Thermoelectric device and thermoelectric system including thermoelectric device

Abstract

A thermoelectric array according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first thermoelectric module; and a second thermoelectric module arranged adjacent to the first thermoelectric module, in which: the first thermoelectric module includes a first lower substrate, a plurality of semiconductor devices arranged on the first lower substrate, and a first upper substrate arranged on the plurality of semiconductor elements; a second thermoelectric module including a second lower substrate, a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on the second lower substrate, and a second upper substrate arranged on the plurality of semiconductor elements; and the first thermoelectric module includes a first groove, and the second thermoelectric module includes a second groove disposed at a position corresponding to the first groove.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermoelectric device, and more particularly, to a thermoelectric device utilizing a temperature difference between a low temperature portion and a high temperature portion of a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric system including the thermoelectric device. Background Art

[0002] The thermoelectric effect is a phenomenon that occurs due to the movement of electrons and holes within a material and refers to the direct energy conversion between heat and electricity.

[0003] The thermoelectric element is a general term for an element utilizing the thermoelectric effect, and has a structure in which a PN junction pair is formed by bonding a P-type thermoelectric material and an N-type thermoelectric material between metal electrodes.

[0004] Thermoelectric elements can be classified into: elements utilizing temperature changes in resistance; elements utilizing the Seebeck effect, which is a phenomenon in which electromotive force is generated due to temperature difference; and elements utilizing the Peltier effect, which is a phenomenon in which heat is absorbed or generated by electric current, etc.

[0005] Thermoelectric elements are widely used in household appliances, electronic components, communication components, etc. For example, thermoelectric elements can be applied to cooling devices, heating devices, power generation devices, etc. Therefore, the requirements for thermoelectric performance of thermoelectric elements are increasing.

[0006] In recent years, it is necessary to use high-temperature heat and thermoelectric elements in vehicles, ships, etc. to generate electricity. In this case, a fluid flow portion through which a first fluid passes may be provided on the low-temperature portion side of the thermoelectric element, a radiator may be provided on the high-temperature portion side of the thermoelectric element, and a second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid may pass through the radiator. Therefore, electricity can be generated by the temperature difference between the low-temperature portion and the high-temperature portion of the thermoelectric element. Summary of the invention

[0007] Technical issues

[0008] The present invention is directed to a thermoelectric device utilizing a temperature difference between a low temperature portion and a high temperature portion of a thermoelectric element, and a thermoelectric system including the thermoelectric device.

[0009] Technical Solutions

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric module array includes a first thermoelectric module and a second thermoelectric module arranged adjacent to the first thermoelectric module, wherein the first thermoelectric module includes a first lower substrate, a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on the first lower substrate, and a first upper substrate arranged on the plurality of semiconductor elements, the second thermoelectric module includes a second lower substrate, a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on the second lower substrate, and a second upper substrate arranged on the plurality of semiconductor elements, the first thermoelectric module includes a first groove, and the second thermoelectric module includes a second groove arranged at a position corresponding to the first groove.

[0011] The plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the first lower substrate may include a first-first semiconductor element disposed in a first region of the first lower substrate and a first-second semiconductor element disposed in a second region of the first lower substrate, the plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the second lower substrate may include a second-first semiconductor element disposed in a third region of the second lower substrate and a second-second semiconductor element disposed in a fourth region of the second lower substrate, the first upper substrate may include a first-first upper substrate disposed on the first-first semiconductor element and a first-second upper substrate disposed on the first-second semiconductor element, and the second upper substrate may include a second-first upper substrate disposed on the second-first semiconductor element and a second-second upper substrate disposed on the second-second semiconductor element.

[0012] The first groove may be formed on one side of the first lower substrate, and the second groove may be formed on one side of the second lower substrate.

[0013] The first groove and the second groove may be disposed at a position corresponding to a region between the first-first upper substrate and the first-second upper substrate.

[0014] The thermoelectric module array may include a frame disposed on the first and second lower substrates and between the first and second upper substrates, and the frame may include holes corresponding to the first and second grooves.

[0015] The frame may be disposed between the first-first upper substrate and the first-second upper substrate and between the second-first upper substrate and the second-second upper substrate.

[0016] The thermoelectric module array may further include a connection electrode connecting the first region and the second region, and the first groove and the second groove may be disposed at positions where the first groove and the second groove overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the connection electrode extends.

[0017] The thermoelectric module array may further include a fastening member disposed in the first groove and the second groove, the first upper substrate may include a first cutting portion, the second upper substrate may include a second cutting portion, and the first cutting portion and the second cutting portion may be corner portions of the first upper substrate and the second upper substrate adjacent to the fastening member.

[0018] The frame may have a shape corresponding to the first cutting portion and the second cutting portion.

[0019] The thermoelectric module array may include a first insulating layer disposed between a first lower substrate and the plurality of semiconductor elements, and a second insulating layer disposed between the plurality of semiconductor elements and the first upper substrate.

[0020] The thermoelectric module may further include a third insulating layer disposed between the first insulating layer and the plurality of semiconductor elements.

[0021] The thermoelectric module may further include an extension electrode extending from the first electrode portion on the first lower substrate to one side, and an insulating member disposed on the extension electrode.

[0022] A ratio of a distance from an end of the first lower substrate to a nearest semiconductor element among the plurality of semiconductor elements to a distance from the extension electrode to the end of the first lower substrate may be 1.5 or more and 3.5 or less.

[0023] A ratio of a height of the insulating member to a distance from the extension electrode to an end of the first lower substrate may be 0.25 or more and 0.7 or less.

[0024] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric module array includes a first lower substrate, a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on the first lower substrate, and a first-first upper substrate and a first-second upper substrate arranged on the plurality of semiconductor elements, wherein the first lower substrate includes a first-first groove and a first-second groove, and an imaginary line connecting the center of the first-first groove and the center of the first-second groove is arranged in an area between the first-first upper substrate and the first-second upper substrate.

[0025] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric module array includes a first lower substrate, a plurality of first electrode parts arranged on the first lower substrate, a plurality of semiconductor elements arranged on the first electrode parts, a first upper substrate arranged on the plurality of semiconductor elements, an extended electrode extending to one side from the first electrode part, and an insulating member arranged on the extended electrode, wherein the insulating member includes a resin part and an insulating frame, the insulating frame has an opening formed to accommodate the resin part, and the resin part is arranged on the extended electrode.

[0026] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric device includes a fluid flow portion having a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface along a first direction, a first thermoelectric module arranged on the first surface of the fluid flow portion, and a second thermoelectric module arranged on the second surface of the fluid flow portion, wherein the fluid flow portion includes: a flow path region, which includes a flow path formed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a fluid inflow region, which is arranged on one side of the flow path region and includes a first hole formed along the second direction; a fluid discharge region, which is arranged on the other side of the flow path region and includes a second hole formed along the second direction; and a first step portion, which is arranged between the first hole and the flow path, and the first step portion includes a first step surface and a first slope surface extending from the first step surface to be inclined toward the flow path.

[0027] The first fluid can pass through the fluid inflow area, the flow path area and the fluid discharge area along the second direction, and the second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid can pass through the heat sink of the first thermoelectric module and the heat sink of the second thermoelectric module along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0028] The first step surface may be a surface parallel to a surface perpendicular to the second direction.

[0029] The height of the first step surface may be 1 mm or more from the wall surface of the first hole.

[0030] The first slope surface may be inclined at an angle of 5 to 85 degrees with respect to a surface perpendicular to the first step surface.

[0031] The length of the first slope surface may be three times or more the height of the first step surface.

[0032] The cross-sectional area of ​​the first hole may be larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path.

[0033] The fluid flow portion may further include a second step portion disposed between the flow path and the second hole, and the second step portion may include a second step surface and a second slope surface extending from the second step surface to be inclined toward the flow path.

[0034] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric device includes a fluid flow portion having a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface along a first direction, a first thermoelectric module arranged on the first surface of the fluid flow portion, and a second thermoelectric module arranged on the second surface of the fluid flow portion, wherein the fluid flow portion includes: a flow path area, which includes a flow path formed along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction; a fluid inflow area, which is arranged on one side of the flow path area and includes a first hole formed along the second direction; and a fluid discharge area, which is arranged on the other side of the flow path area and includes a second hole formed along the second direction, and a first groove having a predetermined depth is formed in the wall surface of the first hole.

[0035] The first fluid can pass through the fluid inflow area, the flow path area and the fluid discharge area along the second direction, and the second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid can pass through the heat sink of the first thermoelectric module and the heat sink of the second thermoelectric module along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0036] The first groove may be formed in a continuous annular shape along a wall surface of the first hole.

[0037] The first groove may be formed in a discontinuous annular shape along a wall surface of the first hole.

[0038] The length of the first groove may be 20% or more of the circumferential length of the wall surface of the first hole.

[0039] The first groove may be formed in a spiral shape along a wall surface of the first hole.

[0040] The thermoelectric device may further include a step portion disposed between the first hole and the flow path.

[0041] The first groove may be formed to extend from one side of the fluid inflow region along the second direction to the step portion, ie, to the other side of the fluid inflow region.

[0042] A second groove spaced apart from the first groove and having a predetermined depth may also be formed in the wall surface of the first hole.

[0043] The first groove and the second groove can be arranged sequentially from one side of the fluid inflow area to the other side of the fluid inflow area along the second direction, and at least one of the distance from one side of the fluid inflow area to the first groove and the distance from the second groove to the step portion, i.e., to the other side of the fluid inflow area can be greater than or equal to the distance between the first groove and the second groove.

[0044] According to another embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric device includes: a fluid flow portion, which includes a first surface and a second surface spaced apart from the first surface in a first direction; a first thermoelectric module, which is arranged on the first surface; a second thermoelectric module, which is arranged on the second surface; a first shielding member, which is arranged on a third surface formed between the first surface and the second surface and extends to cover at least a portion of the first surface and the second surface; a second shielding member, which is arranged on the first surface and the first thermoelectric module and covers at least a portion of the first shielding member; and a third shielding member, which is arranged on a fourth surface opposite to the third surface and extends to cover at least a portion of the second shielding member.

[0045] The fluid flow portion may include a flow path area formed so that a first fluid flows between a first surface and a second surface along a second direction intersecting the first direction, the first thermoelectric module may include a first substrate disposed on the first surface, a first electrode portion disposed on the first substrate, a semiconductor element disposed on the first electrode portion, a second electrode portion disposed on the semiconductor element, a second substrate disposed on the second electrode portion, and a heat sink disposed on the second substrate to contact a second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid, and the second fluid may flow from a fourth surface toward the third surface along a third direction.

[0046] The second shielding member may include a through hole through which the heat sink is exposed, and an edge of the through hole may be disposed on the second substrate.

[0047] The first thermoelectric module may further include an extension electrode extending from the first electrode portion in a direction toward the fourth surface on the first substrate.

[0048] The first thermoelectric module may further include a wire connected to the extension electrode, and at least a portion of the wire may be covered by the third shielding member.

[0049] The fluid flow portion may include a fluid inlet area arranged on one side of the flow path area, and a fluid outlet area arranged on the other side of the flow path area spaced apart from the one side along the second direction. The first thermoelectric module and the second shielding member may be arranged on the flow path area, and also include a fifth shielding member arranged on the fluid inlet area and a sixth shielding member arranged on the fluid outlet area.

[0050] The fifth shielding member and the sixth shielding member may extend to cover a portion of the third surface and a portion of the fourth surface of the fluid flow portion, respectively, and the fifth shielding member may include a groove formed in the fourth surface.

[0051] The wire can be pulled out through the groove.

[0052] The thermoelectric device may further include a first insulating member disposed between the third surface and the first shielding member, and a second insulating member disposed between the fourth surface and the third shielding member.

[0053] The thermoelectric device may further include a sealing member disposed between the second shielding member and the third shielding member.

