Modular thermoelectric unit, modular thermoelectric assembly, and multi-station thermoelectric assembly performance measurement device

Abstract

The present application relates to a modular thermoelectric unit, a modular thermoelectric assembly and a multi-station thermoelectric assembly performance measurement device. The modular thermoelectric unit comprises: a heat plate, which is a plate-shaped structure with an arc-shaped inner concave surface or groove; a cooler, which is provided with a cooling flow path in communication with a cooling system; a plurality of thermoelectric devices made of thermoelectric material arranged between the heat plate and the cooler, the high-temperature end of the thermoelectric device abutting against the heat plate, and the low-temperature end of the thermoelectric device abutting against the cooler; a spring unit arranged on the side of the cooler away from the thermoelectric device, the spring unit comprising a spring with one end abutting against the cooler, and a spring positioning plate with a positioning groove for accommodating the other end of the spring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to modular thermoelectric units, modular thermoelectric components, and performance measurement devices for multi-station thermoelectric components, belonging to the field of thermoelectric device measurement devices. Background Technology

[0002] Thermoelectric conversion technology utilizes the Seebeck and Peltier effects of semiconductor materials to directly convert heat energy into electrical energy. It boasts advantages such as being pollution-free, noiseless, small in size, and safe and reliable, and has been widely applied in high-tech fields such as aerospace and military equipment. Meanwhile, with the increasing severity of environmental and energy issues, industrial waste heat thermoelectric power generation shows broad application prospects.

[0003] Among these, the testing equipment for thermoelectric device performance is a key device for evaluating thermoelectric device performance. Currently, existing measuring devices can only be installed during testing and cannot be pre-installed. Furthermore, the pressure loading structure is complex, limiting testing to single thermoelectric devices or single groups of thermoelectric devices. This results in low testing efficiency, making it impossible to simultaneously measure multiple devices or high-power components composed of multiple devices. Moreover, it is impossible to conduct rapid comparative testing of multiple devices or simulated testing under different installation methods and operating conditions, thus hindering the development and application of thermoelectric device technology. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, this invention aims to provide a modular thermoelectric unit, a modular thermoelectric assembly, and a multi-station thermoelectric assembly performance measurement device. This solves the technical problems of existing measurement devices, which can only test a single thermoelectric device or a single group of thermoelectric devices, resulting in low testing efficiency, inability to pre-install, complex pressure loading structure, inability to simultaneously measure multiple devices or high-power assemblies composed of multiple devices, and inability to conduct rapid comparison tests of multiple devices and simulation tests under different installation methods and operating conditions.

[0005] In a first aspect, the present invention provides a modular thermoelectric unit, comprising:

[0006] A heat spreader plate, wherein the heat spreader plate is a plate-shaped structure with an arc-shaped concave surface or groove;

[0007] A cooler, wherein a cooling flow path is provided in the cooler and is connected to a cooling system;

[0008] Multiple thermoelectric devices made of thermoelectric material are disposed between a heat spreader and a cooler, wherein the high-temperature end of the thermoelectric device abuts against the heat spreader and the low-temperature end of the thermoelectric device abuts against the cooler.

[0009] A spring unit is disposed on the side of the cooler away from the thermoelectric device. The spring unit includes a spring with one end abutting against the cooler and a spring positioning plate having a positioning groove for accommodating the other end of the spring.

[0010] In this invention, the use of a spring assembly enables the rapid pre-installation and replacement of the thermoelectric devices to be tested, while also simplifying the complex pressure loading structure. Furthermore, the heat spreader has an arc-shaped concave surface or groove, which can form a groove or circular through-hole for the heating unit to pass through and enclose the heat source pipe, ensuring good heat transfer between the two.

[0011] Preferably, the spring assembly further includes a spring guide post disposed within the spring. The spring guide post assists in maintaining the spring in a linear extension / retraction state, and its length is slightly less than the length of the spring in its fully compressed state to ensure that the spring's extension / retraction range meets the required compression amount. The outer diameter of the spring guide post is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the spring to ensure the spring's free extension and retraction.

