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

The Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea (대한설비공학회)
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Optimization of Thermoelectric Elements for Thermoelectric Coolers

열전냉동기용 열전요소의 최적화

  • Jeong, Eun-Soo (Department of Mechanical and System Design Engineering, Hongik University)
  • 정은수 (홍익대학교 기계.시스템디자인공학과)
  • Received : 2011.12.19
  • Published : 2012.05.10
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Abstract

A theoretical investigation to optimize thermoelectric elements for thermoelectric coolers was performed using a new one-dimensional analytic model. Mathematical expressions for the optimum current and the optimum length of a thermoelectric element, which maximize the coefficient of performance of thermoelectric coolers, were obtained. The optimum current is expressed in terms of the cooling load for a thermoelectric element, the hot and cold side temperatures and thermoelectric properties, but not the length of a thermoelectric element. The optimum current is proportional to the cooling load and decreases as the temperature difference between the hot and cold sides decreases. It is also shown that the optimum length of a thermoelectric element decreases as the cooling load increases.

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References

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