Thermoelectric module and temperature control device for electrochemical reactor

Abstract

The utility model provides a thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor and a temperature control device, which are used for contacting the reactor to control the reaction temperature of the reactor, and comprise a semiconductor thermoelectric module and a heat conducting plate contacting the end face of the semiconductor thermoelectric module and the end face of the reactor, a groove is formed in the position, corresponding to the reaction cavity, of the end face of the reactor, and the heat conduction plate penetrates into the groove and makes contact with the bottom face of the groove. The thermoelectric module for the electrochemical reactor is mainly used for realizing efficient and accurate temperature control of the reactor and high-precision electrochemical reaction experiments of the reactor, and detection and analysis of influence of different experiment conditions on electrochemical reaction are realized. The method is mainly realized by improving the contact interface of the thermoelectric module and the reactor, the end surface of the reactor is slotted, and then the heat conducting plate is inserted into the slot to contact with the bottom surface of the groove, so that the actual distance of a path with lower heat conductivity is compressed, and the heat conducting effect is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the technical field of temperature control devices for reactors, in particular to a thermoelectric module and a temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor. Background Art

[0002] An electrochemical reactor is a reaction device that encapsulates a catalyst and a reaction chamber, and is usually used for the electrochemical reduction or oxidation of specific products. The electrochemical reactor used for the catalytic reduction of carbon dioxide can realize the conversion of carbon dioxide into organic matter, thereby achieving carbon fixation, energy storage and other functions. The electrocatalytic process will cause the temperature of the reactor system to rise due to the existence of the internal resistance of the reactor. Existing materials have proved that the reaction temperature has a relatively obvious effect on the electrocatalytic reaction of carbon dioxide. The temperature not only affects the catalytic efficiency and selectivity of the catalyst, but also affects the solubility of carbon dioxide and thus affects the reaction efficiency.

[0003] Industrialized carbon dioxide electrocatalytic conversion can consider ensuring the temperature of the reactor is within the range by controlling the temperature of the reactant solution, and it is not excluded to use other active constant temperature control equipment to achieve this goal. Experimental carbon dioxide electrocatalytic reaction devices generally need to achieve independent control of the reactor temperature, so it is necessary to add a corresponding active constant temperature device to the electrocatalytic reaction device. Utility Model Content

[0004] Whether in the industrial conversion of carbon dioxide or in the experimental research of the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide, it is necessary to control the temperature conditions of the reaction. In view of this, the utility model provides a thermoelectric module and a temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor.

[0005] The technical solution of the utility model provides a thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor, which is used to contact the reactor to achieve reaction temperature control of the reactor, including a semiconductor thermoelectric module and a heat conductive plate contacting an end face of the semiconductor thermoelectric module and an end face of the reactor, wherein a groove is provided on the end face of the reactor corresponding to the position of the reaction chamber, and the heat conductive plate penetrates into the groove and contacts the bottom surface of the groove.

[0006] Preferably, the thickness of the end of the heat conducting plate contacting the bottom surface of the groove is no more than 5 mm from the reaction chamber.

[0007] Preferably, the thickness of the end of the heat conducting plate contacting the bottom surface of the groove is no more than 2 mm from the reaction chamber.

[0008] Preferably, the thermal conductivity of the heat conducting plate is not less than 200 W / (m*K).

[0009] Preferably, the heat conducting plate is made of copper or copper alloy.

[0010] Preferably, one end surface of the semiconductor thermoelectric module is in close contact with the heat conducting plate, and the other end surface of the semiconductor thermoelectric module is in close contact with the heat sink. The surface of the heat sink away from the semiconductor thermoelectric module has a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged on one side, and air flow channels are formed between the fins.

[0011] Preferably, a fan is arranged above the fins of the heat sink, and the fan accelerates the flow of air between the fins of the heat conducting plate when it is running.

[0012] Preferably, thermal conductive silicone grease is applied on the contact surface between the heat conducting plate and the semiconductor thermoelectric module and the bottom surface of the groove of the reactor.

[0013] The utility model also provides a temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor, comprising two groups of thermoelectric modules for an electrochemical reactor as described in any one of the above items, wherein the two groups of thermoelectric modules for an electrochemical reactor are respectively arranged on both end surfaces of the reactor.

[0014] Preferably, a tensioning device is arranged between the two groups of thermoelectric modules for electrochemical reactors, and the tensioning device clamps the reactor between the two temperature control devices for electrochemical reactors and simultaneously maintains close contact with each other through normal pressure.

