Applied Thermal Engineering 22 (2002) 407–422

www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng

Numerical modelling and a design of a

thermoelectric dehumidifier
an a,*, D. Astrain a, M. Dom
ınguez b
J.G. Vi

a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad P
ublica de Navarra, UPNa. Pamplona, Spain
b
Instituto del Fr
ıo. C.S.I.C., Madrid, Spain
Received 15 January 2001; accepted 22 October 2001

Abstract
A prototype dehumidifier was designed and built based on thermoelectric cooling technology. A com-
putational calculation model based on electric analogy was used in the device’s design and optimisation
(AERO), meaning that effects occurring inside the equipment, such as heat transfer, thermoelectric effects
and the phase change which occurs during condensation and evaporation could be solved simultaneously.
The thermoelectric dehumidifier prototype was built after performing several simulations using this cal-
culation model. Numerous tests were carried out in order to optimise the Peltier pellet and fan supply
voltages in experimental conditions. The prototype was also compared to conventional vapour-compres-
sion systems, thermoelectricity showing significant potential in the field.
2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All
rights reserved.

Keywords: Thermoelectricity; Computational model; Dehumidifier

1. Introduction

There currently exist a number of dehumidifying devices based on conventional vapour-com-

pression technology. These devices are highly optimised and have very good coefficient of per-
formance (COP). Nevertheless, these devices also involve a number of problems which traditional
technology finds hard to solve, e.g. high noise levels, compressor vibration and excessive weight
and size [1].
The aim of the present study is to present thermoelectric technology as an alternative to these
traditional systems. Recent research, focusing on thermoelectric technology applications [2,3] and

*
Corresponding author. Tel.: +34-948-169309; fax: +34-948-169099.
E-mail address: vian@unavarra.es (J.G. Vi
an).

1359-4311/02/$ - see front matter
2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
PII: S 1 3 5 9 - 4 3 1 1 ( 0 1 ) 0 0 1 0 2 - 8
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Nomenclature

Q_ h heat flux of the hot junction of the first stage Peltier pellet
Q_ 0h heat flux of the hot junction of the second stage Peltier pellet
Q_ c heat flux of the cold junction of the first stage Peltier pellet
Q_ 0c heat flux of the cold junction of the second stage Peltier pellet
W_ j Joule heat
a Seebeck coefficient
b Thomson coefficient
Ip Peltier intensity
Vp Peltier tension
Th hot temperature pellet
Tc cold temperature pellet
DH enthalpy increment
m_ a mass flow rate of air
ca specific heat of air
DT temperature increment
ma mass of air
s time
h convective heat transfer coefficient
S area
e thickness
kp Peltier pellet conductivity coefficient
R resistance
C capacitance
W_ mass flux of water
l permeability coefficient
E partial pressure of liquid
Es partial pressure of saturated vapour
Tr dew temperature
T temperature
la air permeability coefficient
Q_ L Heat flow of water condensation
Q_ ch Heat flow of water evaporation
m_ w total mass flow rate of condensation
W_ e electric power
COP coefficient of performance
Lw Latent heat of water condensation
VL1 first stage fan voltage (AC)
VL2 second stage fan voltage (DC)
PL1 first stage Peltier pellet voltage (DC)
PL2 second stage Peltier pellet voltage (DC)
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heat accumulators, called for a simulation tool with which to predict and improve thermal pro-
cesses and thereby reduce experimental work. This tool, already presented in previous works [3,4],
was modified to take into consideration forced and natural convection [4,5].

2. Aims

• To study the viability of applying thermoelectric technology to a low power dehumidifying de-
vice designed using a calculation model based on electric analogy (AERO). To build a 100-W
prototype based on the results of the simulation.
• To optimise the prototype in experimental conditions by varying the Peltier pellet and air flow
supply voltages in the two stages.
• To study COP and condensed water flow rate performance on the prototype for different con-
ditions of humidity and temperature and to compare the results with those obtained for con-
ventional vapour-compression devices.

