Optimal design of thermoelectric devices with dimensional analysis

HoSung Lee

Applied Energy, 2013, vol. 106, issue C, 79-88

Abstract: The optimum design of thermoelectric devices (thermoelectric generator and cooler) in connection with heat sinks was developed using dimensional analysis. New dimensionless groups were properly defined to represent important parameters of the thermoelectric devices. Particularly, use of the convection conductance of a fluid in the denominators of the dimensionless parameters was critically important, which leads to a new optimum design. This allows us to determine either the optimal number of thermocouples or the optimal thermal conductance (the geometric ratio of footprint of leg to leg length). It is stated from the present dimensional analysis that, if two fluid temperatures on the heat sinks are given, an optimum design always exists and can be found with the feasible mechanical constraints. The optimum design includes the optimum parameters such as efficiency, power, current, geometry or number of thermocouples, and thermal resistances of heat sinks.

Keywords: Optimal design; Dimensional analysis; Thermoelectric generator; Thermoelectric cooler; Thermoelectric module (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (31)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261913000615
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:appene:v:106:y:2013:i:c:p:79-88

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 405891/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2013.01.052

Access Statistics for this article

Applied Energy is currently edited by J. Yan

More articles in Applied Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().