JPH0430585A - thermoelectric device - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a thermoelectric device useful for air conditioners that electrically cool or heat air using the Beltier effect, or power generation devices that generate electricity using temperature differences due to the Seebeck effect. .

Conventional technologyConventional Thermoelectric device that converts heat into electricity or converts electricity into heat! As in the conventional example shown in Fig. 3, a thermoelectric element 1 has corrugated fins 2 on both sides, and electricity is generated by the temperature difference between the corrugated fins on both sides, or cooling is performed by passing an electric current. The explanation will be about cooling due to the Beltier effect.

An enlarged cross section of the thermoelectric element 1 is shown in FIG. An N-type semiconductor 4, a conductor 5, and a P-type semiconductor 6 are disposed on one side of an insulating film substrate 3.
, conductors 5 are deposited in order, and the 42 corrugated fins 2 are arranged so that the conductors 5 in contact are different from each other. type semiconductor 6 (upper) Each end is in electrical contact with each other, and the current flowing into the thermoelectric device generates heat or absorbs heat at the interface between the semiconductors 4, 6 and the conductor 5 due to the Peltier effect.At this time, N-type semiconductor 4 and P
The type semiconductors 6 are arranged alternately, and the plate groove electric bodies 5 alternately act as heat generating parts or heat absorbing parts, and as mentioned above, the corrugated fins 2 that touch every other conductor 5 have a heat generating fin on one side and a heat absorbing fin on the other side. becomes. Therefore, the invention can solve the problems of absorbing heat from the air above the film substrate 3 (or dissipating heat to the air) and dissipating heat to the air below the film substrate 3 (or absorbing heat from the air). However, the problem with conventional thermoelectric devices is that the heat transfer coefficient of the corrugated fins differs greatly between the air inlet and outlet sides, as shown in Figure 5, and the variation in the fin temperature is large, making it difficult to carry out effective heat treatment. Based on the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a thermoelectric device that makes effective use of the fins and makes the thermoelectric device lighter and more compact. be.

Means for Solving the Problems Therefore, the thermoelectric device according to the present invention has the following features: Planar direction 1' of insulating upper film substrate = N-type semiconductor conductor 1, P-type semiconductor conductor 2 Between the condyles of each semiconductor/conductor A heat exchange means is installed on one side of the substrate so that the ends thereof are in electrical contact with the conductor 1, and the heat exchange means is placed in thermal contact with the conductor 2 on one side of the substrate. In the thermoelectric device installed on the opposite side, mold or mildew that partially thickens the film thickness of the N-type semiconductor and P-type semiconductor adjacent to the conductor 1 or 2 that contacts the portion of the heat exchange means with a large local heat transfer coefficient. The above problems are solved by partially shortening the lengths of the N-type semiconductor and the P-type semiconductor adjacent to the conductor 1 or 2 that are in contact with the portion of the heat exchange means having a large local heat transfer coefficient. 4 Effects The effects obtained by the above configuration or means are as follows. 4 Below, we will explain the cooling characteristics using an example. Cooling capacity of semiconductor Q c 11 Savek coefficient S, which is a physical property of semiconductors
, specific resistance ρ, and thermal conductivity λ. Here, the symbol i! T: Cooling side temperature, ■: Electrical LL; Semiconductor wood A: Semiconductor cross-sectional area (film thickness x width), ΔT: Temperature difference between both ends of the semiconductor.

As can be seen from the equation, cooling capacity is a quadratic function of current. Therefore, the current value (I q
) exists. By differentiating equation (1) with respect to the current, Iq can be obtained.Furthermore, by substituting IQ into equation (1), the maximum cooling capacity Qmaxζ 1 82・T2 A
...(2) Therefore, it is possible to change Qmax by changing the cross-sectional area (A) or length (L) of the semiconductor.Using this effect, the shape of the semiconductor can be changed to By changing the flow direction, Qmax can be partially increased.In other words, the (A/L) of the semiconductor can be increased at the air inlet section where the heat transfer coefficient of the corrugated fin is high.
By increasing the amount of processing heat, it is possible to reduce the depth.A Friend of the present invention Based on the above-mentioned problems, a lightweight and compact thermoelectric device is provided. explain.