[0054] The thermoelectric device may further include a fourth shielding member disposed on the second surface of the fluid flow portion and the second thermoelectric module and extending to cover a portion of the first shielding member of the third surface, and the third shielding member may extend to further cover a portion of the fourth shielding member of the second surface.

[0055] A thermoelectric system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first thermoelectric device, a second thermoelectric device spaced apart from the first thermoelectric device along a first direction, a wire portion electrically connected to the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device, and a wire protection portion disposed on one side of the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device to surround at least a portion of the wire portion, wherein the wire protection portion includes: a bottom portion disposed on the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device; a first side wall extending from a first end of the bottom portion toward an upward direction of the bottom portion; a second side wall extending from a second end of the bottom portion spaced apart from the first end in the first direction toward an upward direction relative to the bottom portion; and a third side wall disposed Between the first side wall and the second side wall and extending toward the upward direction from a third end between the first end and the second end of the bottom part; a fourth side wall, which is arranged between the first side wall and the second side wall and extends toward the upward direction from a fourth end of the bottom part spaced apart from the third end in the first direction and the second direction intersecting the upward direction; a first top part, which is spaced apart from the bottom part and extends from the third side wall toward the second direction; a second top part, which is spaced apart from the bottom part and extends from the fourth side wall in a direction opposite to the second direction; and a fifth side wall, which extends toward the upward direction from the second top part and is connected to the first top part, and the distance between the third side wall and the fifth side wall gradually decreases along the upward direction.

[0056] A height of the first top portion based on the bottom portion may be higher than a height of the second top portion based on the bottom portion.

[0057] An angle formed by the third side wall and the fifth side wall may be 10 to 70 degrees.

[0058] The distance between the third side wall and the fourth side wall may gradually decrease in an upward direction.

[0059] The wire protection portion may further include a shield cover portion disposed between the first side wall and the second side wall and covering at least a portion of the first top portion, the second top portion, and the fifth side wall.

[0060] At least one fastening hole may be formed in each of the first top portion and the second top portion, and the wire protection portion may be fastened to the shield cover portion through the at least one fastening hole.

[0061] The wire protecting portion may further include a first insulating member disposed between the bottom portion and the first top portion, and a second insulating member disposed between the bottom portion and the second top portion.

[0062] The thermoelectric system may further include an upper structure disposed on the other side of the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device.

[0063] The wire protection portion and the upper structure may be symmetrical in shape to each other.

[0064] The thermoelectric system may further include a first hole and a second hole formed in the bottom portion at intervals along the first direction, and a third hole formed in the third side wall, wherein a first wire connected to the first thermoelectric device may pass through the first hole and be pulled out to the outside through the third hole, and a second wire connected to the second thermoelectric device may pass through the second hole and be pulled out to the outside through the third hole.

[0065] A thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention includes a first thermoelectric system and a second thermoelectric system arranged below the first thermoelectric system, wherein the first thermoelectric system includes a first thermoelectric device, a second thermoelectric device arranged to be spaced apart from the first thermoelectric device along a first direction, a first wire portion electrically connected to the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device, and a first wire holding portion arranged on one side of the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device to surround at least a portion of the first wire portion, and the second thermoelectric system includes a third thermoelectric device, a fourth thermoelectric device arranged to be spaced apart from the third thermoelectric device along the first direction, a second wire portion electrically connected to the third thermoelectric device and the fourth thermoelectric device, and a first wire holding portion arranged on one side of the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device to surround at least a portion of the first wire portion. A second wire protection portion is provided on the upper side of the third thermoelectric device and the fourth thermoelectric device to surround at least a portion of the second wire portion, each of the first to fourth thermoelectric devices includes a flow path area, the flow path area is formed so that a first fluid flows through it along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, a second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid flows along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction between the spaced-apart first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device and between the spaced-apart third thermoelectric device and the fourth thermoelectric device, and a width of a bottom portion of the second wire protection portion is 0.98 to 1.02 times the width of a top portion of the second wire protection portion.

[0066] The thermoelectric system may also include a first upper structure symmetrically arranged on the other side of the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device relative to the first wire protection portion, and a second upper structure symmetrically arranged at the upper portion on the other side of the third thermoelectric device and the fourth thermoelectric device relative to the second wire protection portion, and the spacing between the facing surfaces of the first wire protection portion and the first upper structure may gradually narrow along the direction of flow of the second fluid, and the shortest distance between the bottom portion of the second wire protection portion and the bottom portion of the second upper structure may be 0.96 times to 1.04 times the shortest distance between the top portion of the second wire protection portion and the top portion of the second upper structure.

[0067] The first wire protection portion may include: a first bottom portion, which is disposed on the first thermoelectric device and the second thermoelectric device; a first side wall, which extends from a first end of the first bottom portion toward an upward direction relative to the first bottom portion; a second side wall, which extends from a second end of the first bottom portion spaced apart from the first end along the first direction relative to the first bottom portion toward an upward direction; a third side wall, which is disposed between the first side wall and the second side wall and extends from a third end between the first end and the second end of the first bottom portion toward an upward direction; a fourth side wall, which is disposed between the first side wall and the second side wall and extends from a fourth end of the first bottom portion spaced apart from the third end along the second direction toward an upward direction; a first top portion, which is spaced apart from the first bottom portion and extends from the third side wall toward the second direction; a second top portion, which is spaced apart from the first bottom portion and extends from the fourth side wall in a direction opposite to the second direction; and a fifth side wall, which extends from the second top portion toward an upward direction and is connected to the first top portion, and a distance between the third side wall and the fifth side wall may gradually decrease along the upward direction.

[0068] The second wire protection portion may include: a second bottom portion, which is arranged on the third thermoelectric device and the fourth thermoelectric device; a sixth side wall, which extends from the fifth end of the second bottom portion in an upward direction relative to the second bottom portion; a seventh side wall, which extends from the sixth end of the second bottom portion spaced apart from the fifth end along the first direction relative to the second bottom portion toward the upward direction; an eighth side wall, which is arranged between the sixth side wall and the seventh side wall and extends toward the upward direction from the seventh end between the fifth end and the sixth end of the second bottom portion; a ninth side wall, which is arranged between the sixth side wall and the seventh side wall and extends toward the upward direction from the eighth end of the second bottom portion spaced apart from the seventh end along the second direction; and a third top portion, which is spaced apart from the second bottom portion and extends from the eighth side wall toward the second direction, the ninth side wall may extend to the third top portion, and the eighth side wall and the ninth side wall may be parallel to each other.

[0069] Beneficial Effects

[0070] According to the embodiments of the present invention, a thermoelectric device having a simple structure, being easy to assemble, and accommodating a maximum number of thermoelectric elements within a predetermined space can be obtained.

[0071] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a thermoelectric device having high thermoelectric performance can be obtained by increasing the temperature difference between a high temperature portion and a low temperature portion.

[0072] The thermoelectric device according to the embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a power generation device that generates electricity by using a temperature difference between a high temperature portion and a low temperature portion.

[0073] The thermoelectric device according to the embodiment of the present invention may be applied to a Peltier device that cools or heats a specific object such as a fluid. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0076] Figure 3 and Figure 4 A thermoelectric element according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0077] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fluid flow portion included in a thermoelectric device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0078] Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fluid flow portion according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0079] Figure 7 and Figure 8 1 is an enlarged view of each portion of a cross section of a fluid flow portion according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Fig.10 is a plan view of a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0082] Fig.11 is an exploded perspective view of a thermoelectric module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0083] Fig.12The shape of an electrode portion provided on a lower substrate of a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0084] Fig.13 is a plan view of a frame included in a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] Fig.14 is a plan view of an insulating member included in a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0086] Fig.15 is a graph showing insulation resistance according to insulation distance.

[0087] Figures 16 to 23 is a view showing a process of assembling a shield member to a thermoelectric device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0088] Fig.24 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device in a state where a shield member is assembled according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] Fig.25 is a perspective view of a state in which a third shielding member is removed from the thermoelectric device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0090] Fig.26 A thermoelectric system according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0091] Figure 27 to Figure 29 is a view showing a process of assembling a wire protection portion in a thermoelectric system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0092] Fig.30 is a perspective view of an upper structure included in a thermoelectric system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] Fig.31 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0094] Figure 32 to Figure 33 is a view showing a process of assembling a wire holding portion in a thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0095] Fig.34 is a perspective view of an upper structure included in a thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0096] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0097] However, the technical concept of the present invention is not limited to some embodiments to be described, but can be implemented in various forms, and within the scope of the technical concept of the present invention, one or more elements in the embodiments can be used by selective combination or replacement.

[0098] In addition, unless specifically defined and described, the terms (including technical terms and scientific terms) used in the embodiments of the present invention may be interpreted as the meanings generally understood by technicians in the field to which the present invention belongs, and commonly used terms such as terms defined in dictionaries may be interpreted in consideration of the contextual meanings of the relevant technology.

[0099] The terms used in the embodiments of the present invention are only used for the purpose of describing the embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention.

[0100] In this specification, unless otherwise clearly indicated in the context, the singular form may include the plural form, and when described as "at least one (or one or more) of A, B and (or) C", it may include one or more of all possible combinations of A, B and C.

[0101] In addition, when describing components of the embodiments of the present invention, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), (b), etc. may be used.

[0102] These terms are used only to distinguish a component from other components, and the nature, order or sequence of the components are not limited by the terms.

[0103] In addition, when a component is described as being “coupled,” “coupled” or “connected” to another component, the component is not only directly coupled, coupled or connected to the other component but also is “coupled,” “coupled” or “connected” to the other component with another component provided therebetween.

[0104] Furthermore, when a component is described as being formed or disposed “on (above) or below (below)” another component, the term “on (above) or below (below)” includes not only a case where the two components are directly in contact with each other but also a case where one or more other components are formed or disposed between the two components. Furthermore, when a component is described as being located “on (above) or below (below)”, such description may include meanings based on an upward direction and a downward direction of one component.

[0105] Figure 1 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric device according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0106] Reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the thermoelectric device 1000 includes a fluid flow portion 1100 and a thermoelectric module 1200 disposed on a surface of the fluid flow portion 1100 .

[0107] The thermoelectric device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention can generate electricity by using the temperature difference between the first fluid flowing through the inside of the fluid flow part 1100 and the second fluid passing through the outside of the fluid flow part 1100. A plurality of thermoelectric devices 1000 can be arranged in parallel to be spaced apart at a predetermined interval to form a thermoelectric system. Therefore, the thermoelectric performance or power generation performance per unit area can be maximized. The thermoelectric device can be referred to as a power generation device, and the thermoelectric system can be referred to as a power generation system.

[0108] The first fluid flowing into the fluid flow portion 1100 may be water, but is not limited thereto, and may be any of various types of fluids having cooling properties. The temperature of the first fluid flowing into the fluid flow portion 1100 may be lower than 100° C., preferably lower than 50° C., and more preferably lower than 40° C., but is not limited thereto, and the first fluid may be a fluid having a lower temperature than the second fluid. The temperature of the first fluid discharged after passing through the fluid flow portion 1100 may be higher than the temperature of the first fluid flowing into the fluid flow portion 1100.

[0109] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric module 1200 may be disposed on a first surface 1110 of the fluid flow portion 1100 and a second surface 1120 opposite to the first surface 1110. The first fluid may flow from one side surface 1150 between the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 toward another side surface 1160 between the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 opposite to the one side surface 1150. To this end, a fluid inlet may be provided on the one side surface, and a fluid outlet may be provided on the other side surface. The second fluid may flow from a fourth surface 1140 as an upper surface between the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 toward a third surface 1130 as a lower surface between the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120. For ease of description, in this specification, the direction from the first surface 1110 to the second surface 1120 may be referred to as a first direction, the direction in which the first fluid passes may be referred to as a second direction, and the direction in which the second fluid passes may be referred to as a third direction, but these directions are not limited thereto.