[0012] Preferably, the thermoelectric device is installed in a vertical and / or horizontal manner.

[0013] Secondly, the present invention provides a modular thermoelectric assembly, wherein multiple modular thermoelectric units are loaded together by means of screws with the arc-shaped concave surfaces of the heat spreader facing each other to form multiple grooves or pipe holes for accommodating heating units; the two ends of the screws are respectively fixed to the spring positioning plate of the outermost modular thermoelectric unit, and the spring positioning plate is provided with support feet.

[0014] Preferably, the heating method of the heating unit in the modular thermoelectric assembly includes resistance heating, induction heating, and infrared radiation heating; the material of the heat spreader includes highly thermally conductive graphite, brass, copper, or aluminum alloy; and the shape of the heat spreader includes rectangular, trapezoidal, or circular.

[0015] Preferably, the modular thermoelectric assembly is equipped with a cold-end temperature measuring thermocouple and a temperature control thermocouple.

[0016] Thirdly, the present invention provides a multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device, comprising:

[0017] The modular thermoelectric assembly;

[0018] A cooling system that provides a cold source for the cooler of the modular thermoelectric assembly;

[0019] An inert gas circulation system that houses the modular thermoelectric assembly and provides it with a closed environment; and,

[0020] A measurement and control system connected to the modular thermoelectric component and used to measure the output performance of the thermoelectric component under different operating conditions.

[0021] Preferably, the cooling system includes: a refrigerator, coolant piping, a coolant flow / pressure / temperature sensor, and a controller;

[0022] The coolant of the refrigeration unit is connected to the cooler through a coolant pipe, and the coolant pipe is equipped with a coolant flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

[0023] Preferably, the cooling system adopts a parallel configuration of a main water channel and multiple branch water channels, with each branch water channel having an independently controlled structure;

[0024] The coolant includes water, ethylene glycol, ethanol, glycerol, or a mixture thereof.

[0025] Preferably, the inert gas circulation system includes: a sealed cavity, a gas cylinder, a gas pipeline, a vacuum pump, a gas flow meter, a gas valve, and a controller;

[0026] The sealed cavity of the inert gas circulation system is connected to the gas cylinder and vacuum pump through a gas pipeline, and a gas flow meter and a gas control valve are installed on the gas pipeline.

[0027] Preferably, the cavity and gas path of the inert gas circulation system form a sealed structure, and the cavity is equipped with an automatic pressure relief valve; the cooling system and the inert gas circulation system include an emergency backup water / gas path.

[0028] Preferably, the measurement and control system includes: a variable load, a test circuit, and measurement and control software.

[0029] The measuring device provided by the present invention contains an inert gas circulation system and has a thermoelectric component consisting of heaters, thermoelectric devices, coolers and fixed support components installed inside. The heating and cooling system with independent control at multiple stations establishes the temperature conditions required for the measurement of the thermoelectric component. The heating and cooling at different stations are independently controlled, and the control software automatically controls the test program and records the test results.

[0030] Beneficial effects

[0031] This invention constructs a device consisting of a heating system, a cooling system, an inert gas circulation system, modular thermoelectric components, and a testing system. It can conduct performance tests on thermoelectric components with multiple testing stations, high power, various installation methods, various testing atmospheres, and simulated application conditions, thus overcoming the shortcomings of existing thermoelectric device testing devices.

