Thermoelectric element and thermoelectric module

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed in the present document relate to a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module and, specifically, to a thermoelectric element and a thermoelectric module for responding to partial disconnection of a thermoelectric element. A thermoelectric element according to an embodiment may comprise: a first substrate; a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the first substrate; a plurality of thermoelectric legs disposed on the first electrodes; a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the thermoelectric legs; and a second substrate disposed on the second electrodes, wherein the thermoelectric legs include: a plurality of outer legs arranged along the outer periphery of the first substrate and connected to each other in series; and a plurality of inner legs arranged inward of the outer legs and connected to each other in series, and the first electrodes include a first terminal electrode pair connected to both ends of the outer legs connected to each other in series.

Description

Thermoelectric elements and thermoelectric modules

[0001] The embodiments disclosed in this document relate to thermoelectric elements and thermoelectric modules, and more particularly, to thermoelectric elements and thermoelectric modules for responding to short circuits of thermoelectric elements.

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

[0003] A thermoelectric device is a general term for a device that utilizes the thermoelectric phenomenon, and its basic structure is to arrange multiple P-type thermoelectric semiconductors and N-type thermoelectric semiconductors and connect both ends of these with electrodes.

[0004] Thermoelectric devices may include devices that utilize the Seebeck effect, a phenomenon in which electromotive force is generated by a temperature difference, and devices that utilize the Peltier effect, a phenomenon in which heat absorption and heat generation occur due to current.

[0005] In relation to this, Korean Patent No. 2596839 discloses a thermoelectric element.

[0006] As described above, conventional thermoelectric elements have a problem in that when a short circuit occurs in a part of the element by connecting P-type and N-type semiconductors alternately, the entire element cannot be used and repair thereof is difficult.

[0007] Meanwhile, the background technology described above is technical information that the inventor possessed for the purpose of deriving the present invention or acquired during the process of deriving the present invention, and cannot necessarily be said to be publicly known technology disclosed to the general public prior to the application for the present invention.

[0008] In the case of conventional thermoelectric elements, there is a problem that if a failure occurs in a part of the element due to the alternating arrangement of P-type and N-type semiconductors, the entire element cannot be used and repair is difficult.

[0009] In addition, when thermoelectric elements are used for cooling, there is a problem that some elements are prone to short circuits due to corrosion caused by condensation and moisture, which reduces the durability of the thermoelectric element and shortens its lifespan.

[0010] To address this, the embodiments disclosed in this document aim to provide a thermoelectric element and thermoelectric module that can respond even if a failure occurs in some components of the thermoelectric element.

[0011] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present invention for solving the above-described problem, a thermoelectric element is disclosed, which includes a first substrate, a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the first substrate, a plurality of thermoelectric legs disposed on the first electrodes, a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the thermoelectric legs, and a second substrate disposed on the second electrodes, wherein the thermoelectric legs include a plurality of outer legs arranged along an outer periphery of the first substrate and connected in series to each other, and a plurality of inner legs arranged inward of the outer legs and connected in series to each other, and wherein the first electrodes include a pair of first terminal electrodes connected to both ends of the outer legs connected in series to each other.

[0013] According to an embodiment, at least some of the first electrode and the second electrode include a connecting electrode connecting one of the outer legs and one of the inner legs, and by the connecting electrode, the plurality of outer legs and the plurality of inner legs can be connected in series to each other.

[0014] According to an embodiment, the first electrode may further include a second pair of terminal electrodes connected to some of the inner legs.

[0015] According to an embodiment, the second terminal electrode pair may be connected to opposite ends of the inner legs that are connected in series with each other.

[0016] According to an embodiment, the second terminal electrode pair may be implemented as a connecting electrode connecting one of the outer legs and one of the inner legs.

[0017] A thermoelectric module according to an embodiment includes a control unit that controls a thermoelectric element, and the control unit can selectively apply current to a first terminal electrode and a second terminal electrode.

[0018] According to an embodiment, the control unit can selectively apply current to the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode depending on the location of the short circuit when a thermoelectric element is generated.

[0019] According to an embodiment, when a short circuit occurs in a thermoelectric element, the control unit can selectively apply current to a first circuit and a second circuit, which are distinguished by a connecting electrode among circuits composed of outer legs, according to the location of the short circuit.

[0020] According to any one of the problem solving means of the present invention, one embodiment of the present invention can provide a thermoelectric element and thermoelectric module that can respond even if a failure occurs in a part of the element when P-type and N-type semiconductors are connected by arranging them alternately.

