111, And a plurality of heat sinks (113) formed between the connection tubes, wherein the heat sinks (112) are connected to the heat sinks in the direction of the heat transfer fluid.
A thermoelectric element 121 provided at least two in the longitudinal direction outside the left and right receiving portions 111 and radiating heat or cool air to one surface of the receiving portion in accordance with the polarity of the applied power source, A thermoelectric element part 120 formed inside the thermoelectric element part 111 and having a plurality of heat radiation fins 123 to transfer heat or cool air of the thermoelectric element to the heat transfer fluid;
An insulator 130 which surrounds the outside of the receptacle 111;
A switching unit 141 for switching the polarity of a power source applied to the thermoelectric element 121 and an interface unit 142 for receiving an operation signal, (140) for individually controlling the thermoelectric elements (150) and the thermoelectric elements (121) to cool the upper thermoelements in the cooling mode and generate heat in the lower thermoelements in the heating mode; And a heating element for heating the heating element.
The method according to claim 1,
The core 110 includes a tray 114 for accommodating condensed water on the lower side thereof, a cover 115 surrounding the outside of the housing 111 and forming a passage for heat or cool air on the other side of the thermoelectric element 121, And a discharge means (116) for discharging heat or cool air inside the cover (115).
delete The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the heat transfer fluid comprises propylene glycol as a main material.

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