Embedded Peltier Heat Pump for PCB Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Peltier heat pump arrangements for electronic devices are limited in their ability to efficiently manage heat flux and require improved integration with circuit boards for enhanced cooling and heating capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A circuit board incorporating a Peltier heat pump device with pairs of thermoelectric semiconductor members arranged thermally in parallel and electrically in series, embedded within the board, providing both cooler/heater and heater/cooler surfaces for effective heat transfer and management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If Peltier heat pump elements are surface-mounted on circuit boards, then they can be easily installed and maintained, but they are prone to damage from vibrations and shocks and lack integrated heat management
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the Peltier heat pump elements with the circuit board by embedding them directly into the board structure. The semiconductor elements are positioned in thermal contact with copper heat spreaders that are integrated into the circuit board layers, creating a unified assembly that eliminates separate mounting operations and improves mechanical stability against vibrations and shocks.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested structure where Peltier elements are embedded within recesses in the circuit board, with copper heat spreaders positioned beneath them. The elements are further protected and integrated through encapsulation with epoxy or conformal coating, creating multiple nested layers that provide both mechanical protection and thermal management.
2Reliability
If Peltier heat pump elements are embedded in the circuit board, then heat transfer efficiency is improved and mechanical stability is enhanced, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the circuit board into functional zones: areas with embedded Peltier elements, copper heat spreader layers, and standard circuit routing areas. This segmentation allows different manufacturing processes to be applied to different zones, simplifying the overall manufacturing while achieving improved heat transfer in the thermoelectric regions.
Solution Approach 2:
The copper layers serve multiple functions: they act as electrical conductors for circuit operation, heat spreaders for thermal management, and structural support for embedded Peltier elements. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components and simplifies manufacturing while improving heat transfer efficiency.
3Device complexity
If traditional surface-mounted Peltier elements are used, then device simplicity is maintained, but heat transfer management is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces copper heat spreaders as intermediary elements between the Peltier semiconductor elements and the circuit board. These heat spreaders efficiently conduct heat away from the thermoelectric elements, improving heat transfer management while maintaining a relatively simple overall device structure that integrates seamlessly with standard circuit board manufacturing.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution enables efficient heat pumping and transfer within the circuit board plane, improving cooling and heating capabilities while reducing vulnerability to vibration and shock, and allowing for reversible operation to manage temperature ranges effectively.
Implementation Method 1
Peltier heat pumps make use of the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two different types of thermoelectric semiconductor materials
Implementation Method 2
A thermoelectric element may also be used in the inverse of this arrangement in which a temperature gradient is used to generate electrical voltage. This effect is known as the Seebeck effect.
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit board is provided that includes at least one Peltier heat pump device with at least one pair of semiconductor members arranged thermally in parallel and electrically in series. The at least one pair of semiconductor members is at least partially embedded in the circuit board.