[0021] In particular, when a thermoelectric element is used for cooling, even if some elements are short-circuited due to corrosion caused by condensation and moisture, it is possible to respond to this, thereby providing a thermoelectric element and thermoelectric module with improved durability and lifespan.

[0022] The effects that can be obtained from the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs from the description below.

[0023] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the basic configuration of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment.

[0024] Fig. 2 is a drawing showing a substrate on which electrodes are arranged according to an embodiment.

[0025] Figures 3 to 6 are exemplary diagrams visualizing the appearance of current flowing through a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment.

[0026] The advantages and features of the present invention, as well as the methods for achieving them, will become clearer with reference to the embodiments described in detail below, along with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below and may be implemented in various different forms. These embodiments are provided solely to ensure that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and to fully inform those skilled in the art of the scope of the invention. In other words, the present invention is defined solely by the scope of the claims.

[0027] The shapes, sizes, ratios, angles, numbers, etc. disclosed in the drawings for explaining embodiments of the present invention are exemplary, and therefore the present invention is not limited to the matters illustrated. In addition, in describing the present invention, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. When the terms “includes,” “has,” and “consists of” are used in this specification, other parts may be added unless “only” is used. When a component is expressed in the singular, it includes a case where the plural is included unless there is a special explicit description. In addition, when interpreting a component, it is interpreted to include a range of error even if there is no separate explicit description.

[0028] Although terms like "first" and "second" are used to describe various components, these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one component from another. Therefore, a "first" component referred to below may also be a "second" component within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0029] Unless otherwise specified, the same reference numerals refer to the same components throughout the specification.

[0030] The individual features of the various embodiments of the present invention can be partially or wholly combined or combined with each other, and as can be fully understood by those skilled in the art, various technical connections and operations are possible, and each embodiment can be implemented independently of each other or can be implemented together in a related relationship.

[0031] Meanwhile, the tentative effects that can be expected by the technical features of the present invention that are not specifically mentioned in the specification of the present invention are treated as described in the specification, and the present embodiment is provided to more completely explain the present invention to a person having average knowledge in the art, and the contents shown in the drawings may be expressed exaggeratedly compared to the actual implementation of the invention, and a detailed description of a configuration that is judged to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention is omitted or briefly described.

[0032] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. However, it should be understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but rather includes various modifications, equivalents, and / or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0033] Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the basic configuration of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment. According to Fig. 1, the thermoelectric element may include a first substrate (100), a first electrode (200), a thermoelectric leg (300), a second electrode (400), and a second substrate (500).

[0034] According to the embodiment, a first substrate (100) is placed at the bottom of a thermoelectric element and supports a first electrode (200). In addition, the first electrode (200) is placed between the first substrate (100) and a thermoelectric leg (300) and electrically connects one end of a pair of thermoelectric legs (300) made of a P-type semiconductor and an N-type semiconductor to each other.

[0035] And the thermoelectric leg (300) includes a P-type thermoelectric leg made of a P-type semiconductor and an N-type thermoelectric leg made of an N-type semiconductor, and as described above, they are electrically connected to each other by electrodes to perform a function.

[0036] Next, the second electrode (400) is placed between the thermoelectric leg (300) and the second substrate (500) to be described later, and electrically connects the upper ends of a pair of thermoelectric legs (300).

[0037] And the second substrate (500) is placed on top of the thermoelectric element and supports the second electrode (400).

[0038] Next, FIG. 2 is a drawing illustrating a substrate on which electrodes are arranged according to an embodiment. For example, FIG. 2 (a) may be a top view of a first substrate on which a first electrode (200) is arranged, as viewed from above, but may also be a bottom view of a second substrate on which a second electrode (400) is arranged, as viewed from below, according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 (b) is a drawing illustrating a substrate on which electrodes are arranged to correspond to the substrate of FIG. 2 (a). For example, when FIG. 2 (a) is a top view of a first substrate as viewed from above, FIG. 2 (b) may be a bottom view of a second substrate as viewed from below, or when FIG. 2 (a) is a bottom view of a second substrate as viewed from below, FIG. 2 (b) may be a top view of a first substrate as viewed from above. For convenience, the following description will be made assuming that FIG. 2 (a) is a first substrate on which a first electrode (200) is arranged.