[0110] Meanwhile, the second fluid passes through the outside of the fluid flow portion 1100, for example, through a heat sink of the thermoelectric module 1200 disposed outside the fluid flow portion 1100. The second fluid may be exhaust heat or intake heat of a vehicle, a ship, etc., but is not limited thereto. For example, the temperature of the second fluid may be 100° C. or higher, preferably 200° C. or higher, more preferably 220° C. to 250° C., but is not limited thereto, and the second fluid may be a fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid.

[0111] In this specification, as an example, it is described that the temperature of the first fluid flowing through the inside of the fluid flow portion 1100 is lower than the temperature of the second fluid passing through the heat sink 1220 of the thermoelectric module 1200 disposed outside the fluid flow portion 1100. Therefore, in this specification, the fluid flow portion 1100 may be referred to as a conduit or a cooling portion. However, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited thereto, and the temperature of the first fluid flowing through the inside of the fluid flow portion 1100 may be higher than the temperature of the second fluid passing through the heat sink 1220 of the thermoelectric module 1200 disposed outside the fluid flow portion 1100.

[0112] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric module 1200 includes a thermoelectric element and a heat sink 1220 disposed on the thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention may have a Figure 3 to Figure 4 The structure of the thermoelectric element 100 is illustrated in FIG.

[0113] Reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The thermoelectric element 100 includes a first substrate 110 , a first electrode portion 120 , a P-type semiconductor element 130 , an N-type semiconductor element 140 , a second electrode portion 150 , and a second substrate 160 .

[0114] The first electrode portion 120 is disposed between the first substrate 110 and the lower bottom surface of each of the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140, and the second electrode portion 150 is disposed between the second substrate 160 and the upper bottom surface of each of the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140. Therefore, a plurality of P-type semiconductor elements 130 and a plurality of N-type semiconductor elements 140 are electrically connected through the first electrode portion 120 and the second electrode portion 150. A pair of the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 disposed between the first electrode portion 120 and the second electrode portion 150 and electrically connected may form a unit cell.

[0115] For example, when a voltage is applied to the first electrode portion 120 and the second electrode portion 150 through the wires 181 and 182, due to the Peltier effect, the substrate for current to flow from the P-type semiconductor element 130 to the N-type semiconductor element 140 can absorb heat to serve as a cooling portion, and the substrate for current to flow from the N-type semiconductor element 140 to the P-type semiconductor element 130 can be heated to serve as a heating portion. Alternatively, when a temperature difference is applied between the first electrode portion 120 and the second electrode portion 150, charges within the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 can move due to the Seebeck effect, and electricity can be generated.

[0116] Here, the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 may be bismuth telluride (Bi-Te)-based semiconductor elements containing bismuth (Bi) and tellurium (Te) as main raw materials. The P-type semiconductor element 130 may be a bismuth telluride (Bi-Te)-based thermoelectric leg containing at least one of antimony (Sb), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi), and indium (In). For example, with respect to a total weight of 100wt%, the P-type semiconductor element 130 may contain 99wt% to 99.999wt% of Bi-Sb-Te as a main raw material, and may contain 0.001wt% to 1wt% of at least one of nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium (Ga), and indium (In). The N-type semiconductor element 140 may be a bismuth telluride (Bi-Te) based thermoelectric leg including at least one of selenium (Se), nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium (Ga), tellurium (Te), bismuth (Bi), and indium (In). For example, with respect to a total weight of 100wt%, the N-type semiconductor element 140 may include 99wt% to 99.999wt% of Bi-Se-Te as a main raw material, and may include 0.001wt% to 1wt% of at least one of nickel (Ni), aluminum (Al), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), lead (Pb), boron (B), gallium (Ga), and indium (In).

[0117] The P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 can be formed in a block type or a stacked type. Generally speaking, the block type P-type semiconductor element 130 or the block type N-type semiconductor element 140 can be obtained by the following process: manufacturing an ingot by heat treating the thermoelectric material, obtaining a powder for the thermoelectric leg by crushing and screening the ingot, sintering the powder, and then cutting the sintered body. In this case, the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 can be polycrystalline thermoelectric legs. As described above, when the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 are polycrystalline thermoelectric legs, the strength of the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 can be improved. The stacked P-type semiconductor element 130 or the stacked N-type semiconductor element 140 can be obtained by the following process: forming a unit member by applying a paste containing a thermoelectric material on a sheet-shaped substrate, and then stacking and cutting the unit members.

[0118] In this case, a pair of P-type semiconductor element 130 and N-type semiconductor element 140 may have the same shape and volume, or may have different shapes and volumes. For example, since the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 have different conductive properties, the height or cross-sectional area of ​​the N-type semiconductor element 140 may be formed differently from the height or cross-sectional area of ​​the P-type semiconductor element 130.

[0119] In this case, the P-type semiconductor element 130 or the N-type semiconductor element 140 may have a cylindrical shape, a polygonal column shape, an elliptical column shape, or the like.

[0120] In this specification, the semiconductor element may also be referred to as a thermoelectric leg, a thermoelectric structure, a semiconductor structure, etc.

[0121] The performance of the thermoelectric element according to one embodiment of the present invention may be represented by a quality factor (ZT). The quality factor (ZT) may be represented as Equation 1.

[0122] [Equation 1]

[0123] ZT=α 2 ·σ·T / k

[0124] Here, α is the Seebeck coefficient [V / K], σ is the conductivity [S / m], and α 2 σ is the power factor [W / mK 2 ]. In addition, T is temperature and k is thermal conductivity [W / mK]. k can be expressed as a·cp·ρ, where a is thermal diffusivity [cm 2 / S], cp is the specific heat [J / gK], and ρ is the density [g / cm 3 ].

[0125] In order to obtain the quality factor of the thermoelectric element, a Z value (V / K) is measured using a Z meter, and the quality factor (ZT) can be calculated using the measured Z value.

[0126] Here, the first electrode portion 120 disposed between the first substrate 110 and the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140, and the second electrode portion 150 disposed between the second substrate 160 and the P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 may include at least one of copper (Cu), silver (Ag), aluminum (Al), and nickel (Ni), and may have a thickness of 0.01 mm to 0.3 mm. When the thickness of the first electrode portion 120 or the second electrode portion 150 is less than 0.01 mm, the function as an electrode may be degraded and the conductive performance may be reduced, and when the thickness exceeds 0.3 mm, the conductive efficiency may be reduced due to the increase in resistance.

[0127] In addition, the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160 opposite to each other may be metal substrates, and their thickness may be 0.1mm to 1.5mm. When the thickness of the metal substrate is less than 0.1mm or greater than 1.5mm, the reliability of the thermoelectric element may be deteriorated because the heat dissipation characteristics or thermal conductivity may become too high. In addition, when the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160 are metal substrates, an insulating layer 170 may also be formed between the first substrate 110 and the first electrode portion 120 and between the second substrate 160 and the second electrode portion 150. The insulating layer 170 may include a material with a thermal conductivity of 1W / mK to 20W / mK. In this case, the insulating layer 170 may be a resin composite including at least one of epoxy resin and silicone resin and an inorganic material, a layer formed by a silicon composite including silicon and an inorganic material, or an aluminum oxide layer. Here, the inorganic material may be at least one of an oxide, nitride and carbide of aluminum, boron, silicon, etc.

[0128] Each insulating layer 170 may be one insulating layer or a plurality of insulating layers of different compositions. At least a portion of the side surface of at least one of the first electrode portion 120 and the second electrode portion 150 may be embedded in the insulating layer 170, and the upper surface of the insulating layer 170 disposed between the plurality of electrodes included in each electrode portion may have a concave shape toward each substrate. When each insulating layer 170 is a plurality of insulating layers, at least a portion of the side surface of at least one of the first electrode portion 120 and the second electrode portion 150 may be embedded in the insulating layer 170 disposed at the uppermost portion based on each substrate, and the uppermost surface of the insulating layer 170 disposed between the plurality of electrodes included in each electrode portion may have a concave shape toward each substrate.

[0129] In this case, the sizes of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160 may be formed differently. That is, the volume, thickness or area of ​​one of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160 may be formed to be larger than the volume, thickness or area of ​​the other of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160. Here, the thickness may be the thickness in the direction from the first substrate 110 to the second substrate 160, and the area may be the area relative to the direction perpendicular to the direction from the first substrate 110 to the second substrate 160. Therefore, the heat absorption performance or heat dissipation performance of the thermoelectric element may be improved. Preferably, the volume, thickness or area of ​​the first substrate 110 may be formed to be larger than at least one of the volume, thickness or area of ​​the second substrate 160. In this case, when the first substrate 110 is disposed in a high temperature region for the Seebeck effect, when the first substrate 110 is used as a heating region for the Peltier effect, or when a sealing member for protecting the thermoelectric element from the external environment is disposed on the first substrate 110, at least one of the volume, thickness or area of ​​the first substrate 110 may be larger than the second substrate 160. In this case, the area of ​​the first substrate 110 may be formed to be within a range of 1.2 to 5 times the area of ​​the second substrate 160. When the area of ​​the first substrate 110 is formed to be less than 1.2 times the area of ​​the second substrate 160, the effect on improving the heat transfer efficiency is not significant, and when the area of ​​the first substrate 110 exceeds 5 times the area of ​​the second substrate 160, the heat transfer efficiency is significantly reduced, and thus it may be difficult to maintain the basic shape of the thermoelectric module.

[0130] In addition, a heat dissipation pattern, such as a concave-convex pattern, may be formed on the surface of at least one of the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160. Therefore, the heat dissipation performance of the thermoelectric element can be improved. When the concave-convex pattern is formed on the surface in contact with the P-type semiconductor element 130 or the N-type semiconductor element 140, the bonding characteristics between the semiconductor element and the substrate can also be improved.

[0131] Although not shown, a sealing member may be additionally provided between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160. The sealing member may be provided on the side surfaces of the first electrode portion 120, the P-type semiconductor element 130, the N-type semiconductor element 140, and the second electrode portion 150 between the first substrate 110 and the second substrate 160. Therefore, the first electrode portion 120, the P-type semiconductor element 130, the N-type semiconductor element 140, and the second electrode portion 150 may be sealed to be protected from external moisture, heat, contaminants, and the like.

[0132] Return to reference Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the thermoelectric module 1200 may be disposed on each of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100 .

[0133] As described above, each thermoelectric element includes a first substrate 110 disposed in contact with a fluid flow portion 1100, a first electrode portion 120 disposed on the first substrate 110, a plurality of semiconductor elements 130 and 140 disposed on the first electrode portion 120, a second electrode portion 150 disposed on the plurality of semiconductor elements 130 and 140, and a second substrate 160 disposed on the second electrode portion 150, and a heat sink 1220 is disposed on the second substrate 160. In this case, the first substrate of the thermoelectric element disposed on the fluid flow portion 1100 may be a metal substrate, and the metal substrate may be bonded to the surface of the fluid flow portion 1100 through a thermal interface material (TIM) (not shown). Since the metal substrate has excellent heat transfer performance, heat transfer between the thermoelectric element and the fluid flow portion 1100 is easy. In addition, when the metal substrate and the fluid flow portion 1100 are bonded through the thermal interface material (TIM), heat transfer between the metal substrate and the fluid flow portion 1100 may not be hindered. Here, the metal substrate may be one of a copper substrate, an aluminum substrate, and a copper-aluminum substrate, but is not limited thereto.

[0134] Thermoelectric module 1200 may include a connector for extracting the generated electricity to the outside or for applying electricity to act as a Peltier element. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an insulating member 900 may be provided around the connector to uniformly maintain the bonding force between thermoelectric module 1200 and fluid flow portion 1100 and protect wire W connected to the connector.

[0135] In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a shielding member 1500 may be further provided to prevent moisture or contaminants from penetrating into the thermoelectric module 1200 .

