Two dimensional thermoelectric cooler configuration
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorUttam Shyamalindu Ghoshal
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Abstract
A system for efficiently transferring heat from a cold sink to a hot source utilizing thermoelectric cooling effects is disclosed. A plurality of thermoelectric elements are coupled in a series configuration with a power source. The plurality of thermoelectric elements are coupled in a parallel configuration with the cold sink and the hot source. The surface area of the hot source is greater than the surface area of the cold sink such that the plurality of thermoelectric elements can effectively transfer heat from the cold sink to the hot source in response to the power source. The plurality of thermoelectric can be fabricated on an integrated circuit with analog or digital circuity and effectively cool hot spots.
Claims21
A system for efficiently transferring heat from a thermal source to a thermal sink utilizing thermoelectric cooling effects, said system comprising:
- a power source;
- a hot source on an integrated circuit having a surface area;
- a cold sink on said integrated circuit having a surface area;
- a plurality of thermoelectric elements on said integrated circuit electrically coupled in a series configuration with said power source and thermally coupled in a parallel configuration with said surface area of said cold sink and said surface area of said hot source, wherein said surface area of said hot source is greater than said surface area of said cold sink;
- a thermal switch coupling said thermoelectric elements to said cold sink;
- and
- means for intermittently pulsing said thermal switch such that a net thermoelectric energy transfer flows into said cold sink.
A method for uniformly and efficiently transferring heat from a thermal source to a thermal sink comprising the steps of:
- surrounding a thermal source utilizing thermoelectric elements;
- coupling said thermoelectric elements to a thermal sink using a thermal switch;
- intermittently pulsing said thermal switch to move heat from said thermal source to said thermal sink;
- supplying power to said thermoelectric elements with a duty cycle selected to avoid a net decrease of heat transfer through said thermoelectric elements;
- and
- dissipating heat from said thermal source to provide uniform and efficient transfer of heat from said thermal source to said thermal sink.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.