US 2012/0055170 A1 · Thermoelectric Cooling Systems and Engines

Abstract

A space efficient system especially suited for use as an entirely self-contained stand-alone unit usable in any of multiple contexts where heating or cooling of a defined-volume or enclosure is required. Hot or cold sides of the thermoelectric assemblies face toward one another into a central airflow that enters and exits a housing through a top or bottom of the housing that faces into the enclosure, and the opposite sides of the thermoelectric modules face into channels on opposite sides of the central airflow. The channels can be connected to intake and exhaust air through a common end of the housing, or be separated to individually intake and exhaust air at opposing ends of the housing. Fastener-free mounting of components between insulation shells that cooperate with the thermoelectric assemblies to define the channel boundaries results in tool-free configurability of components for servicing, maintaining, reconfiguring, scaling or customizing of the system.

Claims37

Dependent claims

A heating or cooling unit for heating or cooling an enclosure, the unit comprising:

a housing having an interior bound by opposing first and second end faces, opposing first and second side walls and opposing top and bottom panels;
three flow channels defined within an interior of the housing and consisting of first and second outer flow channels extending along the opposing first and second sides on opposite sides of a center flow channel that is closed off from the outer flow channels;
first and second thermoelectric modules supported at boundaries between the center flow channel and the first and second outer flow channels respectively with matching ones of a hot or cold side of each of the first and second thermoelectric modules facing into the first and second outer flow channels respectively and the other of the or cold side of each of the thermoelectric modules facing into the center flow channel;
center inlet and outlet openings in a same one of the top and bottom panels, the center inlet and outlet openings being situated at the center flow channel and communicating an exterior of the housing with only the center flow channel of the three flow channels;
and
outer inlet and outlet openings in one or opposing ones of the first and second end faces, the outer inlet and outlet openings being situated at the outer flow channels, communicating the exterior of the housing with only the outer flow channels of the three flow channels, and comprising at least first and second outer openings in the front end face at the first and second outer channels respectively.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Thermoelectric Cooling Systems and Engines

Life of this patent

Thermoelectric Cooling Systems and Engines

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims37