THERMOELECTRIC REFRIGERATORS

A term paper prepared in the course MEL241 under Prof. M.R.Ravi by:-

Shivam Gaur(2016MEJ0069)

ABSTRACT:

Going back in 1900s we would have found refrigeration systems using coolants like Freon. Now
the problem with this coolant was that it produces chloroflorocarbon (CFC) which has a major
role in the depletion of the ozone layer. Nowadays coolants like HCFCs and brine are used
instead of Freon to avoid the ozone depletion problem. But a major problem of these
refrigerators are that they use a lot of electrical energy to provide the desired output. On the
other hand Thermoelectric refrigerators that uses comparably much less electrical energy was a
major invention. Peltier effect is the phenomenon which plays a crucial role in thermoelectric
refrigerators. Peltier effect is majorly used for cooling electronic components and small
instruments. Creating the heat flux between two junctions is the way this phenomenon works.
The basic idea is to apply a DC voltage difference across the thermoelectric module resulting in
an electric current which passes through the module and heat will be absorbed from one side
and released at the opposite side. One module face, therefore, will be cooled while the
opposite face simultaneously is heated. On the other hand, maintaining a temperature
difference between the two junctions of the module, a voltage difference will be generated
across the module and an electrical power is delivered. In the context of thermoelectricity we
will study the basic principles on which it depends namely

1.Seebeck Effect

2.Peltier Effect

3.Thomson Effect

4. Joule Effect
Comparison with conventional cooling system:-

A solid-state method of heat transfer generated primarily through the use of dissimilar
semiconductor materials is how a thermo electric cooler is described. The difference between
thermoelectric refrigeration from its conventional refrigeration counterparts should be known
in order to understand the cooling method. The basic laws of thermodynamics is obeyed by
thermoelectric refrigeration similar to the conventional refrigeration. Thus thermoelectric
refrigeration and conventional refrigeration have similar result and principles but they differ in
their system of cooling.

Describing their systems is perhaps the best way to state the differences between the TER and
conventional refrigeration. The main working parts in a conventional refrigeration system are
the condenser, evaporator and compressor. Liquid refrigerant boils on the surface of the
evaporator and by absorbing heat energy changes into vapor. The refrigerant gets circulated by
the compressor and the temperature is increased above the ambient level by applying the
required pressure. The condenser helps to discharge the absorbed heat into the ambient air.
There is not much dissimilarity found in thermo electric refrigeration system. Two dissimilar
conductors takes the place of the refrigerant both in liquid and vapor phase. The cold junction
(evaporator surface) becomes cold through absorption of energy by the electrons as they pass
from one semiconductor to another, instead of energy absorption by the refrigerant as it
changes from liquid to vapor. DC power source takes the place of the compressor whose job is
to pump the electrons from one semiconductor to another. conventional condenser fins are
replaced by heat sink that discharges the accumulated heat energy from the system. The
difference between the two refrigeration methods, then, is that a thermo-electric
cooling system refrigerates without the use of mechanical devices, except in the auxiliary sense,
and without refrigerant.
Internal parts & working-
Thermoelectric refrigerator
Thermoelectric refrigerators (TER) are portable and more energy efficient than our regular
refrigerators which gives it an edge over the regular ones. There some principles to throw some
light upon before we go the working of TER so lets discuss in brief about these phenomemons.

Seebeck effect:-
This phenomenon states that “when there is a temperature difference is maintained between
two dissimilar metals there is an e.m.f generated”. A series of experiments on different sets of
metals were conducted by Mr. Seebeck which shows that the e.m.f output is directly
proportional to the temperature difference between the metals.

E T
 E = ab T
Where ab= Seeback coefficient

Peltier Effect:-
This is another kind of thermoelectric effect in which there is a temperature difference created
by applying a voltage difference between the metal strips connected by semiconductors. The
heat transfer is because of the flow of electrons from one strip to another.

