CFD Simulation and Experimental Analysis of Cooling Performance for Thermoelectric Cooler with Liquid Cooling Heat Sink

Abstract

Thermoelectric coolers are preferred in many areas because of their simple mechanism and no need for a refrigerant. In this study, an air-to-water mini thermoelectric cooler system was designed and produced. Experiments were performed by placing different numbers of thermoelectric modules on the liquid-cooling heat sink and applying different voltages. The cooling capacity and COP values of the system under different operating conditions were analyzed and discussed. In addition, the effect of fluid flow rate on system performance and temperature difference between inlet and outlet sections has been presented. The heat transfer and flow behavior of the fluid in the liquid-cooling heat sink were determined using CFD simulation methods. Moreover, the heat loss from the system was tried to be reduced by using extra foam insulation and the results were compared with single foam and the effect of the insulation on the temperature drop inside cooler was discussed. At 0.011 kg s-1 mass flow rate and 12 V voltage conditions, when the number of TE modules is increased from 1 to 3 in the TE cooler, a maximum increase of 35% in cooling load is obtained. Also, if the cases with 3 TE modules and 0.011 kg s-1 flow rate are compared in terms of cooling load, 12 V has 80% higher cooling load than 4 V. According to the numerical results, flow structures that negatively affect the heat transfer interactions and reduce the cooling performance of the TE cooler have been determined in the liquid-cooled heat exchanger. Additionally, a significant decrease in the temperature of the cooling chamber has also been achieved with additional insulation.