Performance analysis of a thermoelectric cooler based on thermal management

Thermoelectric cooling, recognized as a clean energy technology, is limited by challenges such as low refrigeration efficiency and inadequate heat dissipation performance during application. A novel thermal management system is designed and validated to enhance performance by integrating a micro heat pipe array (MHPA) into the thermoelectric cooler. A series of experiments and simulations are conducted to investigate the effects of the geometrical parameters, such as the length and inclination angle of the MHPA, as well as the supplied voltage and current, on the refrigeration performance of the thermoelectric cooler. The inclination angle influence factor and the non-dimensional special evaluation index SEI are proposed to quantitatively assess refrigeration performance. Experimental results indicate that the thermoelectric cooler achieves optimal refrigeration performance with a length of 170 mm and an inclination angle of 15 degrees. The critical heat load significantly impacts the performance of the thermoelectric cooler, and selecting appropriate geometrical parameters can enhance heat transfer and optimize refrigeration performance. The SEI can increase by 117.2 % combined with the optimal inclination angle and length of the MHPA, while maintaining the same supplied voltage. Numerical simulations show that the thermoelectric cooler can generate greater cooling capacity with a smaller temperature difference between the hot and cold sides of the thermoelectric modules. A peak value of refrigeration performance exists, further increases in current result in reduced cooling efficiency beyond this peak. The combination of the MHPA and thermoelectric cooler offers an effective solution for enhancing the refrigeration performance. It serves as an important engineering reference for the design and optimization of high-efficiency thermal management for thermoelectric coolers.