QI
Q=ab. I
Where Q = rate of heating or cooling.
I = current passing through the junction.
 = Peltier coefficient.

Thomson Effect:-
This effect states that “if there is a temperature difference along the length of a single material
then there is a electric current passing through it”.

Joule Effect:-
When a current is passed through a metal the electrical energy is dissipated in the form of heat
energy. According to Joule it is related as
q j = I 2R Where I= current , R= electrical resistance
Now lets talk about the different parts in a TEF and their working

Thermo electric module

Thermoelectric module works on the principle of “Peltier Effect”. Basically the TEM consists of
two ceramic plates attached to a copper plate. In between the copper plate, p type and n type
semiconductors are placed which plays and important role in the heat transfer. As the TER
operates between the temperature of 0-200 degree Celsius Bismuth Telluride(Bi2Te3) is the
best semiconductor under such circumstances. This is decided by the figure of merit which
states that low electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity is required for a good
semiconductor. As Bismuth Telluride fits in the description under the temperature scale of 0-
200 degree celsius it is extensively used in thermoelectric devices. One of the terminals of the
DC voltage supply is connected to the p type semiconductor and the other to the n type
semiconductor. The flow of the electrons depends on the direction of the terminals which
decides the current flow. The energy absorbed by the cold copper plate is pumped to the hot
side which depends on the number of the charge carriers. The ceramic substrate that is
connected to the copper plate gets heated due to conduction. The ceramic substrate mainly
used is alumina. Thus one of the substrate becomes hot and the other is comparatively colder
which plays a major role in the refrigeration process.

Heat sink
Heat sinks are used in electrical gadgets to get rid of the heat that builds up due to the joule
effect. It consists of fluids that sucks up the heat from the air blown by the fan thus acting as a
coolant for the system. Thus the required temperatures for the regulation of the refrigerator is
met. The heat sink also absorbs heat from the inside of the refrigerator to keep them at the
required temperature. A fan is used only for flowing hot air from the system to the surrounding
in order to maintain the system in the harmony.

Voltage Source
A DC voltage source is supplied by the battery. The terminals of the battery are connected to
the semiconductors via copper plate. The direction of the current flow decides which side of
the ceramic substrate is going to be cooled or heated.

Thermal Casing
Thermal casing is more of a thermo coal which is an excellent insulator. The casing can be
varied by other insulators which will depend on the cost of the refrigerator. The size of the
casing is although restricted as the amount of energy input required to meet the output will
increase which kills the battery life of the refrigerator.
Thermal Analysis and Parameters needed
The performance of the thermo electric refrigerator depend on at least three parameters
namely the hot surface temperature (Th) , the cold surface temperature (Tc) and the heat load
to be absorbed at the cold surface (Qc). When the DC power is applied the hot side of the
thermoelectric is where the heat is released.

Th = Tamb + θ Qh
Where: • Th = the hot side temperature (°C).
• Tamb = the ambient temperature (°C).
• θ = Thermal resistance of heat exchanger (°C/watt).
#Note:-

The temperature of the peltier module is maintained some degrees lower than the required temperature
in the cooling unit due to the room load. The variation in the tempersture will depen on the the size of
the cooler

From the above equation the hot side temperature and its heat transferred can be found.

Qh = QC + Pin

Where: • Qh = the heat released to the hot side of the thermoelectric (in watts).
• QC = the heat absorbed from the cold side (in watts).
• Pin = the electrical input power to the thermoelectric (in watts).

Calculating the value of Qc is quite a task as all the thermal loads should be taken into
consideration while doing the calculation. All the thermal loads are further divided into two
categories “active” and “passive”. The active part consists of the load generated by the joule’s
effect and other loads due to any sort of chemical reaction that takes place within the system.
While in the passive part includes radiation, conduction, convection, insulation and transient
load. The radiation load is due to the heat loss between the close metal plates with different
temperatures. The convection load refers to the heat loss through air which is at different
temperature than the metal plates. Conduction loss is through small metal pieces like leads,
screws, etc. The transient load depends on the time required to change the temperature from
one value to other according to our need.
Coefficient of performance:-
The coefficient of performance can be calculated by the following formula.