[0032] The use of independently controlled heating plates ensures that the state of each group of components is similar, which is conducive to parallel comparison testing of the performance of multiple groups of components, reduces the adverse effects of multiple tests, and also allows for independent control of each test station to perform tests under different test conditions, simultaneously testing multiple devices and improving testing efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of an example multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device of the present invention;

[0034] Figures 2-6 The following are schematic diagrams illustrating the structures of five modular thermoelectric components 1a, 1b, 1c, 1d, and 1e as examples of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the multi-station installation and testing wiring method in Embodiments 1-3 of the present invention;

[0036] Figure label:

[0037] 1. Modular thermoelectric assembly; 2. Cooling system; 3. Inert gas circulation system; 4. Measurement and control system; 5. Heating unit; 6. Heat spreader; 7. Temperature control thermocouple; 8. Cooler; 9. Thermoelectric device; 10. Insulation cotton; 11. Spring; 12. Spring guide post; 13. Spring positioning plate; 14. Screw; 15. Ball head support foot; 16. Fixed support foot. Detailed Implementation

[0038] The present invention will be further illustrated by the following embodiments. It should be understood that the following embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0039] The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device provided by this invention enables rapid measurement of the performance of multi-station, multi-condition, and high-power thermoelectric components. It can meet the measurement needs of multi-condition synchronous testing, multi-component comparative testing, and simulated actual operating condition life testing for different types of thermoelectric devices and components. The modular thermoelectric unit, modular thermoelectric component, and multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device provided by this invention are illustrated below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0040] like Figures 2-6 As shown, five modular thermoelectric components are illustrated. The modular thermoelectric component 1 is composed of multiple modular thermoelectric units stacked together, which can be stacked vertically and / or horizontally.

[0041] like Figures 2-6As shown, each modular thermoelectric unit includes a thermoelectric element 9, a heat spreader 6, and a cooler 8. The thermoelectric element 9 is disposed between the heat spreader 6 and the cooler 8. Specifically, the high-temperature end of the thermoelectric element 9 is mounted on the heat spreader 6, and a layer of graphite paper is placed between its two end faces to maintain flat contact; the low-temperature end of the thermoelectric element 9 maintains flat contact with the cooler 8 through the graphite paper placed between them, and the thermoelectric element 9 maintains good and tight contact with the heat spreader 6 and the cooler 8 through spring-loaded pressure. A spring unit is provided on the side of the cooler 8 away from the thermoelectric element 9, and the spring unit includes a spring 11, a spring guide post 12, and a spring positioning plate 13. One end of the spring 11 abuts against the cooler 8, and the other end is disposed on the spring positioning plate 13, which has receiving grooves for accommodating the spring 11 and the spring guide post 12.

[0042] The components of each modular thermoelectric unit can be fastened together by screws 14, forming a tight stack with other modular thermoelectric units. Specifically, the heat spreader 6, thermoelectric device 9, cooler 8, spring 11, spring guide post 12, and spring positioning plate 13 of each modular thermoelectric unit are stacked sequentially; at the same time, a pair of modular thermoelectric units can be... Figure 2 The modular thermoelectric components are arranged symmetrically, with their respective heat spreaders abutting on the inner side and the spring positioning plate 13 on the outer side. A pair of modular thermoelectric device units are fixed together by screws 14 to form a modular thermoelectric assembly 1. Specifically, both ends of the screws 14 are fixed to the spring positioning plates 13 of the pair of modular thermoelectric device units. The spring positioning plates 13 are provided with screw holes for screwing the screws 14 into their ends and are secured with nuts. The spring positioning plates 13 are also provided with ball-head support legs 15 and fixed support legs 16 in sequence to firmly position the modular thermoelectric assembly 1.

[0043] like Figures 3-6 As shown, in some embodiments, multiple sets of thermoelectric devices 9 can be added between the two sets of spring units according to requirements such as power generation. The installation methods of the thermoelectric devices 9 include, but are not limited to, vertical and horizontal installation, as long as each thermoelectric device 9 abuts against the heat spreader 6 and the cooler 8 on both sides respectively. The heating unit 5 and the cooler 8 can also change their shape or heating method according to measurement requirements.

[0044] The heat spreader 6 can be a plate-like structure with an arc-shaped concave surface or groove, the shape of which matches the outer peripheral surface of the heating unit. In this way, the heat spreaders 6 of the modular thermoelectric device unit can be placed together to form a groove or a circular through hole for the heating unit to pass through and wrap around the heat source pipe, ensuring good heat transfer between the two.

