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A novel technique to enhance thermal performance of a thermoelectric cooler using phase-change materials

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Abstract

In the present work, a novel technique has been developed to enhance the thermal performance of a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) by integrating with phase-change material (PCM). The PCM has been integrated at the hot side of the thermoelectric cooler to maintain constant and relatively low temperature. The study has been carried out with variable geometric parameters of the heat sink, variable cooling load conditions, variable input currents to the TEC and with different PCMs. The results show that there is a significant reduction in both hot and cold side temperatures of the thermoelectric cooler with the use of PCM. For a typical operating condition in the TEC with two thermocouples (2 mm × 2 mm × 3 mm each) under cooling load of 0.03 W and convective heat transfer coefficient of 5 Wm−2 K−1, the hot and cold side temperatures of the TEC have been reduced from 52 to 30 °C and 25 to 12 °C, respectively, with the use of PCM. The coefficient of performance of the TEC integrated with PCM has been estimated and it has been found to be 30% higher than the TEC without PCM for a cooling load of 0.05 W. Moreover, the thermal performance of TEC has been studied with variable fill volume of PCM in the heat sink. It has been found that the increase in fill volume of PCM increases the thermal performance of the TEC. This study has been carried out with different PCMs and similar performance enhancements have been observed.

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Abbreviations

h:

Heat transfer coefficient/Wm−2K−1

A:

Area/m2

H:

Height/mm

I:

Current/A

L:

Latent heat of fusion/kJ kg−1

N:

Number

Q:

Heat/W

T:

Temperature/oC

W:

Width/mm

Z:

Figure of merit/K−1

a:

Environment

c:

Cold side of TEC

fin:

Fins

h:

Hot side of TEC

m:

Mean

n:

n-type material

p:

p-type material

Δ:

Difference

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Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge the use of COMSOL Multiphysics computational facility from the Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, India

    S. Manikandan, C. Selvam & P. Pavan Sai Praful

  2. Centre for Energy Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India

    Ravita Lamba & S. C. Kaushik

  3. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA

    Dongliang Zhao & Ronggui Yang

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  1. S. Manikandan
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  2. C. Selvam
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Correspondence to Dongliang Zhao.

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Manikandan, S., Selvam, C., Pavan Sai Praful, P. et al. A novel technique to enhance thermal performance of a thermoelectric cooler using phase-change materials. J Therm Anal Calorim 140, 1003–1014 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08353-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-08353-y

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