Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
Each individual thermoelectric system design will have a unique capacity for pumping heat (in
Watts or BTU/hour) and this will be influenced by many factors. The most important variables are
ambient temperature, physical & electrical characteristics of the thermoelectric modules employed,
and efficiency of the heat dissipation system (i.e., sink). Typical thermoelectric applications will
pump heat loads ranging from several milliwatts to hundreds of watts.
The Thermoelectric "Sweet Spot"
The majority of practical applications for thermoelectric technology fall within a very narrow
range of operating conditions.
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
of the material (K). Convection is heat transfer across the boundary layer of air at the surface of a
material. It is a function of the Delta T across the boundary layer and the rate of air movement at
the surfacethe faster the air movement, the greater the convection of heat.
With a well-insulated thermal load (e.g., an insulated enclosure), convection is a relatively
inconsequential component and you can often focus exclusively on the conductive element. The
following equation can be used to estimate a purely conductive load:
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
for two sources of thermal resistance to heat flow. With the calculation reflecting a slightly greater
series resistance to heat leakage, it logically follows that fewer watts will be indicated to compensate
for passive load.
When you are dealing with an un-insulated load, or an un-insulated portion of one (e.g., a cold
plate), then it becomes very important to explore the convective part of thermal load. In these
situations, convection may offer the primary resistance to the leakage of heat. Remember that in
some situations (e.g., an un-insulated enclosure), you will have air movement on both the inside
and outside; as a result, your Delta T will be split between the two boundary layers (based on the
relative convectivity of each). As you will find in using the equation below to estimate your
convective load, without insulation, you will need to pump a lot more wattage with your
thermoelectric system.
where
Q is the passive load, expressed in watts;
TAMB is the ambient temperature after stabilization (in C);
TENC is the enclosure temperature after stabilization (in C);
TDES is the desired temperature difference between the inside of the enclosure and the ambient
environment (in C); and
P is the power dissipation within the heater employed for the test (expressed in watts).
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
The specification sheets indicate that a C2-40-1504 module is capable of meeting the needs. On
Figure 1 follow the 30C delta t line (teal) until it intersects the 20 watt Y axis lines. The intersection
is slightly below the 11 volt level. This indicates some extra capacity if a 12 volt power supply is
used. Next, using figure 2, locate the intersection of the 11 volt Y axis level and the 30C delta T
along the X axis. The intersection is very near the 3 amp line.
We can now approximate the thermoelectric module power using:
Power = I x V = 3 amps x 11 volts = 33 watts
Protection against corrosion and short circuit: It is important to consider the atmosphere that
your thermoelectric system will operate in: Is the environment caustic? Will there be condensation
or water present? Is there an electrically conductive dust that may cause electrical shorting? Of all
these scenarios condensation of water is the most common and most detrimental. Condensation is
the enemy of thermoelectric devices. If the target temperature is below the dew point temperature
water vapor will condense on the thermoelectric device. You must protect the electrical components
from exposure to water. Just as you would any not want to put a toaster in a bathtub because of
electrical shorting, you would not want to operate a thermoelectric device in a condensing
application without protecting the electric conductors. Tellurex offers very effective methods of
protecting thermoelectric devices from corrosive environments. Our product Z-Coat is a
conformal coating that provides excellent corrosion resistance against caustic chemicals or water
vapor. Our product Z-seal is a perimeter seal that provides excellent vapor barrier protection as
well as dielectric protection against electrical shorting in systems. Tellurex does not recommend
using a silicone perimeter seal for condensing applications. Silicone, while providing good
dielectric protection against electrically conductive dust, does not prevent water vapor from passing
through the perimeter seal. Once the vapor passes through the silicone perimeter it condenses to
liquid form, and cannot escape. The liquid water inside the silicone perimeter acts as an electrical
and thermal short causing premature failure of the thermoelectric device. Other design
considerations to prevent corrosion or short circuit conditions are insulation methods that can block
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
out water vapor and dust. There are many types of insulation available that provide various levels
of protection, especially effective are injected insulations that bond to the surfaces of your system.
Heat sink selection: The values identified in the preceding first pass analysis are used to assess
overall system feasibility. We want to qualify our assumption of 15C rise across heat sink.
The hot side temperature will be equal to the ambient temperature (TA) plus the rise in temperature
across the heat sink from dissipating the heat load (Q) and the heat resulting from the thermoelectric
module electrical power (V x I).
TH = TA + (V x I + Q) RQ
where RQ = thermal resistance of heat sink in C temperature rise per Watt dissipated.
The heat pumping capability of the thermoelectric module is significantly influenced by the
efficiency of the heat sink. The hot side of the module must interface with an efficient heat removal
system to achieve useful temperature differential across the thermoelectric module.
Natural convection, forced convection, and liquid cooled are three of the most common types of
heat sinks. Thermal resistance varies among the different types and sizes of sinks with natural
convection being the least efficient and liquid cooled the most efficient. The majority of
thermoelectric cooling applications use forced convection heat sinks with thermal resistance values
(RQ) ranging from 0.05/W to 0.9/W.
Using values now known for TA V, I, and Q we can solve for RQ to determine if it is reasonable:
RQ = (TH TA)/(V x I +Q)=(50C - 35C)/(11V x 3 amps +20W)
RQ = 0.283C/W
Our proposed system using a C2-40-1504 module and a forced convection sink/fan combination
meets or exceeds the criteria for this application.
An experienced heat sink supplier can help with the selection of a system that meets the RQ
requirements.
3. System Assembly
Several methods for installing thermoelectric modules have been developed, including: mechanical
clamping, epoxy bonding, and direct solder bonding. The individual requirements of the application
will determine which method is most appropriate, mechanical clamping is by far the most common.
Thermoelectric modules are relatively strong in compression and weak in shear; whichever method
of installation is used, it is important to avoid excessive mechanical loading of the module.
Mechanical Clamping:
Recommended flatness of interface surfaces should be within 0.001" and free of drit, burrs
etc.
Thermal interface materials must be used to fill in the small thermal gaps
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01
o Choices include silicone-based thermal grease, graphite foil, and thermallyconductive pads.
o Refer to your interface material specifications for performance curves in relation to
pressure.
Bolt the object to be cooled and heat sink together using stainless steel fasteners washers
and or split type lock-washers, compression springs or Bellville washers can also be used.
The recommended compression loading is 70 to 150 per sq. inch of module surface.
Insure an even pressure across the module surface when tightening the screws.
Tellurex Corporation
www.tellurex.com
SA-10-FRM-01