# US 5,349,821 A · Augmented thermal bus wih multiple thermoelectric devices individually controlled

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- Number: US 5,349,821 A
- Document ID: US5349821A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 08/081,891
- Filed: 1993-06-25
- Granted: 1994-09-27
- Earliest claimed: 1993-06-25
- Assignees: The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- Inventors: Dean S. Schrage
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349821A

## CPC

- F25B 21/02: using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
- F24F 5/0042: {characterised by the application of thermo-electric units or the Peltier effect}
- G05D 23/1917: {using digital means}
- H10N 10/00: Thermoelectric devices comprising a junction of dissimilar materials, i.e. devices exhibiting Seebeck or Peltier effects (integrated devices or assemblies of multiple devices H10N19/00)
- F25B 2321/0212: of electric power, current or voltage
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- G05D: SYSTEMS FOR CONTROLLING OR REGULATING NON-ELECTRIC VARIABLES
- H10N: ELECTRIC SOLID-STATE DEVICES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

The present invention is directed to an augmented thermal bus. In the present design a plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps are used to couple a source plate to a sink plate. Each heat pump is individually controlled by a model based controller. The controller coordinates the heat pumps to maintain isothermality in the source.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A thermal bus comprising:
a heat source,
a plurality of quadrants located in said heat source, said quadrants each including a heat sensing means for sensing heat in said heat source,
a heat sink including a plurality of quadrants each, coupled to one of said plurality of quadrants in said heat source,
a plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps each positioned between one of said plurality of quadrants located in the heat source and said coupled quadrant in said heat sink, thereby pumping heat from each of said plurality of quadrants in said heat source, to each of said coupled quadrants in said heat sink, and
a model based controller individually connected between each of said heat sensing means and each of said plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps thereby controlling said plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps by sensing said heat.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A thermal bus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said heat sensing means is a thermistor or a thermocouple.

### Claim 3

An augmented thermal bus comprising:
a baseplate including a plurality of quadrants for housing electronic components therein,
a coldplate with a single phase fluid loop coupled thereto, thereby providing a heat sink for said augmented thermal bus,
a plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps coupling said baseplate to said coldplate,
a power supply attached between said baseplate and said coldplate thereby creating a voltage potential across said plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps,
a model based controller individually attached to each thermo-electric heat pump in said plurality of thermo-electric heat pumps, and
a radiator coupled to said fluid loop for dissipating heat.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

An augmented thermal bus as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of said thermo-electric heat pumps is coupled to each of said plurality of quadrants thereby individually controlling temperature in each of said plurality of quadrants.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

An augmented thermal bus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said power supply applies a direct current of less than about 5 percent ripple, a voltage of less than about 0.5 volts and a current of about 10 amperes.