[0045] The heating method of the heating unit 5 in the modular thermoelectric assembly 1 includes resistance heating, induction heating, and infrared radiation heating. The material of the heat spreader 6 includes, but is not limited to, highly thermally conductive graphite, brass, copper, or aluminum alloy; the shape of the heat spreader 6 includes, but is not limited to, rectangular, trapezoidal, or circular.

[0046] The modular thermoelectric assembly 1 can also be equipped with a cold and hot end temperature measuring thermocouple and a temperature control thermocouple 7.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device provided by the present invention includes: the modular thermoelectric component 1, a cooling system 2 that provides a cold source for the cooler 8 of the modular thermoelectric component, an inert gas circulation system 3 that houses the modular thermoelectric component and provides it with a closed environment, and a measurement and control system 4 connected to the modular thermoelectric component 1 and used to measure the output performance of the thermoelectric component under different operating conditions.

[0048] The cooling system 2 includes a refrigerator, coolant piping, coolant flow / pressure / temperature sensors, and a controller. The coolant from the refrigerator is connected to the cooler 8 via coolant piping, which is equipped with a coolant flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor. In an optional embodiment, the cooling system 2 can employ a main water circuit and multiple branch water circuits connected in parallel, with each branch water circuit having an independently controlled structure that does not affect the others. The coolant can be, but is not limited to, water, ethylene glycol, ethanol, glycerin, or mixtures thereof.

[0049] The modular thermoelectric assembly's heating unit 5 and cooling system 2 both employ multi-channel independent control, enabling single-station, multi-station, single-condition, and multi-condition control as needed for measurement. A failure at one station will not affect the normal operation of other stations.

[0050] The inert gas circulation system 3 includes: a sealed cavity, a gas cylinder, a gas pipeline, a vacuum pump, a gas flow meter, gas valves, and a controller. The sealed cavity of the inert gas circulation system 3 is connected to the gas cylinder and vacuum pump via the gas pipeline, which is equipped with a gas flow meter and a gas control valve. The cavity and gas pipeline of the inert gas circulation system 3 form a sealed structure. The cavity is equipped with an automatic pressure relief valve, which allows for switching between positive pressure, negative pressure, and vacuum states, as well as pressure adjustment (switching between charging, gas replacement, and gas circulation modes). Simultaneously, the cooling system 2 and the inert gas circulation system 3 include an emergency backup water / gas line that can be automatically switched.

[0051] The measurement and control system 4 includes a variable load, test circuitry, and measurement and control software. The system employs multi-channel detection to measure the output performance of the thermoelectric component under different operating conditions, including resistance, current, voltage, and power. Measurement methods include automatic or manual operation.

[0052] The measuring device provided by this invention, which includes an inert gas circulation system, internally houses a modular thermoelectric assembly 1 consisting of heaters, thermoelectric devices, coolers, and fixed support components at multiple workstations. The temperature conditions required for thermoelectric assembly measurement are established through a multi-workstation independently controlled heating and cooling system. Heating and cooling at different workstations are independently controlled, and the control software automatically controls the test program and records the test results. The multi-workstation thermoelectric assembly performance measuring device provided by this invention also includes functions such as safety self-checking, fault alarm, and emergency self-locking.

[0053] The measurement procedure of the multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device is as follows:

[0054] (1) Assemble modular thermoelectric components 1;

[0055] (2) The assembled thermoelectric component 1 is fixedly installed inside the sealed cavity of the inert gas circulation system 3;

[0056] (3) Connect the thermoelectric component 1 to be tested to the heating unit 5, the cooling system 2, and the measurement and control system 4;

[0057] (4) Close the sealed cavity and turn on the inert gas circulation system 3 to achieve the set atmosphere requirements;

[0058] (5) Start the heating program and when the set measurement conditions are reached, perform a performance test on the thermoelectric component.

[0059] (6) Test completed.

