Optimization of Two-Stage Peltier Modules: Structure and Exergetic Efficiency
1
Seccion de Posgrado e Investigacion, ESIME-Culhuacan, IPN, 04430, Mexico
2
Departamento de Fisica, Facultad de Ciencias, UAEM, Cuernavaca, Morelos, 62209, Mexico
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Entropy 2012, 14(8), 1539-1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/e14081539
Received: 27 June 2012 / Revised: 4 August 2012 / Accepted: 16 August 2012 / Published: 21 August 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Exergy: Analysis and Applications)
Abstract
In this paper we undertake the theoretical analysis of a two-stage semiconductor thermoelectric module (TEM) which contains an arbitrary and different number of thermocouples, n1 and n2, in each stage (pyramid-styled TEM). The analysis is based on a dimensionless entropy balance set of equations. We study the effects of n1 and n2, the flowing electric currents through each stage, the applied temperatures and the thermoelectric properties of the semiconductor materials on the exergetic efficiency. Our main result implies that the electric currents flowing in each stage must necessarily be different with a ratio about 4.3 if the best thermal performance and the highest temperature difference possible between the cold and hot side of the device are pursued. This fact had not been pointed out before for pyramid-styled two stage TEM. The ratio n1/n2 should be about 8. View Full-TextKeywords:
exergy; efficiency; Peltier
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Olivares-Robles, M.A.; Vazquez, F.; Ramirez-Lopez, C. Optimization of Two-Stage Peltier Modules: Structure and Exergetic Efficiency. Entropy 2012, 14, 1539-1552.