[0136] Figure 5 is a perspective view of a fluid flow portion included in a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of a fluid flow portion according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 7 and Figure 8 1 is an enlarged view of each portion of a cross section of a fluid flow portion according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0137] Reference Figures 5 to 8, the fluid flow portion 1100 includes: a flow path region 500 including a flow path 502 formed along a second direction perpendicular to a first direction from a first surface 1110 toward a second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100; a fluid inflow region 510 disposed at one side of the flow path region 500 and including a first hole 512 formed along the second direction; and a fluid discharge region 520 disposed at the other side of the flow path region 500 and including a second hole 522 formed along the second direction. Here, the flow path region 500 may include a plurality of flow paths 502 parallel along the second direction, the fluid inflow region 510 may include a plurality of first holes 512 parallel along the second direction, the fluid discharge region 520 may include a plurality of second holes 522 parallel along the second direction, and each flow path 502 may be disposed to correspond to its corresponding first hole 512 and second hole 522. The first fluid flowing into the first hole 512 may pass through the flow path 502 along the second direction and then be discharged into the second hole 522. To this end, a connecting member (not shown) may be provided in the first hole 512, and the fluid flow portion 1100 may be connected to the outside through the connecting member. The connecting member may be in the shape of a hollow tube, and a portion of the connecting member may be fitted into the first hole 512, and the remaining portion may protrude to the outside of one side surface 1150 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The first fluid may be supplied from the outside through the connecting member, and may be transported to the flow path 502 after passing through the connecting member fitted in the first hole 512. Similarly, a connecting member (not shown) is provided in the second hole 522, and the fluid flow portion 1100 may be connected to the outside through the connecting member. The connecting member may be in the shape of a hollow tube, a portion of the connecting member may be fitted into the second hole 522, and the remaining portion may protrude to the outside of the other side surface 1160 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The first fluid may pass through the flow path 502, and then be discharged to the outside through the connecting member fitted into the second hole 522. The connecting member may also be referred to as a connecting pipe. In this manner, when the thermoelectric device according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to an external component through a connection member, the use of fastening members such as screws can be minimized.

[0138] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the cross-sectional area of ​​each first hole 512 may be greater than the cross-sectional area of ​​each flow path 502. Here, the cross-sectional area may be defined as the area of ​​the cross section perpendicular to the second direction of the flow of the first fluid. Therefore, in a state where the connecting member is assembled into the first hole 512, the cross-sectional area of ​​the connecting member and the cross-sectional area of ​​the flow path 502 may be 0.8 to 1.2 times, 0.85 to 1.15 times, 0.9 to 1.1 times, 0.95 to 1.05 times, 0.97 to 1.03 times, or 0.99 to 1.01 times, and the flow path resistance of the first fluid flowing in the second direction may be minimized.

[0139] Here, the first hole 512 and the flow path 502 are shown as one-to-one matching, and the flow path 502 and the second hole 522 are shown as one-to-one matching, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the fluid passing through the plurality of first holes 512 can be collected in one flow path, or the fluid passing through one flow path can be distributed to the plurality of second holes 522.

[0140] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the fluid flow portion 1100 further includes a first step portion 530 disposed between the first hole 512 and the flow path 502. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first step portion 530 includes a first step surface 532 and a first slope surface 534 extending from the first step surface 532 to be inclined toward the flow path 502. Here, the first step surface 532 may be a surface parallel to a surface perpendicular to the second direction of the first fluid flow. That is, the first step surface 532 may be a surface protruding from the wall surface of the first hole 512. The first step surface 532 may contact the end of a connecting member (not shown) assembled into the first hole 512, and thus may be used as a stopper for the connecting member. Therefore, when the connecting member is assembled with the fluid flow portion 1100 according to an embodiment of the present invention, the connecting member stops when the end of the connecting member contacts the first step surface 532, and is not further inserted into the interior of the fluid flow portion 1100, so that the assembly may be easy and the bonding force between the connecting member and the fluid flow portion 1100 may be improved.

[0141] In this case, the height 532h of the first step surface 532 may be 1 mm or more from the wall surface of the first hole 512. The height 532h of the first step surface 532 may be less than or equal to the thickness of the hollow tubular connecting member, for example, 0.5 to 1 times the thickness of the connecting member. Therefore, the flow of the first fluid will not be hindered by the first step surface 532, and the first step surface 532 will maintain the function of the stopper of the connecting member. Therefore, the first fluid can be prevented from generating a vortex phenomenon by passing through the first step surface 532.

[0142] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first slope surface 534 is a surface extending obliquely from the first step surface 532 toward the flow path 502, and the first fluid discharged from the connection member assembled into the first hole 512 can flow into the flow path 502 without the flow path resistance generated by the first slope surface 534. The first slope surface 534 can form an angle (θ) of 5 to 85 degrees, 10 to 80 degrees, 15 to 75 degrees, 20 to 70 degrees, 25 to 65 degrees, 30 to 60 degrees, 35 to 55 degrees, 40 to 50 degrees, 40 to 85 degrees, 45 to 85 degrees, 50 to 85 degrees, 55 to 85 degrees, 60 to 85 degrees, 65 to 85 degrees, 70 to 85 degrees, or 75 to 85 degrees relative to the surface perpendicular to the first step surface 532. Therefore, the first fluid discharged from the connection member can flow into the flow path 502 without any change in flow rate.

[0143] In this case, the length 534L of the first slope surface 534 may be three times or more the height 532h of the first step surface 532. The length 534L of the first slope surface 534 may be 60% or more of the inner diameter of the connecting member. Therefore, the first fluid can flow into the flow path 502 without the flow path resistance generated by the first slope surface 534, and the thickness of the fluid flow portion 1100 in the flow path area 500 in the first direction can be implemented to be thinner.

[0144] Similarly, the fluid flow portion 1100 also includes a second step portion 540 disposed between the flow path 502 and the second hole 522. Here, the embodiment is described focusing on the first step portion 530, but the same structure can also be applied to the second step portion 540. The first step portion 530 and the second step portion 540 can be symmetrical to each other. That is, the first step portion 540 can include a second step surface 542 disposed between the second hole 522 and the flow path 502, and a second slope surface 544 extending from the second step surface 542 to be inclined toward the flow path 502. Therefore, the flow rate of the first fluid can be prevented from changing in the fluid discharge area 520, and the first fluid can be discharged to the outside without flow path resistance.

[0145] Meanwhile, as described above, the thermoelectric device 1000 according to the embodiment of the present invention is connected to the external component through a connection member (not shown). According to the embodiment of the present invention, one end of the connection member is connected to the external component, and the other end of the connection member is connected to the fluid flow portion 1100. The other end of the connection member may be inserted into the first hole 512 of the fluid flow portion 1100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, and then fixed to the first hole 512.

[0146] To this end, according to an embodiment of the present invention, a first groove G1 having a predetermined depth is formed in the wall surface of the first hole 512. After the other end of the connection member is inserted into the first hole 512, when the diameter of the first hole is expanded by applying a force to the inner wall of the connection member at a position corresponding to the first groove G1 to expand the diameter, the other end of the connection member can be pressed into the first hole 512. Therefore, the gap between the connection member and the first groove G1 of the first hole 512 disappears, thereby ensuring airtightness. Therefore, since the thermoelectric device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention can be connected to an external component by the connection member without a fastening member such as a screw, the fastening strength and durability can be ensured.

[0147] In this case, the first hole 512 can be designed to have a circular shape similar to the connecting member, and the diameter of the first hole 512 can be designed to be larger than the diameter of the connecting member. For example, the diameter of the first hole 512 can be designed to be 0.2mm to 0.4mm larger than the diameter of the connecting member. Therefore, the connecting member can be easily inserted into the first hole 512, and the air tightness and tightness between the connecting member and the first hole 512 can be enhanced. For this purpose, the connecting member can be made of a flexible material and can be bent to match the shape of the first hole 512 after being inserted into the first hole 512.

[0148] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance 512L from one side of the fluid inflow area 510 to the first step portion 530 as the other side of the fluid inflow area 510, that is, the distance that the first hole 512 extends along the second direction can be designed to be 40% or more and 70% or less of the total length of the connecting member. Therefore, the fastening strength between the connecting member and the first hole 512 can be ensured, and the fastening work can be easy.

[0149] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first groove G1 formed in the first hole 512 may be formed in a continuous annular shape along a wall surface of the first hole 512. Therefore, fixation between the connection member and the first groove G1 may be easy.

[0150] Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first groove G1 formed in the first hole 512 may be formed in a discontinuous annular shape along the wall surface of the first hole 512 .

[0151] Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the length of the first groove G1 may be 20% or more, 30% or more, 40% or more, 50% or more, 60% or more, 70% or more, 80% or more, or 90% or more of the circumferential length of the wall surface of the first hole 512. Here, the length of the first groove G1 may be the extension distance of the first groove G1 along the wall surface of the first hole 512. For example, the length of the first groove G1 may be 1.5 mm to 4 mm. Therefore, both the fastening strength and airtightness between the first groove G1 and the connecting member can be ensured.

[0152] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first groove G1 may be formed in a spiral shape along the wall surface of the first hole 512. Therefore, even when the thermoelectric device 1000 according to an embodiment of the present invention is subjected to frequent vibrations, the possibility of separation of the connection member from the thermoelectric device 1000 may be minimized.

[0153] Alternatively, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the first groove G1 may be formed to extend from one side of the fluid inlet region 510 , ie, from one side of the fluid inlet, along the second direction to the other side of the fluid inlet region 510 , ie, the first step portion 530 .

[0154] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the depth G1D of the first groove G1 may be 20% or more and 50% or less of the thickness of the connection member. Here, the depth G1D of the first groove G1 may be a vertical distance from the wall surface of the first hole 512 to the bottom surface of the first groove G1. When the depth of the first groove G1 satisfies this numerical range, the fastening strength and airtightness with the connection member can be simultaneously ensured.

[0155] In this case, the length of the first groove G1 may be greater than the depth G1D of the first groove G1. For example, the length of the first groove G1 may be 2 or more times, 5 or more times, 10 or more times, or 2 to 20 times the depth G1D of the first groove G1. Therefore, the work for fixing the connection member to the first hole 512 may be easy, and the airtightness between the connection member and the first hole 512 may be maintained.

[0156] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a second groove G2 having a predetermined depth and spaced apart from the first groove G1 may be further formed in the wall surface of the first hole 512. When two or more grooves are formed in the first hole 512, the fastening strength may be further increased in a hook shape when the connecting member fills the space of the first groove G1 and the second groove G2.

[0157] In this case, the first groove G1 and the second groove G2 may be sequentially arranged along the second direction from one side of the fluid inlet region 510, that is, from one side of the fluid inlet to the other side of the fluid inlet region 510, that is, the first step portion 530, and at least one of the distance d1 from the one side of the fluid inlet region 510 to the first groove G1 and the distance d2 from the second groove G2 to the first step portion 530 as the other side of the fluid inlet region 510 may be greater than or equal to the distance d3 between the first groove G1 and the second groove G2. In this case, the distance between the first groove G1 and the second groove G2 may be 6 mm or more. Therefore, the fastening strength and airtightness between the connecting member and the first hole 512 may be simultaneously ensured.

[0158] For ease of description, the present embodiment focuses on the groove formed in the first hole 512 of the fluid inflow area 510, but is not limited thereto. A groove having the same or similar structure as the first hole 512 may also be formed in the second hole 522 of the fluid discharge area 520.

[0159] Although not shown, a protrusion may be formed on an outer wall of the connection member to engage with a groove of the first hole 512 .

[0160] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the fluid flow portion 1100 in the first direction may be different in the flow path region 500, the fluid inflow region 510, and the fluid discharge region 520. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thickness of the fluid flow portion 1100 in the first direction may be different in the flow path region 500, the fluid inflow region 510, the fluid discharge region 520, the first step portion 530, and the second step portion 540. For example, the thickness in the first direction in the flow path region 500 may be thinner than the thickness in the first direction in the fluid inflow region 510 and the fluid discharge region 520. For example, the thickness in the first direction in the flow path region 500 may be thinner than the thickness in the first direction in the first step portion 530 and the second step portion 540, and may be thinner than the thickness in the first direction in the first step portion 530 and the second step portion 540. The thickness in the first direction in the flow path region 500 may be thinner than the thickness in the first direction in the fluid inflow region 510 and the fluid discharge region 520. When the first step portion 530 and the second step portion 540 include the first slope surface 534 and the second slope surface 544, respectively, the thickness of the flow path region 500 in the first direction may be implemented to be thinner than the thickness in the first direction in the fluid inflow region 510 and the fluid discharge region 520. Since the thermoelectric modules are provided on both sides of the flow path region 500, as the thickness of the flow path region 500 is implemented to be thinner, the number of thermoelectric devices accommodated per unit volume may be increased, and the thermoelectric performance per unit volume may be improved.