[0060] Specifically, before testing, multiple thermoelectric devices 9 to be tested are first placed on a heat spreader 6. The hot and cold ends of the thermoelectric devices 9 are in contact with the heat spreader 6 and the cooler 8 respectively through thermally conductive graphite paper, provided by the pressure provided by springs 11. The assembled modular thermoelectric assembly 1 is placed in the sealed cavity of the testing device, installed vertically or in other ways as needed for testing. The heating unit 5 in the modular thermoelectric assembly 1 is connected to the measurement and control system 4 through a wiring harness, and the cooler 8 is connected to the refrigeration unit through a coolant pipe. The modular thermoelectric assembly 1 is connected to the measurement and control system 4 through a measurement wiring harness. After checking that all systems of the device are working properly, insulation cotton 10 is filled around the thermoelectric assembly 1, then the cavity is sealed and the test atmosphere is set.

[0061] The control software sets various test temperature points and initiates an automatic heating program. Once the set test temperature is reached, the system automatically tests the output voltage, current, power, and internal resistance of a single thermoelectric component 1 according to the set test method, or automatically switches to test various output parameters of the entire device, automatically recording and saving relevant data. After completing the performance test at one temperature point, the system performs the output performance test at the next set temperature point according to the set program. Finally, the system completes the testing of the output power and other relevant performance parameters of the multi-station thermoelectric components within the entire device.

[0062] The measurement and control system disclosed in this invention adopts a multi-channel parallel mode to switch and measure the current, voltage, power and other performance of different workstations. It can automatically measure and record one or more sets of thermoelectric components by setting the measurement program.

[0063] The following examples further illustrate the present invention in detail. It should also be understood that the following examples are only for further explanation of the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of the present invention. Any non-essential improvements and adjustments made by those skilled in the art based on the above description of the present invention are within the scope of protection of the present invention. The specific process parameters, etc., in the following examples are merely examples within a suitable range; that is, those skilled in the art can make appropriate selections within the appropriate range based on the description herein, and are not intended to be limited to the specific values ​​in the examples below.

[0064] The following combination Figure 7 This invention provides an exemplary description of the installation and testing wiring method for the multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device. Unless otherwise specified, each of the following embodiments has a total of 20 stations.

[0065] Example 1

[0066] The testing method in this embodiment is to perform parallel testing of multiple devices in the same batch or comparative testing of multiple batches of devices under the same conditions.

[0067] Based on the testing requirements, the modular thermoelectric components to be tested are installed at each workstation. The test leads of the thermoelectric elements in the thermoelectric components are connected to the wiring harness module respectively. During testing, the testing module can automatically test A1-A2 at workstation 1, B1-B2 at workstation 2, and so on, up to J1-J2 at workstation 20, through a multi-channel switching device. The testing system records the data from each workstation and can perform comparisons.

[0068] Example 2

[0069] The testing method in this embodiment involves testing multiple devices.

[0070] During testing, different devices to be tested are installed at different workstations. Then, the test conditions for different devices are set, the test system is started, and the test system scans the thermoelectric devices in the thermoelectric assembly at each workstation in the same way as in Example 1 according to the set test procedure. The test system records the test results of different devices at each workstation.

[0071] Example 3

[0072] The testing method in this embodiment simulates the performance changes of multiple devices in the test device under actual application conditions and conducts power management tests.

[0073] During testing, the installation method of the simulated power generation device is simulated. The test device is started, and the output of the simulated power generation device is simulated. The test system scans and tests the thermoelectric components in the thermoelectric assembly at each station according to the set test procedure in the same way as in Example 1. The performance of the thermoelectric components in the thermoelectric assembly is tested under application conditions, and the performance changes of the thermoelectric components are tracked. At the same time, the wiring method can be changed by the wiring harness module to simulate the wiring method of the thermoelectric component assembly in the power generation device. The output performance changes of the power generation device under various wiring methods are tested, and power management simulation of the power generation device is performed.