3. Methodology and computational model

The thermoelectric dehumidifier was designed using a computational calculation model origi-
nally developed for the optimisation of equipment based on thermoelectric refrigeration technology
[6]. The device shown in Fig. 1 was built on the basis of this optimisation work and subjected to
testing in a standard climatic chamber at different power supplies and with different air flows.

3.1. Aero computational model

The model was based on an electric analogy developed for the study of heat transfer by con-
duction [7,8]. The application was considered suitable given the clear similarity between the
thermal and the electric fields, as shown in Ref. [5]. Natural and forced convection was also in-
cluded as a boundary condition [9]. The electric analogy method was extended in this study to
cater for condensation and the equations specific to thermoelectricity. Fig. 2 shows the electric
mesh of the computational model in one dimension. All of the dehumidifier’s components are
modelled on this mesh––the thermal diagram is given in Fig. 5. These components consist of
Peltier pellets and heat sinks, together with their relevant fans, in stages 1 and 2, and the heat
exchanger where condensation takes place.

3.1.1. Peltier pellet

Three nodes were defined in order to model the Peltier pellet: the hot side of the pellet, the
temperature of which is named Th , the cold side of the pellet, Tc , and the middle plane of the pellet.
Three intensity sources, representing the three heat flows from thermoelectric phenomena, act
upon these three nodes [10]

• Peltier cold
Q_ c ¼ aIp Tc ð1Þ
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Fig. 1. Photograph of the prototype.

• Peltier heat
Q_ h ¼ aIp Th ð2Þ
• Joule heat
W_ j ¼ 1Ip Vp
2
ð3Þ
The Thomson effect, given by Eq. (4), can be disregarded for small DT [10] given that, as heat
flow is proportional to DT and not to T as is the case with the Peltier effect,

Q_ ¼ bIp DT ð4Þ

where DT is the temperature drop between the hot side and the cold side of the Peltier pellet.
As the two sides of the Peltier pellet were at different temperatures, heat conduction––the
Fourier effect––also occurred in the pellet. This was modelled via conduction resistances R5 and
R6 , arrived at by
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Fig. 2. Electric mesh of the computational model.

ei
Ri ¼ ð5Þ
kp Si

Note that the values for the second stage on the electric mesh in Fig. 2 are marked with a prime
e.g. R5 is the conduction resistance for the first stage pellet and R05 is the conduction resistance for
the pellet in the second stage.

3.1.2. Heat sink in contact with the hot side of the Peltier pellet
The heat sink consisted of fins through which air circulated by forced convection from a
tangential fan. In addition to providing a mass air flow, this fan introduced a flow of heat into the
system by friction. This was modelled by intensity source QVi . The value of the heat flow supplied
to the heat sink was experimentally estimated at approximately 9% of all the heat flow extracted
from the hot side of the Peltier pellet.
Forced convection in the finned heat sink was modelled as two resistances (R1 and R3 for the
first stage and R2 and R04 for the second stage) a voltage supply (V1;5 ) and a capacitance (C1;2 ).
Voltage supply V1 represented atmospheric temperature for the first stage and V5 represented
outlet air temperature on passing through the exchanger where condensation occurred, the value
of which was given by the model for the exchanger itself.
Resistances in forced convection depend on mass flow and the specific heat of the fluid, in this
case air. R1 and R2 were, therefore, arrived at by the equation
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1
Ri ¼ ð6Þ
m_ a;i ca
For the model to solve the problem in transient state, the capacitance was modelled as
Ci ¼ ca ma;i ð7Þ
As can be seen, this is equivalent to an RC electric wire whose characteristic time is
ma
s ¼ RC ¼ ð8Þ
m_ a
where s is fluid transit time. In stationary conditions, the capacitance does not intervene (because
the mass of air, ma , has reached its temperature of equilibrium) and the energy conservation
principle is satisfied
DH ¼ m_ a ca DT ð9Þ
Resistance R3 in the first stage and R04 in the second stage relate the surface of the heat sink and
the convective heat transfer coefficient by the equation
1
Ri ¼ ð10Þ
hi Si
The heat flow from the hot side of the Peltier pellet passed through resistance R3 and was then
released into the air by the effect of the fan.