<Example 1> Fig. 1 shows the main parts of a thermoelectric device according to an example of the present invention.
2. The conductor 13, the P-type semiconductor 14, and the conductor 13 are formed in this order, and the ends of the 4N-type semiconductor 12, the conductor 13, and the P-type semiconductor 14ζ overlap each other,
Even if the structure is such that the electrical resistance and thermal resistance of the contact parts do not increase, copper or aluminum with low electrical resistance may be used as the material of the conductor 13. Even if the thickness of the film is increased in the area where the film is formed, when used as a cooling device, a current is passed through the semiconductors 12, 14 and the conductor 13 in parallel with the insulating film substrate 11. 13
At this time, the N-type semiconductor 12 and the P-type semiconductor 14 are arranged alternately. Corrugated fins on one side that touch every other conductor 13 (not shown)
C yo Endothermic (or heat-generating) 4 -X Corrugated fin & melon installed on the opposite side Heat-generating (or heat-absorbing)
becomes. Therefore, heat is absorbed from the air above the insulating film substrate 11 (or heat is dissipated to the air), and heat is dissipated to the air below (or heat is absorbed from the fluid). The reason for this is that the thickness of the film on the air inlet side of No. 14 is increased, and the current flows to the thicker part, and the amount of cooling heat increases.As mentioned above, the heat transfer coefficient on the air inlet side is large. The amount of heat is also large, and even if the amount of cooling heat increases, it is possible to perform sufficient processing. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the depth of the thermoelectric device, making it lightweight and compact as a whole.When used as a power generation device, it is possible to create a temperature difference between the air in contact with both corrugated fins. The body 13 becomes hot and cold alternately, and an electromotive force can be generated due to the Seebeck effect.

As described above, in the present invention, by increasing the thickness of the semiconductor on the air inlet side, a lightweight and compact thermoelectric device can be provided. This example shows a cross section of a thermoelectric element, even if an N-type semiconductor 16, a conductor 17, a P-type semiconductor 18, and a conductor 17 are formed in this order on an insulating film substrate 15. Even if the length of 18 is changed in the direction of air flow, making it smaller at the inlet and larger at the outlet, when current is applied, more current flows to the shorter part of the semiconductor, and the amount of cooling heat increases. Because the heat transfer coefficient on the air inlet side is high, the amount of heat that can be collected and processed is also large, and even if the amount of cooling heat increases, it can be sufficiently processed. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the depth of the thermoelectric device. The overall construction and usage of the thermoelectric device, which is lightweight and compact, is the same as that of the first invention, so the explanation will be omitted. Effects of the Invention The thermoelectric device according to the present invention has the following advantages: Partially thickening the film thickness of the N-type semiconductor and the P-type semiconductor adjacent to the first or second conductor that is in contact with a large portion; or Alternatively, by partially shortening the lengths of the N-type semiconductor and the P-type semiconductor adjacent to the second conductor, it is possible to realize a lightweight and compact thermoelectric device.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 shows an enlarged perspective view of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows an enlarged perspective view of a thermoelectric element according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
Fig. 3 shows a cross section of a conventional thermoelectric device; Fig. 4 shows a cross section of a conventional thermoelectric element; Fig. 5 shows a heat transfer characteristic diagram on the air side.・Semiconductor & 3.1
1.15... Insulating film substrate, 5.13.17...
Conductor: Corrugated fin. Name of agent: Patent attorney Shigetaka Awano

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) N-type semiconductor,
A first conductor, a P-type semiconductor, and a second conductor 2 are installed in this order so that the ends of each semiconductor and the conductor are in electrical contact with each other, and the heat generated by thermal contact with the conductor 1 is The means of exchange is the first
A thermoelectric device in which a heat exchange means in thermal contact with a second conductor is installed on one side of the substrate on the opposite side of the substrate,
an N-type semiconductor and a P semiconductor adjacent to the first or second conductor in contact with a portion of the heat exchange means having a large local heat transfer coefficient;
A thermoelectric device in which the film thickness of the type semiconductor is partially thickened. (2) N-type semiconductor,
A first conductor, a P-type semiconductor, and a second conductor are installed in this order so that the ends of each semiconductor/conductor are in electrical contact with each other,
and a thermoelectric device in which a heat exchange means in thermal contact with the first conductor is installed on one side of the substrate, and a heat exchange means in thermal contact with the second conductor is installed on the opposite side of the substrate. . A thermoelectric device in which the lengths of the N-type semiconductor and the P-type semiconductor adjacent to the first or second conductor that are in contact with a portion of the heat exchange means having a large local heat transfer coefficient are partially shortened.