The importance of the assembly in thermoelectric generators
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Fecha
2018Autor
Versión
Acceso abierto / Sarbide irekia
Tipo
Capítulo de libro / Liburuen kapitulua
Versión
Versión publicada / Argitaratu den bertsioaVersión publicada / Argitaratu den bertsioa
Impacto
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10.5772/intechopen.75697
Resumen
Generally, in the optimization of thermoelectric generators, only the heat exchangers or the thermoelectric modules themselves are taken into account. However, the assembly of the generator as a whole is of vital importance since a bad contact or a thermal bridge can waste the performance of an optimal generator. In this sense, the present chapter analyzes experimentally the use of different inte ...
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Generally, in the optimization of thermoelectric generators, only the heat exchangers or the thermoelectric modules themselves are taken into account. However, the assembly of the generator as a whole is of vital importance since a bad contact or a thermal bridge can waste the performance of an optimal generator. In this sense, the present chapter analyzes experimentally the use of different interface materials to reduce the thermal contact resistance between the modules and the heat exchangers, the influence of the pressure distribution in the assembly as well as the effect of different insulating materials in order to reduce the thermal bridge between the exchangers. Thus, it has been demonstrated that a good assembly requires the implementation of thermal interface materials to ensure the microscopic contact between the
heat exchangers and the modules, besides a uniform clamping pressure. Nevertheless, since this is normally achieved with screws, they represent a source of thermal bridges in conjunction with the small distance between the exchangers. In order to reduce heat losses due to thermal bridges, which can represent up to one-third of the incoming heat, an increment of the distance between the exchangers and the use of an insulator is recommended. [--]
Materias
Assembly,
Pressure distribution,
Clamping pressure,
Contact,
Thermal bridge,
Thermoelectric generator,
Thermal resistance
Editor
IntechOpen
Publicado en
Patricia Aranguren (editor): Bringing thermoelectricity into reality. London: IntechOpen, 2018. Print ISBN: 978-1-78923-440-4; eISBN: 978-1-83881-565-3. doi: 10.5772/intechopen.71354
Departamento
Universidad Pública de Navarra. Departamento de Ingeniería /
Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa. Ingeniaritza Saila /
Universidad Pública de Navarra/Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa. Institute of Smart Cities - ISC
Versión del editor
Entidades Financiadoras
The authors are indebted to the Ministry of Economy, Industry and CompetitivenessGovernment of Spain and FEDER Funds for economic support of this work, included in the
DPI2014-53158-R Research Project, as well as to the FPU Program of the Spanish Ministry of
Education, Culture and Sport (FPU16/05203).