[0039] According to (a) of Fig. 2, a first electrode (200) is placed on a first substrate (100). At this time, thermoelectric legs are placed on the first electrode (200), and P-type thermoelectric legs and N-type thermoelectric legs are placed alternately. According to (b) of Fig. 2, a second electrode (400) and a second substrate (500) may be sequentially stacked and placed on the thermoelectric legs. At this time, the first electrode (200) and the second electrode (400) are arranged in different patterns so that the electrodes and thermoelectric legs are connected to each other to form a circuit of a specific shape.

[0040] According to an embodiment, the thermoelectric legs may include outer legs arranged along the periphery of the first substrate (100) and inner legs arranged inwardly of the outer legs. For example, the outer legs may be arranged on the first outer electrodes (201) arranged along the periphery of the first substrate (100), and the inner legs may be arranged on the first inner electrodes (202) arranged inwardly of the first substrate (100).

[0041] To this end, at least some of the first electrode (200) and the second electrode (400) include a connecting electrode (221, 222) connecting one of the outer legs and one of the inner legs, and by the connecting electrode (221, 222), a plurality of outer legs and a plurality of inner legs can be electrically connected in series to each other to form a single circuit.

[0042] Additionally, the thermoelectric element may be supplied with power from an external source via terminal electrodes. For example, the first electrode (200) may include one or more pairs of terminal electrodes that supply power within the thermoelectric element, thereby allowing the thermoelectric element to be supplied with power from an external source.

[0043] At this time, the first electrode (200) may include a first terminal electrode pair (211, 212) connected to both ends of the outer legs that are connected in series with each other. In addition, the first electrode (200) may include a second terminal electrode pair (221, 222) connected to a part of the inner legs that are connected in series with each other. For example, the second terminal electrode pair (221, 222) may be implemented as a connecting electrode (221, 222) of both ends of a circuit composed of the inner legs, i.e., the outer legs and the inner legs.

[0044] According to FIG. 2, the terminal electrode is shown at the lower edge of the first substrate (100), but this is only one embodiment, and may be positioned at a location capable of supplying power to the circuit formed by the outer leg or the inner leg.

[0045] At this time, the thermoelectric module including the thermoelectric element may include a control unit (not shown) for controlling the flow of current. According to an embodiment, the control unit may selectively apply current to the first terminal electrodes (211, 212) and the second terminal electrodes (221, 222), and may be implemented as an IGBT, a MOSFET, an SSR, etc. Hereinafter, various embodiments in which current is circulated within the thermoelectric element by the control unit and a plurality of terminal electrode pairs will be described.

[0046] Figures 3 to 6 are exemplary diagrams visualizing the state in which current is energized in a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment. Figures 3 to 6 may be a top view of a first substrate (100) on which a first electrode (200) is arranged, viewed from above, and may be a bottom view of a second substrate (500) on which a second electrode (400) is arranged, viewed from below, according to an embodiment. However, for the convenience of explanation, it is assumed that the first substrate (100) is a top view viewed from above.

[0047] First, referring to FIG. 3, the outer legs and the inner legs of the thermoelectric element are electrically connected in series to each other to form a single circuit (A). That is, the outer legs and the inner legs are each connected in series to each other by a first electrode (200) and a second electrode (400), and at least a portion of the first electrode includes a connecting electrode (221, 222) connecting one of the outer legs to one of the inner legs, so that a plurality of outer legs and a plurality of inner legs can be electrically connected in series to each other by the connecting electrodes (221, 222) to form a single circuit.

[0048] At this time, the control unit can energize the circuit (A) including the outer leg and the inner leg by supplying external power to the thermoelectric element through the first terminal electrode (211, 212).

[0049] Next, referring to FIG. 4, in the case where a short circuit occurs in some circuits (S1) formed of outer legs, the control unit can supply power to the thermoelectric element through either one of the second terminal electrodes (221, 222) or one of the first terminal electrodes (211, 212), and, for example, can apply current to the connection electrode (222) connected to some of the short circuits (S1) formed of the second terminal electrodes (221, 222), and can conduct electricity by grounding the terminal electrode (212) connected to the end of some of the circuits formed of the outer legs that are not short circuited among the first terminal electrodes (211, 212). At this time, the remaining circuits (B) excluding some of the circuits (S1) formed of short circuits, including some of the outer legs and the inner legs, form one circuit (B) that is connected in series with each other and conduct electricity.