[0015] The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor of the utility model is mainly used to achieve efficient and accurate temperature control of the reactor, and on this basis to achieve high-precision electrochemical reaction experiments in the reactor, and to achieve detection and analysis of the effects of different experimental conditions on the electrochemical reaction. The main content of the thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor is to achieve rapid and accurate conduction of the temperature control of the thermoelectric module to the reaction chamber, which is mainly achieved by improving the contact interface between the thermoelectric module and the reactor, by grooving the end face of the reactor, and then deepening the heat conduction plate into the groove to contact the bottom surface of the groove, compressing the actual distance of the path with lower thermal conductivity, thereby improving the heat conduction effect and ensuring the temperature response speed and control accuracy of the reaction chamber of the thermoelectric module. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the principle of a thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor of the utility model;

[0017] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor of the utility model;

[0018] Figure 3 It is an exploded schematic diagram of a thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor of the utility model;

[0019] Figure 4It is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the adaptation between the heat conducting plate 12 of the thermoelectric module for the electrochemical reactor of the utility model and the groove of the reactor W;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the installation of the temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor of the utility model.

[0021] In the figure,

[0022] W: Reactor 1: Thermoelectric module 11: Semiconductor thermoelectric module 12: Heat conducting plate 13: Heat sink 14: Fan DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] The following is a detailed description of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. In this specification, the size ratios in the drawings do not represent the actual size ratios, but are only used to reflect the relative position relationship and connection relationship between the components. Components with the same name or the same number represent similar or identical structures and are only for illustrative purposes.

[0024] Figure 1 The schematic diagram of the structure of the thermoelectric module for the electrochemical reactor of the utility model. The thermoelectric module 1 is used for the temperature control of the reactor W, and the thermoelectric module 1 includes a semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 that contacts the end face of the reactor W through a heat-conducting medium. The thermoelectric module for the electrochemical reactor mainly realizes the temperature control function of the reactor W through the active temperature control of the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11. The semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 is usually a thermoelectric cooler. According to the different directions of the current applied thereto, the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 can selectively work in the heat dissipation mode or the heating mode. Therefore, the reactor W can be controlled within a reasonable temperature range by relying solely on the active control of the thermoelectric module 1.

[0025] Figure 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a specific embodiment of a thermoelectric module 1, Figure 3It is an explosion schematic diagram of this specific embodiment. The reactor W can be an electrochemical reactor with two end plates as shown in the figure, or it can be other stacked reactors with a multi-layer stacking structure. The main content of this scheme is to provide a way to efficiently and stably control the temperature of the reactor by contacting the end surface of the end plate. The heat conducting medium can be the heat conducting plate 12 shown in the figure. The heat conducting plate 12 generally selects a material with good thermal conductivity, and its thermal conductivity is generally above 200W / (m*K), such as copper or copper alloy materials. One side of the heat conducting plate 12 is tightly fitted to one side surface of the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11, and one side is tightly contacted to the end surface of the reactor W to form a heat conduction channel. The other side of the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 can preferably be provided with a heat sink 13, and the surface of one side of the heat sink 13 is tightly fitted to the other side end surface of the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11, and the other side surface has a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged, and an air flow channel is formed between the fins, thereby greatly increasing the effective contact area between the fins and the air, and improving the efficiency of heat exchange. Optionally, a fan 14 may be disposed above the fins of the heat sink 13 . When the fan 14 is running, it accelerates the flow of air between the fins of the heat conducting plate 12 , thereby further improving the heat dissipation effect between the air and the heat sink 13 .

[0026] The electrochemical reaction occurring in the reactor W mainly occurs at the interface between the reaction solution or reaction gas and the middle diaphragm, so the actual temperature of the reactants in the chamber is the main factor affecting the reaction efficiency. Experimental process In order to explore the influence of other factors on the electrocatalytic reaction of carbon dioxide, it is often necessary to accurately control the temperature of the reactants in the chamber. Even if the combination of the aforementioned semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 and the heat conducting plate 12 is adopted, the above functions may not be accurately realized. Under normal circumstances, the above scheme only requires that the heat conducting medium contacts the end face of the reactor W, and there is an end plate of a certain thickness between the reactants in the reaction chamber and the end face of the reactor W. Generally, the end plate is both a structural part of the reactor and a functional part of the reactor. It can be installed with pipe joints and electrodes, and its thickness can reach more than 10mm. Practical end plate materials are often made of stainless steel or other iron alloys, and their thermal conductivity is generally less than 100W / (m*K). This results in that although the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 is enabled for active temperature control, the temperature inside the reaction chamber often rises slowly and cannot follow the operation of the semiconductor thermoelectric module 11 in time, which also brings difficulties to temperature control, making it difficult to improve the accuracy of temperature control. As Figure 4As shown, for this purpose, it is preferred to open a groove on the end plate of the reactor W in the area corresponding to the reaction chamber, thereby greatly reducing the thickness of the end plate in the reaction chamber area, and the groove is adapted to the shape of the heat-conducting plate 12, so that the heat-conducting plate 12 can penetrate into the groove on the end plate of the reactor W and be in close contact with the lower bottom surface of the groove. Since the heat conduction distance between the heat-conducting plate 12 and the reaction chamber of the reactor W to be acted on is greatly reduced, its temperature control is more efficient and accurate, and the temperature condition of the reactor can be controlled more accurately. Generally speaking, in order to ensure close contact between different heat-conducting materials, a layer of deformable heat-conducting material such as heat-conducting silicone grease can be applied between the contacting end surfaces to ensure good contact and heat conduction between the interfaces after compression. In addition, it is obvious that the thickness of the bottom surface of the groove on the end plate of the reactor W should generally be within 5mm from the reaction chamber, preferably controlled within 2mm. This means that after the thermoelectric module 1 is installed, the end surface of the heat-conducting plate 12 can also be controlled within this distance. When the thickness is only less than 2 mm, in order to ensure the structural strength of the reaction chamber of the thermoelectric module 1, a number of reinforcing ribs can be set on the bottom surface of the groove of the thermoelectric module 1. Similarly, the outer end surface of the heat conducting plate 12 can be provided with a number of corresponding grooves for avoiding the reinforcing ribs. The groove is also used to limit the position between the reactor W and the thermoelectric module 1, which is particularly suitable for the case where the reactor W and the thermoelectric module 1 are clamped by a specific clamp on the laboratory bench to achieve installation. At this time, the groove can ensure that the heat conducting end face of the heat conducting plate 12 is facing the area where the reaction chamber is located.

