Innovation is the HVAC field - Thermoelectric cooling components - Research Paper Example

? Innovation is the HVAC field - Thermoelectric cooling components Innovation is the HVAC field - thermo-electric cooling componentsAbstract In order for the cooling to take place, the then a DC current is applied so as to initiate the movement of electrons. The combination of electricity and its ability to produce thermal power is what made the device be called thermo electric cooler. Thermo-electric cooling systems are some of the most efficient cooling systems that manage to remain simple and applicable in many fields of electronics (Pickard, 2011). The technology has since been used to cool temperatures of devices by creating heat sinks for different electronic materials. The most recent applications of this type of technology are the “wristify” cooling system invented by four MIT students. The “wristify” is used for maintaining the body temperature at a personal level. This they managed through the use of two different conductors and a very small battery. In order for the cooling to take place, the then a DC current is applied so as to initiate the movement of electrons. The efficiency in thermo-electric cooling, depends on materials be selected keenly. Many thermo-electric coolers made today are from an alloy of Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3). Thermo-electric cooling poses very advantages like lack of mechanical maintenance and ability to be used in very small places. The technology has a place in the future since there is a possible use of the technology in marine engineering of submarines, night vision and many more others. Prototype wearable 'air-conditioning' device According to fox news, In the MIT, four engineering students have been able to develop a wrist worn body cooling device that is based upon the Peltier Effect and theory. The device code named wristify employs a series of two different conductors that are referred to as the Peltier cooler. The device is powered a very small battery and then attached to a wrist wrap so as to hold it in place. For the device to reduce the body temperature, it starts by reducing the wrist temperature in degree fractions every second for a specified time period. However, the students have not arrived at the correct time calculations, but they say that a reasonable cooling effect is achieved when the wrist is cooled by 0.4 degrees Celsius for five seconds. After this session, the device goes off for 10 seconds and maintains the interval. However, the four students are still on the process of calculating for optimal timings so as to perfect the device. The Wristify is one of the major breakthrough in human attempt to thermo-electric cooling (Balmer, 2011). With this device, a different person will be able to customize their own temperature ranges without affecting others. This is an aspect that many will appreciate. This rate of success is a sign that with the rise in advance technology and availability of resources, thermo-electric cooling can be utilized in areas that people had never imagined before. Thermo-electric cooling Definition Thermo-electric cooling refers to an application of the Peltier Effect to create a difference in temperature between two materials of different type. A thermo-electric cooler is usually a solid stated active that is able to transfer heat from one side of a device to the other. This is possible based on the following physical theories. First, when two different conductors are under electric contact, there is an electron flow out of the conductor that is less bound into the other conductor in which electrons are more. This is possible because of the difference in Fermi level between the two devices used as conductors. The Fermi level shows the difference in energy levels that are contained in different conductors occupied by electrons, and those that are not occupied. Therefore, when two conductors of different Fermi levels. This can be easily compared to diffusion in which molecules move from an area of high concentration to that of low concentration. How it works In order for the cooling to take place, the then a DC current is applied so as to initiate the movement of electrons. The combination of electricity and its ability to produce thermal power is what made the device be called thermo electric cooler. The two conductors are placed thermally parallel but in series electronically. When the DC current is applied, the cooling side of the materials used to absorb the heat from the heating side. The cooling side has a heat sink which is meant for increasing the surface area for dispersing the absorbed heat. It has been confirmed that the cooling system will create a difference of close to 70 degrees between its two plates. However, if the cooling system is overused it becomes less efficient. This is because the amount of heat that is absorbed is directly proportional to the times used and current consumed (Buist & University of Texas at Arlington. & Short Course on Thermoelectric Devices and Their Applications, 2013). This is represented by: W=Pit. P is the coefficient of Peltier I is the current T is the time Choosing the correct material In order to ensure efficiency in thermo-electric cooling, it is important the correct materials be selected keenly. Many people would easily go for metal conductors with high resistance. However these metal conductors have high thermal conductivity which is not appropriate for thermo-electric coolers. The appropriate choice of use is usually semiconductors since they are manufactured from directly and crystallized melted powder metallurgy. Many thermo-electric coolers made today are from an is an alloy of Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3) that has been doped properly so that they can create an element with distinct "N" and "P" properties. This is the best cooling alloy. However, there are other materials such as the Silicon Germanium (SiGe), Bismuth-Antimony (Bi-Sb) and the Lead Telluride (PbTe). The material Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3) has two major properties that make it the most preferred material. First is that it is highly anisotropic due to its crystallized natural. The second thing is that it is made up of layers of similar atoms. Therefore when assembled into a cooling material, it manages to remain strong and that mean it can be used in almost any environment, no matter how harsh the conditions (Buist & University of Texas at Arlington. & Short Course on Thermoelectric Devices and Their Applications, 2013). History and background of the Peltier Effect and theory The fundamental of thermo-electric cooling are traced back to the German scientist Thomas Seebeck who discovered that electricity had the capability to flow continuously in a closed circuit made up of two dissimilar materials. However, this was only possible if the joining points of the materials were at different temperatures (Balmer, 2011). He was not very sure about what he had discovered and therefore never made something good out of it. It was in the year 1843 to a man called jean Peltier who discovered the Peltier effect noticed that every electric current is accompanied by a current of heat. This was referred to as joule heating. However, Peltier noticed that the heat could be passed when the current passes across the junction of two similar materials. He then noticed that this discovery could be used to get heat out of one material to the other. Later in the 1930, the Russians developed an interest in thermo-electric cooling with the aim of using the modules to generate electricity in remote places. Since the major interest of the Russians, the rest of the world has developed a keen interest in the technology. History of components developed Current usage of thermo-electric cooling system The thermo-electric cooling systems have found their way into some of the most commonly used machines in the world today (Balmer, 2011). In the present times, thermo-electric cooler are used in cooling computer microprocessor and the integrated circuits and diodes in power and music amplifiers. The thermo-electric coolers have also been used in the aerospace field for the purpose of regulating the hot side that faces the sun and the dark side. In essence, one is most likely to find a thermo-electric cooler in almost all the home appliance that use electricity. There is also the use of the same technology to create the thermo-electric generator. The temperature difference between the two plates are able to generate power. The technology has also been used to make cooling systems for many laser machines, medical machines, water machines and food and beverage cooling machines. The use of thermo-electric cooling in the present world is widespread into almost the tiniest of devices. Future possibilities. Due to the many advantages that the thermo-electric coolers have such as minimal to null need for maintenance, their ability to use in very small areas, no moving parts and many others, there are future possibilities that thermo-electric technology will be used (Goldsmid, 2010). There are possibilities that the thermo-electric cooling system will be used in space explorers because they are very efficient and have minimal chances of failure. There is also much possibility that the navy will use the system in the submarine to ensure quietness during operations. The other application in the future is that of underground trains that will need temperature regulation. The other most likely use of the thermo-electric cooler is on the intelligent suits that are used for high tech operations. Reference Balmer, R. T. (2011). Modern engineering thermodynamics. Amsterdam: Academic Press. Goldsmid, H. J. (2010). Introduction to thermoelectricity. Heidelberg: Springer. Kolenko, Y. E. A., & ARMY FOREIGN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CENTER CHARLOTTESVILLE VA. (2009). THERMOELECTRIC COOLING DEVICES. Ft. Belvoir: Defense Technical Information Center. Pickard, R. F. (2011). An investigation of thermoelectric cooling. Buist, R. J., University of Texas at Arlington. & Short Course on Thermoelectric Devices and Their Applications. (2013). Thermoelectric cooling technologies. Arlington, Tex: University of Texas at Arlington. Read More