[0050] Also, referring to FIG. 5, this is a case where a short circuit occurs on another circuit (S2) composed of outer legs. At this time, the control unit can supply power to the thermoelectric element through either one of the first terminal electrodes (211, 212) or the second terminal electrodes (221, 222). For example, current can be applied to the terminal electrode (211) connected to the end of some circuits that are not short circuited and composed of outer legs among the first terminal electrodes (211, 212), and the connection electrode (221) connected to some circuits (S2) that are short circuited among the second terminal electrodes (221, 222) can be grounded to conduct electricity. In this case, electricity is conducted on the circuit (C) composed of a part of the outer legs and the inner legs, excluding another circuit (S2) in which a short circuit occurs.

[0051] And referring to Fig. 6, in the case where a short circuit occurs on the circuit (S1, S2) composed of the outer legs, the control unit can supply power to the thermoelectric element through the second terminal electrode (221, 222). In this case, current is supplied to the circuit (D) composed of the inner legs.

[0052] As described above, when the control unit detects that a short circuit has occurred in the thermoelectric element, it can selectively apply current to the first terminal electrode (211, 212) and the second terminal electrode (221, 222) depending on the location of the short circuit.

[0053] Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, the positive and negative poles of the first terminal electrode (211, 212) and the second terminal electrode (221, 222) pair are indicated in the drawings, but this is only one example, and current can be applied to the terminal electrodes at positions suitable for conducting current in a circuit composed of an outer leg, a circuit composed of an inner leg, and a circuit composed including part or all of an outer leg and an inner leg.

[0054] For example, the direction of current application according to the above-described embodiment can flow in the opposite direction depending on the selection of the control unit.

[0055] According to an embodiment, a portion of the first terminal electrode (211, 212) and the second terminal electrode (221, 222) may be provided on the same side of the substrate, thereby providing an advantage in that connection with external power is easy.

[0056] As described above, the outer leg and the inner leg form a single circuit electrically connected in series with each other, but various circuits can be driven by the terminal electrodes depending on the position of the short circuit.

[0057] At this time, the second terminal electrode (221, 222) is implemented as a connecting electrode (221, 222) connecting one of the outer legs and one of the inner legs, so that when a short circuit occurs in a part of the circuit composed of the outer legs, current is applied to the circuit composed of the inner legs, but the current is applied to the thermoelectric leg located at the outermost end of the inner legs, thereby driving the circuit with the widest area.

[0058] In addition, as previously described, the circuit composed of the outer legs can be divided into two circuits, S1 (hereinafter, the first circuit) and S2 (hereinafter, the second circuit), based on the position connected to the connecting electrode. Accordingly, the thermoelectric element can selectively conduct electricity among the first circuit and the second circuit, which is not disconnected, depending on the position of the disconnection, and can be driven by at least four circuits depending on whether the first circuit and the second circuit are connected, thereby efficiently driving the element in response to the disconnection.

[0059] Through this, the thermoelectric module can actively respond to performance degradation and short circuits of the thermoelectric element due to corrosion caused by moisture or condensation generated during cooling. In particular, since condensation occurs at the edge of the thermoelectric element, the circuit can be formed by dividing it into outer legs and inner legs to respond more effectively to short circuits.

[0060] In the conventional technology, all thermoelectric legs are connected in series, and if a short circuit occurs in some section of them, the entire element cannot be used, and repair is difficult unless the entire element is replaced, which is a disadvantage. However, the thermoelectric element and the thermoelectric module including the same according to the embodiment operate by generating a bypass circuit in response to a short circuit, thereby extending the durability and lifespan of the thermoelectric element and the thermoelectric module, and thereby having no or less effect on the operation of a device equipped with the thermoelectric element and the thermoelectric module, which is very significant.

[0061] In addition, when a thermoelectric element is driven with a constant voltage (CV), output may decrease because the area of ​​the entire element is reduced except for the outer legs, but the effect of offsetting the output decrease is that the resistance is reduced by the amount of the outer legs excluded.

[0062] The various embodiments of this document and the terminology used herein are not intended to limit the technology described in this document to a specific embodiment, but should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and / or substitutes of the embodiments. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar components. The singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this document, expressions such as "A or B," "at least one of A and / or B," "A, B, or C," or "at least one of A, B, and / or C" may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. Expressions such as "first," "second," "first," or "second," may modify the corresponding components regardless of order or importance, and are only used to distinguish one component from another, but do not limit the corresponding components. When it is said that a component (e.g., a first component) is “(functionally or communicatively) connected” or “connected” to another component (e.g., a second component), the component may be directly connected to the other component, or may be connected via another component (e.g., a third component).

