1. Green Technologies & Energy Efficiency April 26, 2017
King Faisal University
College of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering
“Design of a Thermoelectric Refrigerator”
By: Asim Alfridan, Mohammed Alsuwailem, Faleh Aldawsari, & Ahmad Alhamad
ABSTRACT
In the recent years, the need for refrigeration has increased globally leading to more electricity usage and production. We performed a full design analysis of a thermoelectric refrigerator. The design calculations showed that the total cooling load was (W), and three thermoelectric modules of type (TE ) manufactured by TE-Technology, each of cooling capacity (W) were needed to meet the cooling requirements, on the other hand the heat sink analysis and calculations resulted that (5.375” Model) heat sink manufactured by HeatsinkUSA would be suitable. The refrigerator can be powered by different power sources like solar, DC batteries and power supply.
INTRODUCTION
Al-Ahsa’s weather has one of the highest temperature rates in the world and most of the days during summer at daytime the temperature is above 40oC . Consequently, the need for refrigeration has increased, leading to more energy consumption and more CO2 production. Besides, conventional refrigerators consume high amounts of electricity, produce harmful gases, occupy more space because they are composed of many moving parts. Therefore, a more efficient and eco-friendly method of refrigeration that utilizes clean energy is in need. Thermoelectric cooling based on the Peltier’s effect which states that when a current passes through the junctions of two dissimilar conductors or semiconductors one end would absorb heat (cold) and the other would emit heat. Thermoelectric modules are small, consume less space, less energy and environmentally friendly.
OBJECTIVES
Design a thermoelectric cooler that is able of cooling 1 L of water 10oC in 30 minutes.
Construct a cost-effective prototype from materials available in the local area and on the internet.
Test the unit’s performance.
CONCLUSIONS
RESULTS
Module Test Experiments
The cold side of one module were tested at designed voltage [13 Volt] and 2.5 A current. The following results were obtained.
Refrigerator Test Experiments
Experiments will be conducted to test the refrigerator performance, where the space temperature inside the cabinet will be measured in case of no loading and full loading. The suggested results should be similar to results shown below.
A thermoelectric refrigerator were designed and manufactured.
Thermoelectric is an efficient method for cooling and its more suitable for certain applications.
The importance of thermoelectricity has greatly increased due to its potential of efficiently utilizing clean energy.
The hot side heat sink is a critical part of thermoelectric cooling system, it should be well designed and installed to get good results and efficient cooling.
METHODS / MATERIALS
Different alternatives for cabinet, thermoelectric module, heat sink, and power sources were studied taking into account the limitations and constrains like cost, availability of materials, time, difficulty to manufacture the components and installation of the final setup. The design procedure of thermoelectric cooler usually follows the datasheet of the modules provided by the manufacturer. The design starts by calculating the cooling load and assuming the temperature of the space inside the cabinet and the cold and hot sides temperatures of the modules, then full design calculations to select proper module, number of modules, heat sink, power source, and all accessories and instruments needed to build a complete integrated system that is eco-friendly, viable, effective and economically affordable.
REFERENCES
D. M. Rowe, Ed., CRC handbook of thermoelectrics. Boca Raton, FL: Taylor & Francis, 1995.
J. H. Goldsmid, Thermoelectric refrigeration. North Charleston, SC, United States: Springer-Verlag New York, 2013.
H. S. S. Lee, Thermal design: Heat sinks, thermoelectrics, heat pipes, compact heat exchangers, ands solar cells. Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley, John & Sons, 2010.
J. C. Dixon, The shock absorber handbook, 2nd ed. Chichester, England: John Wiley, 2008.
Figure 3: Module test results
Green Technologies
& Energy Efficiency
April 26, 2017
Figure 1: The selected modules
Figure 4: Refrigerator test suggested results
Figure 2: The cabinet.