Thermoelectric conditioning system and methods

A control method for a thermal conditioning system:

• providing power to a TED of the thermal conditioning system having a main side and a waste side;
• operating the thermal conditioning system in a first mode for a first period in which a fluid flow passes through the thermal conditioning system;
• and
• directing the fluid flow with a valve during the first period such that a first portion of the fluid flow is directed through a waste-side flow path along the waste side of the TED at a first flow rate and a second portion of the fluid flow is directed through a main-side flow path along the main side of the TED at a second flow rate, wherein the valve is positioned adjacent a central wall positioned between the main-side flow path and the waste-side flow path, the central wall positioned upstream of the TED, wherein the valve is configured to at least partially close the waste-side flow path and to at least partially close the main-side flow path.

A thermal conditioning system, comprising:

• a TED having a main side and a waste side;
• a housing comprising a fluid flow path, the fluid flow path including:
• a main-side path along the main side of the TED;
• a waste-side path along the waste side of the TED;
• and
• an inlet conduit upstream of the main-side path and the waste-side path;
• a fluid moving device configured to produce a fluid flow along the fluid flow path from the inlet conduit toward the main-side path and the waste-side path;
• a first temperature sensor configured to measure temperature in the main-side path;
• a second temperature sensor configured measure temperature in the waste-side path;
• a valve positioned within the inlet conduit, the valve configured to at least partially block fluid communication between the inlet conduit and the main-side path based on a position of the valve to reduce fluid flow along the main-side path and increase fluid flow along the waste-side path and to at least partially block fluid communication between the inlet conduit and the waste-side path based on the position of the valve to reduce fluid flow along the waste-side path and increase fluid flow along the main-side path;
• and
• a controller configured to:
• operate the thermal conditioning system in a first mode for a first period in which the fluid moving device produces a first fluid flow that passes along the waste-side path at a first flow rate and a second fluid flow that passes along the main-side path at a second flow rate;
• determine a temperature differential between the waste-side path and the main-side path based on temperature measurements received from the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor;
• and
• operate the thermal conditioning system in a second mode for a second period based on the determined temperature differential, wherein in the second mode the position of the valve is adjusted relative to the position of the valve during the first mode to change a ratio between the first flow rate and the second flow rate.