[0161] According to an embodiment of the present invention, step surfaces 1142 and 1144 may be formed in the fluid inflow region 510 of the fluid flow portion 1100 or in the fourth surface 1140 and the first step portion 530 of the fluid inflow region 510. The step surfaces 1142 and 1144 may be parallel to the fourth surface 1140, but may form a step with the fourth surface 1140, wherein the fourth surface 1140 is disposed between the step surface 1142 and the step surface 1144. The step surface 1142 may be used to guide a wire connected to the thermoelectric module 1200 disposed on the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100.

[0162] According to an embodiment of the present invention, protrusions 1112 may be provided on the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the flow path region 500 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The protrusions 1112 may be a plurality of protrusions spaced apart from each other at predetermined intervals along the second direction on a side closer to the fourth surface 1140 among the third surface 1130 and the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The protrusions 1112 may be position holders of the thermoelectric module 1200 or the shielding member 1500 to be described below.

[0163] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a predetermined groove 1114 may be formed in the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the flow path region 500 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The predetermined groove 1114 may be a position guide for the thermoelectric module 1200 to be described below.

[0164] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric module 1200 is disposed on the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The fluid flow portion 1100 includes a flow path region 500, and a flow path inflow region 510 and a flow path discharge region 520 disposed on both sides of the flow path region 500. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric module 1200 is disposed in the flow path region 500.

[0165] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.10 is a plan view of a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.11 is an exploded perspective view of a thermoelectric module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.12 2 shows the shape of an electrode portion provided on a lower substrate of a thermoelectric module according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.13 is a plan view of a frame included in a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention, Fig.14 is a plan view of an insulating member included in a thermoelectric module according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.15 is a graph showing insulation resistance according to insulation distance.

[0166] Reference Figures 9 to 14 , the thermoelectric module 1200 includes: a first thermoelectric module 600; and a second thermoelectric module 700, the second thermoelectric module 700 being disposed adjacent to the first thermoelectric module 600. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of thermoelectric modules 1200 may be disposed on each of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The thermoelectric module 1200 includes a thermoelectric element and a heat sink, and the components described in reference to FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 Duplicate descriptions of the same content.

[0167] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first thermoelectric module 600 includes: a first lower substrate 610; a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the first lower substrate 610; and a first upper substrate 620, the first upper substrate 620 is disposed on the plurality of semiconductor elements, and the second thermoelectric module 700 includes: a second lower substrate 710; a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the second lower substrate 710; and a second upper substrate 720, the second upper substrate 720 is disposed on the plurality of semiconductor elements. The first lower substrate 610 and the second lower substrate 710 may be reference Figure 3 and Figure 4 The first substrate 110 described above, the plurality of semiconductor elements may be referred to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The P-type semiconductor element 130 and the N-type semiconductor element 140 described above, and the first upper substrate 620 and the second upper substrate 720 may be referred to as Figure 3 and Figure 4 The second substrate 160 is described.

[0168] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first lower substrate 610 and the second lower substrate 710 are disposed on the first surface 1110 of the fluid flow portion 1100. In this case, the first lower substrate 610 and the second lower substrate 710 may be disposed to directly contact the first surface 1110 of the fluid flow portion 1100, or may be disposed to indirectly contact through a thermal interface material (TIM) or the like.

[0169] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first lower substrate 610 may include first to fourth outer edges 610S1 to 610S4, the second lower substrate 710 may include first to fourth outer edges 710S1 to 710S4, the first outer edge 610S1 and the second outer edge 610S2 of the first lower substrate 610 may face each other, the third outer edge 610S3 and the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 may face each other, the first outer edge 710S1 and the second outer edge 710S2 of the second lower substrate 710 may face each other, the third outer edge 710S3 and the fourth outer edge 710S4 of the second lower substrate 710 may face each other, and the first outer edge 610S1 and the second outer edge 610S2 of the first lower substrate 610 and the first outer edge 710S1 and the second outer edge 710S2 of the second lower substrate 710 may be arranged sequentially along the second direction.

[0170] The plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the first lower substrate 610 include a first-first semiconductor element disposed in a first region 611 of the first lower substrate 610 and a first-second semiconductor element disposed in a second region 612 of the first lower substrate 610, and the plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the second lower substrate 710 include a second-first semiconductor element disposed in a third region 711 of the second lower substrate 710 and a second-second semiconductor element disposed in a fourth region 712 of the second lower substrate 710. The first-first electrode portion 631 is disposed between the first region 611 of the first lower substrate 610 and the first-first semiconductor element, the first-second electrode portion 632 is disposed between the second region 612 of the first lower substrate 610 and the first-second semiconductor element, the second-first electrode portion 731 is disposed between the third region 711 of the second lower substrate 710 and the second-first semiconductor element, and the second-second electrode portion 732 is disposed between the fourth region 714 of the second lower substrate 710 and the second-second semiconductor element. The first-first electrode portion 631 and the first-second electrode portion 632 are connected by a connection electrode 633 , and the second-first electrode portion 731 and the second-second electrode portion 732 are connected by a connection electrode 733 .

[0171] The first upper substrate 620 includes a first-first upper substrate 621 disposed on the first-first semiconductor element and a first-second upper substrate 622 disposed on the first-second semiconductor element, and the second upper substrate 720 includes a second-first upper substrate 721 disposed on the second-first semiconductor element and a second-second upper substrate 722 disposed on the second-second semiconductor element. The first-first heat sink 641 is disposed on the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second heat sink 642 is disposed on the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first heat sink 741 is disposed on the second-first upper substrate 721, and the second-second heat sink 742 is disposed on the second-second upper substrate 722.

[0172] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the longitudinal length of the connection electrodes 633 and 733 may be 2 to 4 times the longitudinal length of the electrodes included in the first-first electrode portion 631, the first-second electrode portion 632, the second-first electrode portion 731, and the second-second electrode portion 732. Therefore, since the distance between the first-first radiator 641 and the first-second radiator 642 and the distance between the second-first radiator 741 and the second-second radiator 742 can be ensured to be a predetermined distance or more, interference between the radiators can be prevented and work efficiency can be improved.

[0173] A frame 800 may be further provided on the first lower substrate 610 and the second lower substrate 710. The frame 800 may include an insulating material and may be provided between the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first upper substrate 721, and the second-second upper substrate 722. Therefore, the frame 800 may separate the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first upper substrate 721, and the second-second upper substrate 722.

[0174] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first thermoelectric module 600 includes a first groove 650, and the second thermoelectric module 700 includes a second groove 750. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the first groove 650 is formed in the first lower substrate 610, and the second groove 750 is formed in the second lower substrate 710. The first groove 650 includes a first-first groove 651 and a first-second groove 652, and the first-first groove 651 may be formed in the first outer edge 610S1 which is one outer edge of the first lower substrate 610, and the first-second groove 652 may be formed in the second outer edge 610S2 which is the other outer edge of the first lower substrate 610. The second groove 750 includes a second-first groove 751 and a second-second groove 752, and the second-first groove 751 may be formed in the first outer edge 710S1 which is one outer edge of the second lower substrate 710, and the second-second groove 752 may be formed in the second outer edge 710S2 which is the other outer edge of the second lower substrate 710. In this case, an imaginary line V connecting the center of the first-first groove 651 with the center of the first-second groove 652 may be disposed in an area vertically overlapping with the area between the first-first upper substrate 621 and the first-second upper substrate 622. An imaginary line connecting the center of the second-first groove 751 with the center of the second-second groove 752 may be disposed in an area vertically overlapping with the area between the second-first upper substrate 721 and the second-second upper substrate 722. The first-first groove 651 and the first-second groove 652 may be disposed to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the connection electrode 633 connecting the first-first electrode portion 631 and the first-second electrode portion 632 extends. The second-first groove 751 and the second-second groove 752 may be disposed to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the connection electrode 733 connecting the second-first electrode portion 731 and the second-second electrode portion 732 extends.

[0175] In this case, the first-second groove 652 and the second-first groove 751 are disposed at positions corresponding to each other, and the first-second groove 652 and the second-first groove 751 may form a hole h1. The hole h1 formed by the first-second groove 652 and the second-first groove 751 may be a hole for passing a fastening member (not shown).

[0176] In addition, the frame 800 may include a hole h2 corresponding to the hole h1 formed by the first-second groove 652 and the second-first groove 751. A fastening member (not shown) may pass through the hole h2 and the hole h1, and therefore, the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be fixed simultaneously by one fastening member. Therefore, since the fastening member does not need to pass through the effective area where the semiconductor element is provided, the arrangement of the electrode portion and the semiconductor element may be easy, and the thermoelectric performance per unit area may be improved. A plurality of first-second grooves 652 and a plurality of second-first grooves 751 are provided at positions corresponding to each other, and a plurality of first-second grooves 652 and a plurality of second-first grooves 751 may form a plurality of holes h1.

[0177] In this case, the head portion of the fastening member (not shown) may be disposed on the upper edge of the hole h2 of the frame 800. To this end, the corners adjacent to the hole h2 among the four corners of the first-first upper substrate 621, the corners adjacent to the hole h2 among the four corners of the first-second upper substrate 622, the corners adjacent to the hole h2 among the four corners of the second-first upper substrate 721, and the corners adjacent to the hole h2 among the four corners of the second-second upper substrate 722 may include first to fourth cutting portions 621C, 622C, 721C, and 722C, respectively. Here, the cutting portion may refer to a chamfered shape. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame 800 may include first to fourth openings 810, 820, 830, and 840 surrounding the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first upper substrate 721, and the second-second upper substrate 722, respectively, to be disposed between the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first upper substrate 721, and the second-second upper substrate 722. The first to fourth openings 810, 820, 830, and 840 of the frame 800 may have shapes corresponding to outer edges of the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first upper substrate 721, and the second-second upper substrate 722, respectively. That is, among the four corners of each of the first to fourth openings 810, 820, 830 and 840 of the frame 800, the corner adjacent to the hole h2 can have a shape corresponding to the first to fourth cutting portions 621C, 622C, 721C and 722C of the first-first upper substrate 621, the first-second upper substrate 622, the second-first upper substrate 721 and the second-second upper substrate 722.

[0178] Although not shown, as shown in FIG. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As described above, a first insulating layer may be disposed between the first lower substrate 610 and the plurality of semiconductor elements, and a second insulating layer may be disposed between the plurality of semiconductor elements and the first upper substrate 620. A third insulating layer may also be disposed between the first insulating layer and the plurality of semiconductor elements.

[0179] As described above, the first-first electrode portion 631 and the first-second electrode portion 632 may be disposed between the first lower substrate 610 and the plurality of semiconductor elements, and the second-first electrode portion 731 and the second-second electrode portion 732 may be disposed between the second lower substrate 710 and the plurality of semiconductor elements.

[0180] In addition, an extension electrode 634 extending toward the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 may be further provided on the first lower substrate 610. In an embodiment of the present invention, the second fluid may flow in a direction from the fourth outer edge 610S4 toward the third outer edge 610S3. That is, the extension electrode 634 may be provided in a direction in which the second fluid flows in. The area of ​​the extension electrode 634 may be greater than the area of ​​each electrode forming the first-first electrode portion 631 and the first-second electrode portion 632. A connector is provided on the extension electrode 634, and a wire may be connected to the connector.