[0027] Figure 5The schematic diagram of the temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor having a thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor. The temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor generally includes two groups of thermoelectric modules for an electrochemical reactor, and they are arranged on the end faces of the reactor W. Whether the reactor W is an independent electrochemical reactor or an electrochemical reactor with stacking characteristics, the heat conducting plate 12 of the thermoelectric module 1 can penetrate into the end plate groove of the reactor W to contact the bottom surface of the groove, compressing its direct distance with the reaction chamber. The end face of the heat conducting plate 12 of the thermoelectric module 1 is in close contact with the bottom surface of the groove of the reactor W. In the actual reactor experimental device, the thermoelectric module 1 and the reactor W can be pressed together by the clamping system on the experimental equipment to achieve the so-called close contact, and a layer of deformable heat conducting material such as heat conducting silicone grease can be applied on the contact surface. A tensioning device can also be set between the thermoelectric modules 1 on the two end faces, and the two thermoelectric modules 1 are tightened so that the reactor W is clamped in the middle and the end faces are kept in close contact by normal pressure. The tensioning device can be a threaded part connecting the two thermoelectric modules 1, such as the screw in the figure. By adjusting the position of the nut on the screw, the distance between the thermoelectric modules 1 is ensured to be appropriate, and the reactor W is clamped between the two. Properly tightening the nut can generate a certain normal pressure on the contact surface between the thermoelectric module 1 and the reactor W, ensuring close contact between the end faces, thereby better ensuring the thermal conductivity efficiency.

[0028] The above content is only a description of the preferred implementation mode of the utility model, and does not limit the scope of the utility model. Without departing from the design spirit of the utility model, various modifications and improvements made to the technical solution of the utility model by ordinary technicians in this field should fall within the protection scope determined by the claims of the utility model.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor, used for contacting a reactor (W) to achieve reaction temperature control of the reactor (W), comprising a semiconductor thermoelectric module (11) and a heat conducting plate (12) contacting an end surface of the semiconductor thermoelectric module (11) and an end surface of the reactor (W), characterized in that: The end surface of the reactor (W) is provided with a groove corresponding to the position of the reaction chamber, and the heat conducting plate (12) penetrates into the groove and contacts the bottom surface of the groove.

2. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thickness of the end of the heat conducting plate (12) contacting the bottom surface of the groove and the reaction chamber does not exceed 5 mm.

3. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 2, characterized in that: The thickness of the end of the heat conducting plate (12) contacting the bottom surface of the groove is no more than 2 mm from the reaction chamber.

4. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The thermal conductivity of the heat conducting plate (12) is not less than 200 W / (m*K).

5. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat conducting plate (12) is made of copper material or copper alloy material.

6. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: One end face of the semiconductor thermoelectric module (11) is in close contact with the heat conducting plate (12), and the other end face of the semiconductor thermoelectric module (11) is in close contact with the heat sink (13). The heat sink (13) has a plurality of heat dissipation fins arranged on a surface of the side away from the semiconductor thermoelectric module (11), and air flow channels are formed between the fins.

7. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 6, characterized in that: A fan (14) is arranged above the fins of the heat sink (13), and when the fan (14) is in operation, it accelerates the flow of air between the fins of the heat conducting plate (12).

8. The thermoelectric module for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 1, characterized in that: Thermal conductive silicone grease is applied on the contact surface between the heat conducting plate (12), the semiconductor thermoelectric module (11) and the bottom surface of the groove of the reactor (W).

9. A temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor, characterized in that: It comprises two groups of thermoelectric modules for an electrochemical reactor as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the two groups of thermoelectric modules for an electrochemical reactor are respectively arranged on both end surfaces of the reactor (W).

10. The temperature control device for an electrochemical reactor according to claim 9, characterized in that: A tensioning device is arranged between the two groups of thermoelectric modules for electrochemical reactors, and the tensioning device clamps the reactor (W) between the two temperature control devices for electrochemical reactors and simultaneously maintains close contact with each other through normal pressure.

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