[0074] The purpose of this invention is to solve the problem of multi-condition performance testing and data analysis of thermoelectric devices / assemblies in the experimental and application stages. It can realize rapid measurement of the performance of multi-station, multi-condition, and high-power thermoelectric components, and can meet the measurement needs of multi-condition synchronous testing, multi-component comparison testing, and simulated actual operating condition life testing of different types of thermoelectric devices and components, providing technical support for the research and development and application of thermoelectric devices / assemblies.

[0075] Although the present invention has been described in detail through the preferred embodiments above, it should be understood that the above description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention. Various modifications and substitutions to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art after reading the above description. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device, characterized in that, include: Multiple modular thermoelectric components; The modular thermoelectric assembly stacks multiple modular thermoelectric units to form a multi-station test structure via screws, and loads them together with the arc-shaped concave surfaces of the heat spreaders of multiple modular thermoelectric units facing each other to form multiple grooves or pipe through holes to accommodate heating units; the two ends of the screws are respectively fixed to the spring positioning plate of the outermost modular thermoelectric unit, and the spring positioning plate is provided with support feet. A cooling system that provides a cold source for the cooler of the modular thermoelectric assembly; An inert gas circulation system that houses the modular thermoelectric assembly and provides it with a closed environment; and, A measurement and control system connected to the modular thermoelectric assembly and used to measure the output performance of the thermoelectric assembly under different operating conditions; The heating unit and cooling system of the modular thermoelectric assembly both adopt a multi-channel independent control method; The cavity and gas path of the inert gas circulation system form a sealed structure. The cavity is equipped with an automatic pressure relief valve to realize the switching of positive pressure, negative pressure and vacuum state of the cavity atmosphere and the adjustment of the pressure. The modular thermoelectric unit includes: A heat spreader plate, wherein the heat spreader plate is a plate-shaped structure with an arc-shaped concave surface or groove; A cooler, wherein a cooling flow path is provided in the cooler and is connected to a cooling system; Multiple thermoelectric devices made of thermoelectric material are disposed between a heat spreader and a cooler, wherein the high-temperature end of the thermoelectric device abuts against the heat spreader and the low-temperature end of the thermoelectric device abuts against the cooler. A spring unit is disposed on the side of the cooler away from the thermoelectric device. The spring unit includes a spring with one end abutting against the cooler and a spring positioning plate having a positioning groove for accommodating the other end of the spring.

2. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The spring unit also includes a spring guide post disposed in the spring.

3. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The thermoelectric device can be installed vertically and / or horizontally.

4. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heating method of the heating unit in the modular thermoelectric assembly includes resistance heating, induction heating, and infrared radiation heating; the material of the heat spreader includes high thermal conductivity graphite, brass, copper, or aluminum alloy; the shape of the heat spreader includes rectangular, trapezoidal, or circular.

5. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The modular thermoelectric assembly is equipped with a cold-end temperature measuring thermocouple and a temperature control thermocouple.

6. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling system includes: a refrigerator, coolant piping, coolant flow / pressure / temperature sensors, and a controller; The coolant of the refrigeration unit is connected to the cooler through a coolant pipe, and the coolant pipe is equipped with a coolant flow sensor, a pressure sensor, and a temperature sensor.

7. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The cooling system adopts a main water channel and multiple branch water channels connected in parallel, with each branch water channel having an independent control structure. The coolant includes water, ethylene glycol, ethanol, glycerol, or a mixture thereof.

8. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inert gas circulation system includes: a sealed cavity, a gas cylinder, gas pipelines, a vacuum pump, a gas flow meter, gas valves, and a controller; The sealed cavity of the inert gas circulation system is connected to the gas cylinder and vacuum pump through a gas pipeline, and a gas flow meter and a gas control valve are installed on the gas pipeline.

9. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cooling system and inert gas circulation system include an emergency backup water / gas path.

10. The multi-station thermoelectric component performance measurement device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The measurement and control system includes: variable load, test circuit, and measurement and control software.

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