[0181] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an insulating member 900 may be further provided on the extension electrode 634. Although one insulating member 900 is shown as being provided on the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and an insulating member may be provided on each of the thermoelectric modules. The insulating member 900 may maintain a uniform bonding force between the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700 and the fluid flow portion 1100, and protect the wires connected to the connector.

[0182] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the insulating member 900 may include an insulating frame 920 in which an opening 910 is formed, and the opening 910 may be arranged at a position corresponding to the extension electrode 634, and the opening 910 may be filled with resin. Therefore, a resin may be provided on the extension electrode 634 to provide insulation, and the withstand voltage performance of the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700 may be enhanced. Here, the resin may include an epoxy resin or a silicone resin. When the insulating frame 920 includes a plastic material, the insulating frame 920 may be easily molded into various sizes and shapes. For example, the insulating frame 920 may be a plastic material that can be applied at high temperatures, such as polyphenylene sulfide (PPS). Therefore, the problem that the shape of the insulating frame 920 is deformed due to the second fluid at a high temperature can be prevented.

[0183] According to the embodiment of the present invention, a through hole 930 may be formed between the openings 910 of the insulation frame 920 , and a fastening member may be fastened to the through hole 930 .

[0184] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an insulating member 900 may be disposed on each of the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700 , or one insulating member 900 may be disposed on the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700 .

[0185] According to the embodiment of the present invention, first-third grooves 653 and second-third grooves 753 may be further provided in the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 and the fourth outer edge 710S4 of the second lower substrate 710, respectively, and grooves 940 corresponding to the first-third grooves 653 and the second-third grooves 753 may be further provided in the insulating member 900. The first-third grooves 653 and the second-third grooves 753 provided on the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 and the fourth outer edge 710S4 of the second lower substrate 710, respectively, and the grooves 940 provided on the insulating member 900 may be used as portions for positioning, and these grooves may be aligned by engaging with the protrusions 1112 of the fluid flow portion 1100.

[0186] Reference Fig.15 In order to obtain an insulation resistance of 500MΩ or greater, an insulation distance of 12mm or greater must be guaranteed. In this specification, the insulation distance may refer to the shortest insulation distance from the effective area where the semiconductor element is provided to the outer edge of the substrate. When the insulating frame 920 is provided on the extended electrode 634 as in an embodiment of the present invention, the insulation distance can be increased by the height of the insulating frame 920, and therefore, a higher insulation resistance can be obtained. For example, the shortest insulation distance can be defined by (2*the height of the insulating frame+the length of the insulating frame). Here, the height of the insulating frame can be defined as the height based on the lower substrate in the first direction, and the length of the insulating frame can be defined as the length in the third direction.

[0187] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a ratio of a distance from the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 to the nearest semiconductor element among the plurality of semiconductor elements to a distance from the extension electrode 634 to the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 may be 1.5 times or more and 3.5 times or less. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a ratio of a height of the insulating frame 920 to a distance from the extension electrode 634 to the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 may be 0.25 times or more and 0.7 times or less. For example, the distance from the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 to the nearest semiconductor element among the plurality of semiconductor elements may be 9 mm to 21 mm, the distance from the extension electrode 634 to the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 may be 3 mm to 14 mm, and the height of the insulating frame 920 may be 1.5 mm to 4 mm. That is, even when the distance from the extension electrode 634 to the fourth outer edge 610S4 of the first lower substrate 610 is 3 mm, an insulation distance of 12 mm can be ensured due to the insulating frame 920. Therefore, in addition to satisfying high insulation resistance, the area of ​​the effective region where the semiconductor element is disposed can be maximized to obtain thermoelectric performance, and the insulating frame 920 may not hinder the flow path of the second fluid through the heat sink.

[0188] As described above, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the frame 800 may be disposed to surround the first to fourth upper substrates. Since the frame 800 includes an insulating material, the insulation distance of the thermoelectric module may be further increased due to the frame 800.

[0189] Here, it is described that the thermoelectric module 1200 includes the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700, and the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700 respectively include the first lower substrate 610 and the second lower substrate 710, but the embodiment is not limited thereto. According to another embodiment of the present invention, the first lower substrate 610 and the second lower substrate 710 may be implemented as one lower substrate, the first to fourth upper substrates 621, 622, 721 and 722 may be provided on one lower substrate, and holes may be formed in the frame 800 and the lower substrate to correspond to the separation areas between the first to fourth upper substrates 621, 622, 721 and 722.

[0190] At the same time, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2, a shielding member 1500 may also be provided to prevent moisture or contaminants from penetrating into the thermoelectric module 1200. As described above, the fluid flow portion 1100 includes a first surface 1110 and a second surface 1120 spaced apart from the first surface 1110 in a first direction, and the thermoelectric module 1200 is provided on each of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100. The first fluid flows between the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100 along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid flows along the heat sink 1220 of the thermoelectric module 1200 along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction. Here, the third direction may be a direction from the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100 toward the third surface 1130.

[0191] Figures 16 to 23 is a view showing a process of assembling a shielding member to a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig.24 is a cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric device in a state where a shield member is assembled according to one embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.25 is a perspective view of a state in which a third shielding member is removed from the thermoelectric device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0192] Reference Fig.16 and Fig.17 In a state where the thermoelectric module 1200 is assembled to each of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100 , the first shielding member 1510 is disposed on the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100 .

[0193] The first shielding member 1510 is disposed on the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100, but may extend to cover a portion of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100. For example, the cross-section of the first shielding member 1510 may have a "C" shape. Therefore, the first shielding member 1510 may protect not only the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100, but also the boundary between the first surface 1110 and the third surface 1130 and the boundary between the second surface 1120 and the third surface 1130.

[0194] In this case, a first insulating member 1610 may be additionally provided between the fluid flow portion 1100 and the first shielding member 1510. Therefore, even when the second fluid of high temperature flows on the surface of the first shielding member 1510, the influence on the first fluid in the fluid flow portion 1100 may be minimized. A fastening hole 1512 is formed in the first shielding member 1510, and the first shielding member 1510 may be fastened to the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100 through the fastening hole 1512. Therefore, the first insulating member 1610 may be provided between the fastening holes 1512.

[0195] Next, refer to Fig.18 and Fig.19 , the thermoelectric module 1200 is assembled to each of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100, and in a state where the first shielding member 1510 is assembled to the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100, the second shielding member 1520 is provided on the first surface 1110 of the fluid flow portion 1100 and the thermoelectric module 1200. In this case, the second shielding member 1520 may extend to the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100 to cover a portion of the first shielding member 1510 provided on the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100. In addition, a fourth shielding member 1540 symmetrical to the second shielding member 1520 may be provided on the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100 and the thermoelectric module 1200, and the fourth shielding member 1540 may extend to the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100 to cover a portion of the first shielding member 1510 provided on the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100. Therefore, since the gap between the first shielding member 1510 and the second shielding member 1520 and the gap between the first shielding member 1510 and the fourth shielding member 1540 are not directly provided in the direction in which the second fluid flows, the problem that the second fluid flows between the gap between the first shielding member 1510 and the second shielding member 1520 and the gap between the first shielding member 1510 and the fourth shielding member 1540 can be prevented.

[0196] Meanwhile, the second shielding member 1520 and the fourth shielding member 1540 may include grooves 1522 and 1542 respectively disposed to correspond to each other, and the grooves 1522 and 1542 may be disposed on the third surface 1130 and may be disposed to correspond to the fastening hole 1512 of the first shielding member 1510. Therefore, a fastening member (not shown) may be fixed to the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100 by passing through a hole formed by the grooves 1522 and 1542 of the second shielding member 1520 and the fourth shielding member 1540 and the fastening hole 1512 of the first shielding member 1510.

[0197] As described above, the thermoelectric module 1200 may include a thermoelectric element disposed on the fluid flow portion 1100 and a heat sink disposed on the thermoelectric element, and may include a first thermoelectric module 600 and a second thermoelectric module 700 disposed adjacent to the first thermoelectric module 600 .

[0198] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the second shielding member 1520 may include a through hole 1524 through which the heat sink is exposed, and an edge of the through hole 1524 may be disposed on the upper substrate of the first thermoelectric module 600 and the second thermoelectric module 700. Therefore, the high-temperature second fluid may flow through the heat sink along the third direction.

[0199] Next, refer to Fig. 20 and Fig.21 The thermoelectric module 1200 is assembled to each of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100, the first shielding member 1510 is assembled to the third surface 1130 of the fluid flow portion 1100, and when the second shielding member 1520 and the fourth shielding member 1540 are assembled to the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100, the third shielding member 1530 is arranged on the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100.

[0200] The third shielding member 1530 may be disposed on the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100, but may extend to a portion of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100. For example, the cross-section of the third shielding member 1530 may have a "C" shape. Therefore, the third shielding member 1530 may protect not only the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100, but also the boundary between the first surface 1110 and the fourth surface 1140 and the boundary between the second surface 1120 and the fourth surface 1140. In addition, in the structure in which the second fluid flows from the fourth surface 1140 toward the third surface 1130 on the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100, since when the third shielding member 1530 is arranged on the second shielding member 1520 and the fourth shielding member 1540, the gaps between the second shielding member 1520 and the fourth shielding member 1540 and the third shielding member 1530 are not directly exposed along the direction of flow of the second fluid, the problem of the second fluid seeping out between the second shielding member 1520 and the fourth shielding member 1540 and the third shielding member 1530 can be minimized.

[0201] In this case, a second insulating member 1620 may be additionally provided between the fluid flow portion 1100 and the third shielding member 1530. Therefore, even when the second fluid of high temperature flows on the surface of the third shielding member 1530, the influence on the first fluid in the fluid flow portion 1100 may be minimized. In order to minimize the influence of the second fluid of high temperature on the first fluid in the fluid flow portion 1100, the second insulating member 1620 provided between the fluid flow portion 1100 and the third shielding member 1530 may also extend to a part of the first surface 1110 and the second surface 1120 of the fluid flow portion 1100. Although not shown, a fastening hole is formed in the third shielding member 1530, and the third shielding member 1530 may be fastened to the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100 through the fastening hole.

[0202] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the sealing member 1532 may be applied to the boundary between the third shielding member 1530 and the second shielding member 1520 and the boundary between the third shielding member 1530 and the fourth shielding member 1540. Therefore, the problem that the high-temperature second fluid penetrates into the boundary between the third shielding member 1530 and the second shielding member 1520 and the boundary between the third shielding member 1530 and the fourth shielding member 1540 may be prevented.

[0203] At the same time, as reference Figures 5 to 8As described, the fluid flow portion 1100 includes a flow path region 500 , a fluid inflow region 510 , and a fluid discharge region 520 . In addition, the thermoelectric module 1200 and the first to fourth shielding members 1510 , 1520 , 1530 , and 1540 are disposed on the flow path region 500 .

[0204] Reference Fig. 22 and Fig.23 , in a state where the thermoelectric module 1200 and the first to fourth shielding members 1510, 1520, 1530 and 1540 are all disposed on the fluid flow portion 1100, a fifth shielding member 1550 is further disposed on the fluid inflow region 510, and a sixth shielding member 1560 is further disposed on the fluid discharge region 520. In this case, the fifth shielding member 1550 and the sixth shielding member 1560 may extend to respectively cover a portion of the third surface 1130 and the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100. In addition, a third insulating member 1630 and a fourth insulating member 1640 may also be disposed between the fluid inflow region 510 and the fifth shielding member 1550, and between the fluid discharge region 520 and the sixth shielding member 1560, respectively.

[0205] At the same time, as reference Figures 9 to 13 As described, the extension electrode of the thermoelectric module may extend toward the direction in which the second fluid flows in, the connector may be disposed on the extension electrode, and the wire may be connected to the connector.

[0206] That is, when the second fluid flows from the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100 toward the third surface 1130, the extension electrode, the connector, and the wire may be disposed toward the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100. Therefore, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the fifth shielding member 1550 may include a groove 1552 disposed on the fourth surface 1140, and the wire may be pulled out through the groove 1552.