COP = QC / Pin

Where, QC = (α Tc) x I – C (Th – Tc) - 𝐼 2 R/2

R = RA + RB ….(resistances of the two copper plates)
C = (kA+ kB) (A/L) ….(Ka, Kb : conduction coeffecients of the copper plates
A: area of the plates
L: length of the plates)

Comparing the COP of conventional refrigeration system with thermo electric refrigeration
system we see that the COP of the heat pumps in conventional refrigeration systems is usually
greater than 1 whereas the COP value of TERs lie between 0.4 to 0.7 theoretically . Judging on
the base of experiments the COP comes down in the range of 0.1 to 0.3. This is because the
heat pumps in conventional refrigeration systems usually pump additional heat to the region
where heat is required from the heat source apart from just converting work to heat. A
temperature difference of 70 degrees can be achieved by a single layered peltier module.

Pros and Cons

Advantages:-
•The major advantage of TER over the conventional refrigeration system is that it does not
depends on mechanical moving parts.

•The parts are small in size and lightweight which helps TERs to become portable having an
edge over the conventional refrigerating systems.

•Unlike the conventional ones there is not much maintenance needed in the TER. The main
reason for this is there are no mechanical parts are so not much wear and tear happens that
needs supervision.
•TERs are acoustically silent and electrically quiet. No moving parts play its role in maintaining a
soundless refrigerating system.

•As mentioned earlier, the direction of current decides which side of the ceramic substrate will
become hot or cold. This can be used as an advantage to heat up objects when we require
other than cold storage.

•TERs have wide temperature control as it depends upon the current supplied to the peltier
module. We can control the current supply by changing the input voltage thus maintain the unit
according to our needs which is not likely to happen in conventional refrigerating systems.

•With the temperature control comes precision. The temperature inside the cooler can be
précised to 0.1 degree Celsius.

•TERs can be used in any orientation under any pressure as no refrigerants were used in the
working there would no problem in the functioning of the system.

•TER also have achieved to meet the environmental needs of the era. No refrigerants leads to
no harmful emissions. No noise pollution is created.

•TERs are also used for sub ambient cooling but is only effective is the size of the room is small
enough.

•A temperature as low as -80 degree celsius can be obtained when very high currents are sent
into the peltier module.

Disadvantages:-
•The major drawback of thermo electric cooling is their low efficiency.

•TERs provide 5-10% efficiency when compared to the ideal reversed carnot cycle.

•They have 40-60% COP value compared to the conventional refrigeration systems.

•The COP value further reduces if we try to make the temperature difference between the two
plates larger.

•TERs cannot be used for places with a lot of room. Their efficiency drops as the size of the
compartment increases.

•TERs are costly as they use semiconductors which are of high price.
Improvisation

•Thermoelectric Multistage (cascaded) Module:-

When the temperature requirements of the thermoelectric cooling are not met
cascaded or multilayered thermoelectric module is used. Although the temperature
difference between the hot side and the cold side should be greater than 55 degrees to go for
multistage thermoelectric module. Theoretically the maximum temperature difference
between the two sides in a single thermoelectric module is 65- 70 degree. The multilayered
thermoelectric module stacks up as much as six or seven layers of semiconductors. The input
current is connected to all the layers of copper plates. Each consecutive set of copper plates
having semiconductors between them serves as individual single layered thermoelectric
module with increasing temperature difference between the initial and the final plates. It is
similar to resistances in series. The two important factors that effect the selection of number of
stages are ∆T and COP. As the number of stages increases so is the ∆T but the COP goes down
simultaneously. Experiments shows that when used a six layered multistage module a
temperature of the cold side was brought to -115 degrees with the hot side temperature being
35 degree celcius but the COP of that module was just above 0.0001. Thus layers should be
increased keeping in mind that more energy loss will be taking place. Another important factor
for deciding the number of stages is the cost. As increasing the layers increases the number of
semiconductors cost of the module becomes an Issue after one stage.