3.1.3. Cold side heat exchanger: condensation and evaporation

Given the similarity between the equations for heat and mass diffusion, the phase change is
modelled according to Fick’s law [11]

W_ ¼ lrE ð11Þ

where W_ is the mass flow; E, the partial pressure of the liquid and l, the permeability.
A relationship can, therefore, be established between the electric magnitudes (resistance, ca-
pacity, voltage and current) and the mass magnitudes. The partial pressure of saturated vapour is
obtained from the psychometric diagram. By adjusting a second-order temperature curve (Fig. 3),
partial pressure can be seen to obey the following formula

ES ðT Þ ¼ a þ bT þ cT 2 ð12Þ

where a, b, and c are known: a ¼ 4:6812, b ¼ 0:2675 and c ¼ 0:0185. Considering both dew
temperature ‘‘Tr ’’ and its partial pressure of vapour ‘‘ES ’’ as known values, the partial pressure for
any temperature and its quantity of vapour can be obtained as the geometric position of the
points on a straight line whose slope is equal to the tangent to the saturation curve at temperature
‘‘Tr ’’ (Fig. 3). The equation for this line is
EðT Þ ¼ ES ðT Þ þ ðb þ 2cTr ÞðT  Tr Þ ð13Þ

This gives the voltage values for the electric mesh associated with mass transfer.
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Fig. 3. Adjustment curve of psychometric diagram.

Fick’s law for vapour diffusion was simulated for the air which entered the dehumidifier by
forced convection. The mesh, therefore, included:

• Two voltage supplies (E1 and E2 for the first stage, and E3 and E4 for the second stage) repre-
senting the partial pressure of water vapour in the air and on the plate surfaces. The partial
pressures on the cold exchanger surface, E1 and E3 , were considered at saturation conditions
and arrived at through Eq. (12) for Tc and Tc0 . As for the partial pressures in the air, E2 and
E4 , these were calculated from Eq. (13) for the values of temperatures in the air, V4 in the first
stage and V5 in the second stage.
• Resistance R7 for the first stage and R8 for the second are given by

1
Ri ¼ ð14Þ
la Si

where la is the air permeability to water vapour and S, the surface of the relevant heat sinks. The
mass flow of water condensing on the surface of the cold exchanger was represented by W1 and W2 ,
this being the origin of latent heat supplies QL1 and QL2 on the mesh of the cold side exchanger

Q_ Li ¼ LW_ i ð15Þ

The circuit for the evaporation of water, collected from condensation, was represented by two
voltage supplies (E5 and E6 ) and a resistance (R9 ). The first of these was related to saturation
vapour pressure on the condensed water surface and was obtained from Eq. (12) with the air
temperature of the cold exchanger, V3 . The second supply was vapour pressure inside the cold
exchanger, obtained from Eq. (13) for the same temperature. The resistance was obtained from
Eq. (14). The integral in time of the current circulating in the resistance, W3 , was the mass flow of
evaporating water. The heat supplied by water evaporation, Qch was given by Eq. (15).
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On the exchanger on the cold side, resistances R2 and R4 for the first stage and R2 and R03 for the
second stage, together with capacitance C2 had the same significance as those on the hot side heat
sink circuit and were obtained from Eqs. (5)–(7).
The AERO programme calculated the temperatures and heat flows on all the nodes and re-
sistances on the heat transfer mesh for each iteration. In addition to the independent supplies, the
programme also used as inputs other sources dependent on the values from the previous iteration.
These inputs were: the mesh’s own temperature and heat flow values, and the mass flow values.
The heat transfer mesh output data from the previous iteration were used to calculate the mass
flows and pressures. This model solved the non-linearities that the equations gave by entering the
coefficients a, kp as functions of temperature. The model did this iteratively, obtaining the tem-
perature from the previous iteration and thereby calculating the value of the coefficients that
depended on temperature, the equations for which had been included in the model.
Fig. 4 shows the data gauge of the programme developed showing the most important tem-
perature and heat flow data, relative humidity and condensed water volume for one day.

Fig. 4. AERO programme data gauge.