[0063] In this document, "adapted to or configured to" may be used interchangeably with, for example, "suitable for," "capable of," "modified to," "made to," "capable of," or "designed to," for example, hardware-wise or software-wise. In some contexts, the phrase "a device configured to" may mean that the device is "capable of" doing something together with other devices or components. For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or adapted) to perform A, B, and C" may mean a dedicated processor (e.g., an embedded processor) for performing those operations, or a general-purpose processor (e.g., a CPU or AP) that can perform those operations by executing one or more programs stored in a memory device (e.g., a memory).

[0064] The term "module" as used in this document includes a unit composed of hardware, software, or firmware, and may be used interchangeably with terms such as logic, logic block, component, or circuit. A "module" may be an integral component or a minimum unit or part thereof that performs one or more functions. A "module" may be implemented mechanically or electronically, and may include, for example, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip, field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or programmable logic device, known or to be developed in the future, that performs certain operations.

[0065] At least a part of a device (e.g., modules or functions thereof) or a method (e.g., operations) according to various embodiments may be implemented as instructions stored in a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory) in the form of a program module. When the instructions are executed by a processor (e.g., a processor), the processor may perform a function corresponding to the instructions. The computer-readable recording medium may include a hard disk, a floppy disk, a magnetic medium (e.g., a magnetic tape), an optical recording medium (e.g., a CD-ROM, a DVD, a magneto-optical medium (e.g., a floptical disk), an internal memory, etc. The instructions may include code generated by a compiler or code executable by an interpreter.

[0066] Each component (e.g., a module or a program module) according to various embodiments may be composed of one or more entities, and some of the aforementioned sub-components may be omitted, or other sub-components may be further included. Alternatively or additionally, some components (e.g., a module or a program module) may be integrated into a single entity, which may perform the same or similar functions as those performed by each of the respective components prior to integration. Operations performed by a module, program module, or other component according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, iteratively, or heuristically, or at least some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

[0067] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, the present invention is not necessarily limited to these embodiments, and various modifications may be implemented without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but to explain it, and the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. Therefore, it should be understood that the embodiments described above are illustrative in all aspects and not restrictive. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within a scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the rights of the present invention.

[0068] The present invention can be used as a cooling device in various industrial fields. For example, it can be used as a component for heat dissipation in various electronic devices or chips, such as semiconductors, displays, and batteries. The electronic device described above can be applied to various electronic devices, such as computers, smartphones, and TVs, as well as automobiles and medical devices.

Claims

1. First substrate; A plurality of first electrodes arranged on the first substrate; A plurality of thermoelectric legs arranged on the first electrode; a plurality of second electrodes arranged on the thermoelectric legs; and A second substrate is disposed on the second electrode, The above thermoelectric leg is, A plurality of outer legs arranged along the outer periphery of the first substrate and connected in series to each other; and It comprises a plurality of inner legs arranged inwardly of the outer legs and connected in series to each other, The above first electrode, A thermoelectric element comprising a pair of first terminal electrodes connected to opposite ends of the outer legs connected in series with each other.

2. In paragraph 1, At least some of the first electrode and the second electrode, comprising a connecting electrode connecting one of the outer legs and one of the inner legs; A thermoelectric element in which a plurality of the outer legs and a plurality of the inner legs are connected in series to each other by the above connecting electrodes.

3. In paragraph 1, The above first electrode, A thermoelectric element further comprising a second pair of terminal electrodes connected to some of the inner legs.

4. In paragraph 3, The above second terminal electrode pair is, A thermoelectric element connected to both ends of the inner legs connected in series with each other.

5. In paragraph 3, The above second terminal electrode pair is, A thermoelectric element implemented with a connecting electrode connecting one of the outer legs and one of the inner legs.

6. Thermoelectric element of clause 3; and It includes a control unit that controls the above thermoelectric element, The above control unit, A thermoelectric module that selectively applies current to a first terminal electrode and a second terminal electrode.

7. In paragraph 6, The above control unit, If a short circuit occurs in the above thermoelectric element, A thermoelectric module that selectively applies current to the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode depending on the position of the short circuit.

8. In paragraph 6, The above control unit, If a short circuit occurs in the above thermoelectric element, A thermoelectric module that selectively applies current to the first circuit and the second circuit, which are distinguished by the connecting electrode among the circuits composed of the above outer legs, according to the position of the short circuit.

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