Thermo-electric heat pump systems

A thermoelectric transport and storage device comprising:

• a vessel configured to contain temperature-sensitive goods;
• a thermoelectric assembly thermally coupled to the vessel and disposed adjacent to the vessel such that a surface of the vessel is configured to conductively exchange heat to and from the thermoelectric assembly;
• a heat sink coupled to the thermoelectric assembly opposite the vessel;
• a fan configured to provide air movement onto a surface of the heat sink;
• an energy source coupled to the thermoelectric assembly and configured to provide electrical current to the thermoelectric assembly;
• and
• a controller operatively associated with the energy source to direct current from the energy source to the thermoelectric assembly,
• wherein the thermoelectric assembly and the energy source form a bi-directional heat pump, and
• wherein the controller is configured to control a polarity and a magnitude of voltage applied to the thermoelectric assembly by the energy source to maintain the temperature-sensitive goods at a predetermined temperature.

A method of maintaining temperature-sensitive goods at a predetermined temperature during transport and storage, the method comprising:

• placing the temperature-sensitive goods in a vessel of a thermoelectric transport and storage device;
• providing a current from an energy source to a thermoelectric assembly that is thermally coupled to the vessel and disposed adjacent to the vessel such that a surface of the vessel is configured to conductively exchange heat to and from the thermoelectric assembly;
• controlling a polarity of voltage applied to the thermoelectric assembly, wherein a first polarity causes the thermoelectric assembly to pump heat from the vessel to a heat sink coupled to the thermoelectric assembly opposite the vessel, and wherein a second polarity causes the thermoelectric assembly to pump heat from the heat sink to the vessel;
• and
• controlling a magnitude of the voltage applied to the thermoelectric assembly to control a rate at which the thermoelectric assembly pumps heat,
• wherein a combination of the controlling the polarity of the voltage and the controlling the magnitude of the voltage maintains the temperature-sensitive goods at the predetermined temperature.