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4. Description of the prototype built

4.1. Technical characteristics

The device is a low power (100 W) thermoelectric dehumidifier consisting of two stages. Its
basic diagram is given in Fig. 5 and its technical characteristics are given in Table 1.

Fig. 5. Thermal diagram for the dehumidifier.

Table 1
Technical characteristics of the prototype built
Size of the Peltier pellets (mm) 40  40  4
Maximum power per Peltier pellet 60 W
Number of pellets (first stage) 2
Number of pellets (second stage) 1
Exterior dimensions (mm) 200  180  300
Weight 4.6 kg
Fans 2 axial
Compressor Not fitted
Primary refrigerant Not used
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4.2. System

The depression created by the second stage fan means that the air to be dehumidified enters the
device in the midst of a cooling-down process and, as a result, goes through a first stage of de-
humidification on passing through the first stage cold exchanger. As it continues to circulate
upwards inside the device and passes through the second stage cold exchanger, it cools down yet
further and undergoes a second stage of dehumidification. This low temperature dehumidified air
is not directly expelled to the exterior, but rather used to release the heat flow produced in the
second stage hot heat sink. In so doing, not only is the release of low temperature air into the
atmosphere avoided, but the overall performance of the device is also increased by enhancing
second stage efficiency. A second fan is used to refrigerate the first stage heat sink via forced
convection on the finned heat sink.
The first and second stages consist of Peltier pellets sandwiched between two exchangers, one
hot and one cold. The Peltier pellet and fan supply voltages are provided by independent power
supplies. This offers greater flexibility when it comes to performing tests aimed at optimising these
control settings.

5. Results

First of all, the Peltier pellet and fan supply voltages were optimised via the computational
calculation model previously described (AERO). This was performed for atmospheric conditions
of 27 C and 82% relative humidity. Table 2 shows the results obtained and the condensed water
flow rate predicted by the model.
The control settings (Peltier and air flow supply voltages) were then optimised by experimen-
tation. Numerous tests were carried out for atmospheric conditions of 22 C and 80% relative
humidity by varying these parameters on the prototype in a climatic chamber. The results ob-
tained from these tests are shown in graph form in Figs. 6–9.
The control settings for optimum condensed water flow rate were obtained from the experi-
mental optimisation process. These settings are shown in Table 2, which compares these results
with those obtained for the simulation.
These settings were used to carry out six new tests aimed at analysing the performance of the
dehumidifier for different atmospheric conditions of temperature and humidity. The results ob-
tained are given in graph form in Figs. 10–12.
Table 2
Optimum values for supply voltage and condensed water flow rate obtained from model and experimental values
Setting Computational model Experiment
First stage Peltier voltage, PL1 (V) 12 V 12 V
Second stage Peltier voltage, PL2 (V) 11 V 13 V
First stage fan voltage, VL1 (V) (*) 180 V
First stage fan air flow (m3 /s) 0.081 m3 /s 0.0754 m3 /s
First stage fan voltage, VL2 (V) (*) 9V
Second stage fan air flow (m3 /s) 0.0040 m3 /s 0.0038 m3 /s
Condensed water flow rate (l/day) 1.4 l/day 0.969 l/day
(*) The fan was simulated as air flow in the computational model. Voltage data is, therefore, not applicable.
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Fig. 6. COP and condensed water flow rate variations by first stage Peltier pellet voltage, for fixed voltages of
VL1 ¼ 180 V, PL2 ¼ 13 V, VL2 ¼ 9 V.

Fig. 7. COP and condensed water flow rate variations by first stage fan voltage, for fixed voltages of PL1 ¼ 12 V,
PL2 ¼ 13 V.

On all of these graphs, the dehumidifier’s COP was defined as

m_ w Lw
COP ¼ ð16Þ
W_ e
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Fig. 8. Condensed water flow rate variation by second stage Peltier pellet and fan voltage, for fixed first stage voltages
of PL1 ¼ 12 V, VL1 ¼ 180 V.