•Condensation:-
As we keep on increasing the temperature there is a chance that moisture will enter
the system and condense. This condensation will lead to corrosion and ultimately the failure of
the module. The phenomenon of condensation occurs when the air losses its ability to hold on
more water vapours. This point is known as the dew point. Most thermoelectric modules tend
to hit this dew point or go even lower and are open to condensation. To get rid of this situation
sealants are used. According to research silicon rubber is the most common sealant for TERs.
Epoxy is the best sealant as the sealant should have less weight gain to see that the weight of
the system does not grow enough. Epoxy virtually has no weight gain and also the least
permeability.
Applications
Thermoelectric refrigeration is a growing technology with a vast area of applications. Water
coolers is one of the application we usually see around us. Recently TERs are used in the
holding tank wells. In these wells there is a disk at the bottom of the tank to which the
thermoelectric module is attached. There is a 120 volt power source with a light sensor which
detects the amount of light reflected from the disc. As the TER cools up the disk ice starts to
form over its surface. When the ice reaches to a particular thickness it reflects light which is
captured by the light sensor and eventually cuts off the circuit. The hot side of the thermo
electric module heats up the disk by conduction and the ice disk gets detached and moves to
the surface of the well. The circuit gets closed again and the whole process repeats and a new
block will be produced in approximately an hour.

In the field of science too thermoelectric refrigerators have caved their way through.
Pharmaceutical equipments, spectroscopy systems is where TERs are used nowadays. Storage
of blood, medicines and organs for transportation makes use of TERs. Thermoelectric
refrigerators are also employed in today’s personal computers where there is a need for
reliable cooling device with minimum space requirement. TERs are used in telecommunication
systems to control temperature and also a toy for writing and erasing on thermal sensitive
writing pads. By the use of peltier effect with solid state heat pumps thermoelectric devices can
be used in the passenger compartment of idling aircrafts at the gates.

We can see a variety of different applications if some of the drawbacks of the TERs are met in
the near future. The thermoelectric manufactures have thus increased their production and
implementation range.
Conclusion
From all the above discussions we can conclude that the thermoelectric refrigeration
technology is still under experimentation phase. With all the new applications and uses the
TERs still cannot be replace by the conventional refrigeration systems.

Till date thermoelectric refrigerators uses fins for the heat transfer to the surrounding.
Research states that heat pipes are 500 times more effective than the conventional heat
removing aids like fins. Planting the heat pipes in TERs will eventually increase their efficiency
and their extent of usage. Thus by overcoming some drawbacks TERs can be used in large
places and will overpower any cooling system.

Last but not the least, we can state that thermoelectric refrigerators will become the major
domestic refrigeration systems in the near future. The advantages of not using any fluids and
being environment friendly will play its part when TERs will be chosen over the conventional
refrigerating systems.
References
1. http://mechanicalgarage.blogspot.in/2013/08/thermoelectric-refrigeration.html

2. http://www.pathways.cu.edu.eg/ec/Text-PDF/Part%20C-17.pdf

3. https://www.slideshare.net/VenkateshModukuru/presentation-on-thermoelectric-
refrigerator

4. file:///F:/ENERGY/term%20paper/thermoelectric_refrigeration.pdf

5. http://www.ijstr.org/final-print/may2016/Improvement-In-The-Cop-Of-Thermoelectric-
Cooler.pdf

6. https://thermal.ferrotec.com/technology/thermoelectric-reference-
guide/thermalref11/

7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_cooling

8. http://www.mesubjects.net/thermo-electric-refrigeration/

9. https://tetech.com/peltier-thermoelectric-cooler-modules/multi-stage/