[0207] Reference Fig.24 , the second fluid flows along the third direction. That is, in a structure in which the third shielding member 1530 is disposed on the second shielding member 1520 and the second shielding member 1520 is disposed on the first shielding member 1510, the second fluid flows sequentially along the third shielding member 1530, the second shielding member 1520, and the first shielding member 1510. Therefore, the second fluid can pass along the third direction without seeping out between the third shielding member 1530 and the second shielding member 1520 and between the second shielding member 1520 and the first shielding member 1510.

[0208] Reference Fig.25According to the structure of the embodiment of the present invention, only the third shielding member 1530 can be removed from the thermoelectric device 1000, and thus, the extension electrode, the connector, the wire, etc. can be exposed. In the event that the extension electrode, the connector, and the wire fail, they can be repaired by simply removing the third shielding member 1530 without having to disassemble or replace the entire thermoelectric device 1000.

[0209] According to embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of thermoelectric devices may form a thermoelectric system.

[0210] Fig.26 A thermoelectric system according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. Figure 27 to Figure 29 is a view showing a process of assembling a wire protection portion in a thermoelectric system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.30 is a perspective view of an upper structure included in a thermoelectric system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0211] Reference Figure 26 to Figure 29 The thermoelectric system 2500 includes: a first thermoelectric device 1000-1; a second thermoelectric device 1000-2 spaced apart from the first thermoelectric device 1000-1 along a first direction; a third thermoelectric device 1000-3 spaced apart from the second thermoelectric device 1000-2 along the first direction; a wire W electrically connected to the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2 and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3; and a wire protection portion 1700 disposed on one side of the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2 and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3 to surround at least a portion of the wire W.

[0212] The first fluid flows through each of the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2 and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3 along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and the second fluid having a higher temperature than the first fluid can flow between the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2 and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3 along a third direction perpendicular to the first direction and the second direction.

[0213] Each of the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2, and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3 may be a reference Figures 1 to 25 A thermoelectric device is described.

[0214] As described above, the wire W connected to the thermoelectric module included in each thermoelectric device is pulled out to the upper end of the fluid inflow area 510 of the fluid flow portion 1100 , ie, the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid inflow area 510 of the fluid flow portion 1100 .

[0215] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wire protection portion 1700 is disposed on one side of a plurality of thermoelectric devices, such as the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2, and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3, which are disposed at intervals along the first direction. Here, the one side refers to the fluid inflow region 510 of the fluid flow portion 1100, and the upper portion refers to a surface disposed in the direction in which the second fluid flows, that is, when the second fluid flows in the third direction from the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100 toward the third surface 1130, the fourth surface 1140 of the fluid flow portion 1100.

[0216] The wire protection part 1700 is used to gather the wires pulled out from the plurality of thermoelectric devices and guide the wires to the outside. Since the flow of the second fluid through the thermoelectric module 1200 disposed in the flow path area 520 is not hindered when the wire protection part 1700 is disposed on one side of the fluid flow part 1100, that is, in the fluid inflow area 510, the thermoelectric performance can be enhanced. In addition, since the temperature of the fluid inflow area 510 is lower than the temperature of the fluid discharge area 520, the temperature of the wire passing through the wire protection part 1700 can be maintained at a lower level.

[0217] Reference Fig.26 and Fig. 27The wire protection portion 1700 includes: a bottom portion 1710, the bottom portion 1710 is disposed on the plurality of thermoelectric devices 1000-1, ..., 1000-3; a first side wall 1720, the first side wall 1720 extends from a first end 1711 of the bottom portion 1710 toward an upward direction of the bottom portion 1710; a second side wall 1730, the second side wall 1730 extends from a second end 1712 of the bottom portion 1710 spaced apart from the first end 1711 along the first direction toward an upward direction of the bottom portion 1710; a third side wall 1740, the third side wall 1740 is disposed between the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730 and extends from a third end 1713 between the first end 1711 and the second end 1712 of the bottom portion 1710 toward an upward direction of the bottom portion 1710 Extension; a fourth side wall 1742, the fourth side wall 1742 is arranged between the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730 and extends from the fourth end 1714 of the bottom portion which is spaced apart from the third end 1713 along the second direction toward the upward direction of the bottom portion 1710; a first top portion 1780, the first top portion 1780 is spaced apart from the bottom portion 1710 and extends from the third side wall 1740 toward the second direction; a second top portion 1790, the second top portion 1790 is spaced apart from the bottom portion 1710 and extends from the fourth side wall 1742 in a direction opposite to the second direction; and fifth side walls 1770 and 1772, the fifth side walls 1770 and 1772 extend from the second top portion 1790 in the upward direction toward the upper bottom portion 1710 and are connected to the first top portion 1780. As shown, each of the first end 1711 and the second end 1712 may extend along the second direction, and the first end 1711 and the second end 1712 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the first direction. Each of the third end 1713 and the fourth end 1714 may extend along the first direction, and the third end 1713 and the fourth end 1714 may be disposed to be spaced apart from each other along the second direction. In this case, the height of the first top portion 1780 based on the bottom portion 1710 may be higher than the height of the second top portion 1790.

[0218] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the third sidewall 1740 and the fifth sidewalls 1771 and 1772 gradually decreases along the upward direction of the bottom portion 1710. For example, when the third sidewall 1740 is arranged almost vertically relative to the bottom portion 1710, the fifth sidewalls 1770 and 1772 may be inclined so that the portion thereof farther from the bottom portion 1710 in the upward direction is closer to the third sidewall 1740. For example, the third sidewall 1740 and the fifth sidewalls 1771 and 1772 may be arranged so that the angle between the third sidewall 1740 and the fifth sidewalls 1771 and 1772 in the second direction is 10 to 70 degrees, preferably 15 to 60 degrees, more preferably 20 to 50 degrees, and still more preferably 25 to 40 degrees. Therefore, as described below, the second fluid may flow between the first thermoelectric device to the third thermoelectric device 1000-1, 1000-2, and 1000-3 without any flow path resistance or loss.

[0219] In an embodiment of the present invention, the third sidewall 1740 and the fourth sidewall 1742 may be disposed parallel to each other, and thus, a distance between the third sidewall 1740 and the fourth sidewall 1742 may be the same along an upward direction of the bottom portion 1710 .

[0220] Alternatively, although not shown, in another embodiment of the present invention, the distance between the third side wall 1740 and the fourth side wall 1742 may be gradually reduced in the upward direction of the bottom portion 1710. At this time, the fourth side wall 1742 may be arranged to be parallel to the fifth side walls 1770 and 1772. That is, the angle between the third side wall 1740 and the fifth side walls 1771 and 1772 in the second direction may be the same as the angle between the third side wall 1740 and the fourth side wall 1742 in the second direction. Alternatively, the angle between the third side wall 1740 and the fifth side walls 1771 and 1772 in the second direction may be smaller than the angle between the third side wall 1740 and the fourth side wall 1742 in the second direction. Therefore, the second fluid can flow between the first thermoelectric device to the third thermoelectric device 1000-1, 1000-2 and 1000-3 without any flow path resistance or loss.

[0221] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wire protection portion 1700 includes a first hole 1750, a second hole 1752, and a third hole 1754 formed in the bottom portion 1710 at intervals along the first direction, and a fourth hole 1756 provided in the third side wall 1740. In this case, the third side wall 1740 may be provided on one of the two sides of the bottom portion 1710 spaced apart along the second direction, which is relatively far from the flow path region 520, i.e., the side where the fluid inlet of the first fluid is located, i.e., the side where the third end portion 1713 is located.

[0222] The first wire W1 connected to the first thermoelectric device 1000-1 passes through the first hole 1750, extends upward along the third sidewall 1740, and is pulled out through the fourth hole 1756. The second wire W2 connected to the second thermoelectric device 1000-2 passes through the second hole 1752, extends upward along the third sidewall 1740, and is pulled out through the fourth hole 1756. The third wire W3 connected to the third thermoelectric device 1000-3 passes through the third hole 1754, extends upward along the third sidewall 1740, and is pulled out through the fourth hole 1756.

[0223] In this manner, when the wire protection portion 1700 gathers wires connected to a plurality of thermoelectric devices and pulls out the wires, wire connection and work are easy, and the wires are easily protected from the second fluid of high temperature.

[0224] In this case, the first hole 1750, the second hole 1752, and the third hole 1754 may be formed at the boundary between the bottom portion 1710 of the wire protection portion 1700 and the third side wall 1740. Therefore, the first to third wires W1, W2, and W3 passing through the first hole 1750, the second hole 1752, and the third hole 1754 may extend upward along the third side wall 1740 in a state of contact with the third side wall 1740, and then be pulled out through the fourth hole 1756. Since the third side wall 1740 is provided at one side where the fluid inlet is located, when the first to third wires W1, W2, and W3 are in contact with the third side wall 1740, the temperature of the first to third wires W1, W2, and W3 may be maintained at a lower temperature state.

[0225] Reference Fig. 27 and Fig.28 According to an embodiment of the present invention, the wire protection portion 1700 may further include an insulating member 1760. The insulating member 1760 may be disposed on the bottom portion 1710 between the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730. In this case, the insulating member 1760 may be disposed in contact with the first to third wires W1, W2, and W3 extending along the third side wall 1740. Therefore, even when the second fluid of high temperature passes through the surface of the wire protection portion 1700, the problem of heat being applied to the first to third wires W1, W2, and W3 may be prevented by the insulating member 1760. In this case, the insulating member 1760 may include a first insulating member disposed between the bottom portion 1710 and the first top portion 1780 and a second insulating member disposed between the bottom portion 1710 and the second top portion 1790.

[0226] In this case, the space between each of the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730 and the insulating member 1760 may be sealed by the sealing member 770. Therefore, the problem that the heat of the second fluid is applied to the first to third wires W1, W2, and W3 through the gap between each of the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730 and the insulating member 1760 may be prevented.

[0227] Reference Fig.29 , the wire protection portion 1700 is disposed between the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730, and further includes a shielding cover portion 780 covering at least a portion of the first top portion 1780, the second top portion 1790, and the fifth side walls 1770 and 1772. To this end, at least one of fastening holes 1782, 1784, 1792, and 1794 is formed in each of the first top portion 1780 and the second top portion 1790, and the wire protection portion 1700 can be fastened to the shielding cover portion 780 through at least one fastening hole 1782, 1784, 1792, and 1794 using a fastening member.

[0228] Return to reference Fig.26 , the thermoelectric system 2500 may further include a wire protection portion 1700 and an upper structure 1800 spaced apart along the second direction, and the upper structure 1800 is disposed on the other side of the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2, and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3. Here, the other side of the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2, and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3 may refer to the side where the fluid outlet of the first fluid is located.

[0229] Reference Fig.30, the outer shape of the upper structure 1800 may be the same as the outer shape of the wire protection portion 1700, and may be symmetrically arranged with the wire protection portion 1700. For example, the upper structure 1800 may include an insulating material and may be formed into an outer shape symmetrical to the wire protection portion 1700. Alternatively, the upper structure 1800 may have the same material and structure as the wire protection portion 1700. For example, the upper structure 1800 may also include a bottom portion, a first side wall 1820, a second side wall 1830, a third side wall, a fourth side wall 1844, a first top portion 1880, a second top portion 1890, and a fifth side wall 1870 in a shape symmetrical to the wire protection portion 1700. For example, the upper structure 1800 may have the same shape as the shape of the wire protection portion 1700 filled with the insulating member 1760. Although not shown, the shielding cover portion is disposed on at least a portion of the first top portion 1880, the second top portion 1890, and the fifth sidewall 1870 of the upper structure 1800, and the shielding cover portion may be fastened to the upper structure 1800 through fastening holes 1882, 1884, 1892, and 1894 formed in the first top portion 1880 and the second top portion 1890. Therefore, the weight of both sides of the thermoelectric system 2500 may be balanced. The upper structure 1800 may be disposed on the fluid discharge region 520 of the fluid flow portion 1100 of the first thermoelectric device 1000-1, the second thermoelectric device 1000-2, and the third thermoelectric device 1000-3. Therefore, the wire protection portion 1700 and the upper structure 1800 may also be used to guide the flow of the second fluid.