Fig. 9. COP water flow rate variation by second stage Peltier pellet and fan voltage, for fixed first stage voltages of
PL1 ¼ 12 V, VL1 ¼ 180 V.

where COP is the coefficient of performance; m_ w , the total mass flow of condensed water (first and
second stage); Lw , the latent heat of water; W_ e , the electricity consumption.

6. Discussion

In the graphs for the tests performed in order to obtain the optimum supply voltage for the first
stage, Figs. 6 and 7, both the condensed water flow rate and the COP are optimised when the first
stage Peltier pellet is supplied between 12 and 12.5 V and the fan between 180 and 190 V.
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Fig. 10. COP and water flow rate variations by relative humidity with ambient temperature of 27 C.

Fig. 11. COP and water flow rate variations with ambient temperature for relative humidity of 90%.

Figs. 8 and 9 give the graphs for the condensed water flow rate and COP at different Peltier and
second stage fan supply voltages. The information they provide means that voltages can be chosen
depending on the desired aim, maximum condensed water flow rate or maximum COP, the two at
the same time proving incompatible.
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Fig. 12. Progression of different temperatures in the dehumidifier when working in conditions of optimum condensed
water, for atmospheric conditions of 22 C and 80% relative humidity.

Table 2 shows the similarity between the results obtained using the model and those obtained
by experimentation for the first stage of the dehumidifier. This similarity was foreseeable as there
is no phase change in this stage and the model had already been validated for equivalent situations
in Ref. [5]. The phase change occurs in the second stage and the results given by the model differ
from those obtained by experimentation. The condensed water estimate given by the model
proved rather optimistic. The AERO simulation can, however, be said to provide valuable in-
formation (information very difficult to obtain analytically) and make a great deal of testing
unnecessary. Although a lot of tests were performed for this study in order to obtain exhaustive
experimental information to help optimise the model, a far smaller number would, in fact, have
been sufficient to optimise the dehumidifier were the results from the computational simulation
used.
The results from the tests carried out for different atmospheric conditions provide information
about the performance of the thermoelectric dehumidifier. Data of this kind, shown in Figs. 10
and 11, are considered significant results of the application and would be a welcome addition to
the data supplied by conventional vapour-compression dehumidifier manufacturers, who tend to
limit the information offered to those conditions that best suit their interests.
Of the 36 tests performed with the prototype (Fig. 12), the evolution in time of only one of
these, considered representative, is given here. It can be observed that steady state is reached 20
min after start-up.
The COP obtained with the prototype indicate the relationship between consumption and the
flow of condensed water obtained on dehumidifying the air. A test was carried out to arrive at the
optimum COP for atmospheric conditions of 32 C and 90% humidity (the same conditions as
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those for the data given by conventional vapour-compression dehumidifier manufacturers) so as

to compare the COP of the thermoelectric dehumidifier with those of conventional vapour-
compression devices. A COP of 0.8 was obtained in these conditions. The COP of conventional
dehumidifiers ranges from 0.7 to 1.3 depending on make and model. These COP figures were
obtained via Eq. (16) using the data published in different manufacturers’ catalogues.

7. Conclusions

A low power (100 W) thermoelectric dehumidifier has been designed and built on the basis of
the results given by AERO simulation. On studying the results of the tests carried out with this
prototype, the application of thermoelectric technology to dehumidifying devices can be con-
sidered a highly attractive proposal which has certain advantages to offer with respect to con-
ventional systems:

• The device requires neither compressor nor primary refrigerant, meaning that maintenance can
be cut to a minimum and pollution levels are null.
• The level of noise and vibration is lower due to the smaller number of moving parts involved.
• The device is more compact and lighter.
• The use of thermoelectric technology means that temperature and humidity can be controlled
more accurately as the power of the device can be regulated by simply varying the supply volt-
age. This makes the device attractive for those applications which call for precision in terms of
temperature and humidity, such as in laboratories, hospitals, etc.

The COP obtained by experimentation using the prototype falls, albeit at the lower end, in the
range offered by vapour-compression devices available on the market. The device described in this
study is of certain commercial interest and this dehumidifier concept has, as a result, been pro-
tected under patent [12].

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