Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering (설비공학논문집)

The Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea (대한설비공학회)
권호 표지

Effect of the Thermoelectric Element Thickness on the Thermal Performance of the Thermoelectric Micro-Cooler

마이크로 열전냉각기의 열성능에 대한 열전소자 두께의 영향

  • Lee Kong-Hoon (Energy System Research Center, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials) ;
  • Kim Ook-Joong (Energy System Research Center, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials)
  • 이공훈 (한국기계연구원 에너지연구센터) ;
  • 김욱중 (한국기계연구원 에너지연구센터)
  • Published : 2006.03.01
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

The three-dimensional numerical analysis has been carried out to figure out the effect of the thermoelectric element thickness on the thermal performance of the thermo-electric micro-cooler. The small-size and column-type thermoelectric cooler is considered. It is known that tellurium compounds currently have the highest cooling performance around the room temperature. Thus, in the present study, $Bi_{2}Te_{3}$ and $Sb_{2}Te_{3}$ are selected as the n- and p-type thermoelectric materials, respectively. The thermoelectric leg considered is less than $20{\mu}m$ thick. The thickness of the leg may affect the thermal and electrical transport through the interfaces between the leg and metal conductors. The effect of the thermoelectric element thickness on the thermal performance of the cooler has been investigated with parameters such as the temperature difference, the current, and the cooling power.

Keywords

References

  1. Rowe, D. M., 1995, Handbook of Thermoelectrics, CRC Press, Boca Ration
  2. Bottner, H., 2002, Thermoelectric micro devices: Current state, recent developments and future aspects for technological progress and applications, Proc. of 21th Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics, Long Beach, CA, pp. 511-518
  3. Lim, J. R., Snyder, G.J., Huang, C.-K., Herman, J. A, Ryan, M. A and Fleurial, J.-P., 2002, Thermoelectric microdevice fabrication process and evaluation at the jet propulsion laboratory (JPL), Proc. of 21st Int. Conf. on Thermoelectrics, Long Beach, California, pp. 535-539
  4. Yao, D.-J., Kim, C.-J., Liu, J. L., Wang, K. L., Snyder, J., Fleurial, J.-P. and Chen, G., June 2001, MEMS thermoelectric microcooler, Proc. of 20th Int. Conf. on Thermoelectries, Beijing, pp. 401-404
  5. Yao, D.J., Chen, G. and Kim, C.-J., 2001, Low temperature eutectic bonding for inplane type micro thermoelectric cooler, Proc. of ASME IMECE, Paper No.IMECE200l/ MEMS-23901
  6. Snyder, G.J., Lim, J.R., Huang, C.-K. and Fleurial, J.-P., 2003, Thermoelectric microdevice fabricated by a MEMS-like electrochemical process, Nature Materials, Vol. 2, pp. 528-531 https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat943
  7. Bottner, H., Nurnus, J, Gavrikov, A., Kuhner, G., jagle, M., Kunzel, C., Eberhard, D., Plescher, G., Schubert, A. and Schereth, K.H., 2004, New thermoelectric components using microsystem technologies, Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 13, pp. 414-420 https://doi.org/10.1109/JMEMS.2004.828740
  8. Da Silva, L. W. and Kaviany, M., 2004, Micro-thermoelectric cooler: Interfacial effects on thermal and electrical transport, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 47, pp.2417-2435 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2003.11.024
  9. Da Silva, L. W., Kaviany, M. and Asheghi, M., 2004, Measured performance of a micro thermoelectric cooler, Proc. of ASME HTFED, Paper No. HT-FED2004-56412
  10. Kim, J., Park, C. H., Kang, Y. T. and Choi, C. K., 2003, Heat transfer analysis for optimum design of a thermoelectric cooler, Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering, Vol. 15, No. 11, pp. 889-894
  11. Yoo, S.-Y., Hong, C.-P. and Shim, W.-S., 2004, A study on the performance of thermoelectric module and thermoelectric cooling system, Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering, Vol.16, No.1, pp.62-69
  12. Bartkowiak, M. and Mahan, G. D., 2001, Heat and electricity transport through interfaces, Semiconductors and Semimetals, Vol. 70, Academic Press, New York, pp.245-271