[0230] To this end, the shielding cover portion 780 of the wire protection portion 1700 may include a first inclined surface 782, and the upper structure 1800 may include a second inclined surface corresponding to the first inclined surface 782. The first inclined surface 782 may be disposed along the fifth sidewalls 1770 and 1772 of the wire protection portion 1700. The second inclined surface may refer to the fifth sidewall 1870 of the upper structure 1800 or a surface disposed along the fifth sidewall 1870 of the shielding cover portion of the upper structure 1800.

[0231] like Fig.26 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the distance D between the first inclined surface 782 and the second inclined surface can be gradually narrowed along the direction of the second fluid flow. Therefore, the second fluid flowing to the thermoelectric system 2500 can be collected in the central area where the thermoelectric module 1200 is provided, and then pass along the third direction.

[0232] Meanwhile, according to another embodiment of the present invention, the thermoelectric system may be arranged in multiple stages.

[0233] Fig.31is a perspective view of a thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention, Fig.32 and Fig.33 is a view showing a process of assembling a wire holding portion in a thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention, and Fig.34 is a perspective view of an upper structure included in a thermoelectric system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0234] Reference Figure 31 to Figure 33 The thermoelectric system 3000 includes a first thermoelectric system 3100 and a second thermoelectric system 3200 disposed below the first thermoelectric system 3100 along a third direction in which a second fluid flows, and each thermoelectric system includes a plurality of thermoelectric devices disposed to be spaced apart in the first direction.

[0235] Reference Figures 1 to 25 The described contents may be applied to each of the plurality of thermoelectric devices included in each of the first thermoelectric system 3100 and the second thermoelectric system 3200 .

[0236] For each of the first thermoelectric system 3100 and the second thermoelectric system 3200, the Figures 26 to 30 Duplicate descriptions of the same content.

[0237] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the outer shapes of the wire protection portion and the upper structure included in the first thermoelectric system 3100 may be different from the outer shape of the upper structure of the wire protection portion included in the second thermoelectric system 3200 .

[0238] In the thermoelectric system closest to the inlet of the second fluid, for example, Fig.31 In the first thermoelectric system 3100 in FIG. 1 , the gap D1 between the wire protection portion 1700 and the facing surface of the upper structure 1800 may gradually narrow along the direction in which the second fluid flows. Therefore, the second fluid flowing in the thermoelectric system 3000 may be collected in the central region where the thermoelectric module 1200 is disposed, and then pass along the third direction.

[0239] In contrast, a thermoelectric system disposed below the thermoelectric system closest to the inlet of the second fluid, e.g. Fig.31 The shapes of the wire protection portion 2700 and the upper structure 2800 in the second thermoelectric system 3200 are different from those of the thermoelectric system closest to the inlet of the second fluid, such as Fig.31 The shapes of the wire protection portion 1700 and the upper structure 1800 in the first thermoelectric system 3100 .

[0240] According to an embodiment of the present invention, the width of the bottom portion of the wire protection portion 2700 of the second thermoelectric system 3200 is 0.98 times to 1.02 times the width of the top portion. Similarly, the width of the bottom portion of the upper structure 2800 of the second thermoelectric system 3200 is 0.98 times to 1.02 times the width of the top portion. Here, the bottom portion and the top portion may be arranged in opposite directions along a third direction. For example, the bottom portion may be a bottom surface or an area including a bottom surface arranged to face a plurality of thermoelectric devices included in the second thermoelectric system 3200, and the top portion may be a top surface or an area including a top surface as a surface opposite to the bottom surface. The top surface may be a surface arranged to face the first thermoelectric system 3100.

[0241] Therefore, the thermoelectric system disposed closest to the inlet of the second fluid, e.g. Fig.31 The facing surfaces of the wire protection portion 2700 and the upper structure 2800 in the thermoelectric system below the second thermoelectric system 3200 in the embodiment may be parallel to each other. In this specification, the surfaces may be interpreted as parallel when the error range is within ±4%. That is, Fig.31 In the second thermoelectric system 3200 in, the gap D2 between the wire protection portion 2700 and the facing surface of the upper structure 2800 can be the same or have a deviation of ±4% along the direction of the second fluid flow. For example, the deviation between the shortest distance between the bottom portion of the wire protection portion 2700 and the bottom portion of the upper structure 2800 and the shortest distance between the top portion of the wire protection portion 2700 and the top portion of the upper structure 2800 can be within ±4%. That is, the shortest distance between the bottom portion of the wire protection portion 2700 and the bottom portion of the upper structure 2800 can be 0.96 times to 1.04 times the shortest distance between the top portion of the wire protection portion 2700 and the top portion of the upper structure 2800. Therefore, the problem of the second fluid flowing outside the central area where the thermoelectric module 1200 is provided to cause eddy currents can be prevented. That is, the facing surfaces of the wire protection portion 2700 and the upper structure 2800 can be used to control the eddy currents of the second fluid within the path through which the second fluid flows.

[0242] To this end, the shapes of the first side wall 2720 and the second side wall 2730, the shape of the insulating member 2760, and the shape of the shielding cover part 2780 of the wire protection part 2700 of the second thermoelectric system 3200 may be different from the shapes of the first side wall 1720 and the second side wall 1730, the shape of the insulating member 1760, and the shape of the cover member 1780 of the wire protection part 1700 of the first thermoelectric system 3100. Figures 26 to 30As described, the shielding cover portion 2780 includes a first inclined surface, and therefore, the fifth side walls 1770 and 1772 also include inclined surfaces, so that the shielding cover portion 2780 can be provided. In contrast, the outer shape of the wire protection portion 2700 of the second thermoelectric system 3200 may be a rectangular parallelepiped, and therefore, the outer shape of the upper structure 2800 of the second thermoelectric system 3200 may also have a rectangular parallelepiped shape, which is the same as the outer shape of the wire protection portion 2700.

[0243] That is, the wire protection portion 2700 of the second thermoelectric system 3200 includes: a bottom portion, which is arranged on the thermoelectric device and is surrounded by a fifth end 2711, a sixth end 2712, a seventh end and an eighth end 2714; a sixth side wall 2720 and a seventh side wall 2730, the sixth side wall 2720 and the seventh side wall 2730 each extending from the fifth end 2711 and the sixth end 2712 of the bottom portion toward the upward direction of the bottom portion; an eighth side wall 2740, the eighth side wall 2740 is arranged between the sixth side wall 2720 and the seventh side wall 2730 and extends from the seventh end of the bottom portion toward the upward direction; a ninth side wall 2742, the ninth side wall 2742 is arranged between the sixth side wall 2720 and the seventh side wall 2730 and extends from the eighth end 2714 of the bottom portion toward the upward direction; and a third top portion 2790, the third top portion 2790 is spaced apart from the bottom portion and extends from the eighth side wall 2740 toward the second direction. In this case, the ninth side wall 2740 extends to the third top portion 2790, and the eighth side wall 2740 and the ninth side wall 2740 are parallel to each other. As shown, both ends of the ninth side wall 2740 along the first direction can extend to meet the third top portion 2790, and therefore, the ninth side wall 2740 can have a concave shape between the two ends along the first direction. When the ninth side wall 2740 has a concave shape between the two ends along the first direction, after the wire and the insulating member are arranged in the space between the bottom portion, the eighth side wall 2740 and the ninth side wall 2740, the shielding cover portion 2780 is easily assembled.

[0244] Similarly, upper structure 2800 of second thermoelectric system 3200 may include side walls 2820 and 2842 and a top portion 2980 symmetrical to wire protection portion 2700. Although not shown, shielding cover portion of upper structure 2800 of second thermoelectric system 3200 may have the same shape as shielding cover portion 2780 of wire protection portion 2700 of second thermoelectric system 3200.

[0245] Here, the second thermoelectric system 3200 is illustrated as being disposed below the first thermoelectric system 3100 , but is not limited thereto, and an additional thermoelectric system may be disposed below the second thermoelectric system 3200 .

[0246] Throughout this specification, thermoelectric elements 100 and 1210 are described as including a first substrate 110, a first electrode portion 120, a P-type thermoelectric leg 130, an N-type thermoelectric leg 140, a second electrode portion 150, and a second substrate 160, but the definition of thermoelectric elements 100 and 1210 is not limited to this, and thermoelectric elements 100 and 1210 may also refer to thermoelectric elements in which a first electrode portion 120, a P-type thermoelectric leg 130, an N-type thermoelectric leg 140, a second electrode portion 150, and a second substrate 160 are included and disposed on a first substrate 110.

[0247] The power generation system can generate electricity using heat sources generated by ships, vehicles, power plants, geothermal heat, etc., and arrange multiple power generation devices to effectively gather heat sources. In this case, each power generation device can improve the cooling performance of the low-temperature part of the thermoelectric element by improving the bonding force between the thermoelectric module and the fluid flow part, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the power generation device, so that the fuel efficiency of transportation devices such as ships, vehicles, etc. can be improved. Therefore, in the shipping and transportation industry, the transportation cost can be reduced and an eco-friendly industrial environment can be created, and when applied to manufacturing industries such as steel mills, etc., the material cost can be reduced.

[0248] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, it should be understood that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric module array, comprising: a first thermoelectric module; as well as a second thermoelectric module, the second thermoelectric module being disposed adjacent to the first thermoelectric module, Wherein, the first thermoelectric module comprises: a first lower substrate; a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the first lower substrate; and A first upper substrate, wherein the first upper substrate is disposed on the plurality of semiconductor elements, and the second thermoelectric module comprises: a second lower substrate; a plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the second lower substrate; and a second upper substrate, the second upper substrate being disposed on the plurality of semiconductor elements, the first thermoelectric module comprising a first groove, and The second thermoelectric module includes a second groove disposed at a position corresponding to the first groove.

2. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 1, wherein: The plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the first lower substrate include a first-first semiconductor element disposed in a first region of the first lower substrate and a first-second semiconductor element disposed in a second region of the first lower substrate, The plurality of semiconductor elements disposed on the second lower substrate include a second-first semiconductor element disposed in a third region of the second lower substrate and a second-second semiconductor element disposed in a fourth region of the second lower substrate, The first upper substrate includes a first-first upper substrate disposed on the first-first semiconductor element and a first-second upper substrate disposed on the first-second semiconductor element, and The second upper substrate includes a second-first upper substrate disposed on the second-first semiconductor element and a second-second upper substrate disposed on the second-second semiconductor element.

3. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 2, wherein: The first groove is formed on one side of the first lower substrate, and The second groove is formed on one side portion of the second lower substrate.

4. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 3, wherein: The first groove and the second groove are disposed at positions corresponding to a region between the first-first upper substrate and the first-second upper substrate.

5. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 4, comprising a frame, the frame being disposed on the first lower substrate and the second lower substrate and between the first upper substrate and the second upper substrate, in, The frame includes holes corresponding to the first groove and the second groove.

6. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 5, wherein: The frame is disposed between the first-first upper substrate and the first-second upper substrate and between the second-first upper substrate and the second-second upper substrate.

7. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 2, further comprising a connecting electrode, wherein the connecting electrode connects the first region and the second region. in, The first groove and the second groove are disposed at positions where the first groove and the second groove overlap each other along a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the connection electrode extends.

8. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 5, further comprising a fastening member disposed in the first groove and the second groove, in, The first upper substrate includes a first cutting portion, The second upper substrate includes a second cutting portion, and The first cutting portion and the second cutting portion are corner portions of the first upper substrate and the second upper substrate adjacent to the fastening member.

9. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 8, wherein: The frame has a shape corresponding to the first cutting portion and the second cutting portion.

10. The thermoelectric module array according to claim 1, comprising: a first insulating layer, the first insulating layer being disposed between the first lower substrate and the plurality of semiconductor elements; as well as A second insulating layer is disposed between the plurality of semiconductor elements and the first upper substrate.

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