Peltier Cooling System Utilizing Liquid Heat Exchanger Combined with Pump

Hideo Nishihata, Osao Kido, Takahiro Ueno

Matsushita Refrigeration Company
4-2-5, Takaida-Hondori, Higashi-Osaka City, Osaka Pref., 577-850 1 Japan
E-mail: nishihata@mrc.mei.co.jp Tel: +81-77-563-2194 Fax: +81-77-563-1967

Abstract
Peltier cooling systems utilizing liquid heat transfer directly
with thennoelectric modules are adopted in fridges for
hotel-use, home-bar and so forth. This paper reports the
development of a highly efficient, high capacity liquid heat
exchanger in which a thermoelectric module is installed to
minimize electric power consumption and reduce cost. In the
heat exchanger, a highly efficient 62-mm diameter round
thermoelectric module is used and liquid heat transfer on the
surface of the thermoelectric module is enhanced using
impeller rotation for liquid pumping. The cooling system
utilizing the heat exchanger combined with pump achieves
equal cooling capacity with a COP of 2.1 times in comparison
with the cooling system for the current manifolds with three
40 x 4 0 thermoelectric modules.
Introduction
The peltier cooling system utilizing liquid heat transfer is
used in small-sized refrigerators, wine cellars, and so
forth.[l,2] This system has a heat-exchanger called a manifold
in which a thermoelectric module contacts to liquid.
Geometry of the channel inside the manifold was examined
and it was showed that a labyrinthine-shaped turbulence
promoter was effective in the enhancement of the heat transfer
with the thermoelectric module and liquid. [3] It was also
shown experimentally that a heat transfer coefficient was
more enhanced using the rotation of the impeller of the pump
for the liquid circulation.[4] Evaluation of the cooling
performance of the heat exchanger, which combined the round
thermoelectric module with the rotation of the above impeller
experimentally, is also presented.
Current system specification
Figure 1 shows the schematic diagram of the cooling
system being used in Panasonic thermoelectric refrigerators
and wine cellars. In this system, a liquid circuit is only used
for heat exhausting and is installed outside the cabinet. The
component in which the liquid circuit is connected to the
thermoelectric module is named a manifold. To obtain the
larger cooling capacity, three manifolds are connected in

0~7803~7683~81021$17.002002 IEEE

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series. In the heating circuit, liquid is heated in the three

manifolds, and is pumped to the tin-tube type radiator. In the
radiator, liquid radiates heat to the outside. In the cabinet, a
heat-sink type cooler is directly connected to the
thermoelectric modules for cooling, and the cooler cools the
cabinet air.
Figure 2 shows the structure of the manifold. In the
manifold, liquid flows into the manifold from the back and
distributes and flows in the micro-channels. After flowing in
the micro-channels, liquid joins and flows out from the back.
The heating surface of the module is in direct contact with the
liquid. To enhance liquid heat transfer, labyrinthine-shaped
turbulence promoters are installed and micro-channels are
formed.
Heat exchanger for single circuit
One to three connection)

(Cabinet)

Figure 1. Schematic diagram of current cooling system

+
Figure 2. Structure of heat exchanger

21st International Conference on Thermoelectronics (2002)

Development system specification

Heat exchanger with pump
for single circuit
Hot liauid

/
cooler

(Cabinet)
'Round thermoelectric module
Figure 3. Schematic diagram of enhanced liquid cooling system

Figure 4. Structure of heat exchanger combined with pump

I

Figure 3 shows the schematic diagram of the enhanced

liquid cooling system being used in the latest Panasonic
thermoelectric wine cellar. In this system, a liquid circuit is
only used for heat exhausting, and the manifold for
heat-exchange between the thermoelectric module and heating
liquid is combined with the pump for liquid circulation. In
wine cellars, the heat exhausting circuit is arranged outside
the cabinet. In the manifold, liquid is heated and pumped to
the fin-tube type radiator. In the cabinet, a heat-sink type
cooler is directly connected to the thermoelectric module for
cooling, and the cooler cools the cabinet air.
Figure 4 shows the stmcture of the heat exchanger
combined with the pump. This heat exchanger has two
functions. One is liquid pumping and the other is heat
exchange between the surfaces of the thermoelectric module
and the liquid. In this heat exchanger, liquid flows into the
heat exchanger from the center on the opposite side of the
thennoelectric module, and is pumped to the perimeter of the
case by the rotation of the impeller, and liquid flows out from
the outlet. The surface of the module is in direct contact with
the liquid and the impeller for pumping liquid rotates close to
the surface, and active heat transfer enhancement is achieved.

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

Rev. speed of impeller [Hrl

Figure 6. Effect of revolution speed on heat transfer coefficients

Figure 5 shows the liquid heat transfer coefficients on the
thermoelectric module in a heat exchanger combined with the
pump compared with those in a manifold with the
labyrinthine-shaped turbulence promoter. The heat transfer
coefficients for both channels increase with increase of the
flow rates. The heat transfer coefficients for the heat
exchanger combined with the pump are higher than those for
manifold with the labyrinthine-shaped turbulence promoter,
and the advantage increases with decrease of the flow rates. It
is beyond 1.5 times specially in less than 1.0 Vmin.
Figure 6 shows the effect of the revolution speeds of the
impeller on the heat transfer coefficients for a heat exchanger
combined with the pump in flow rates of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0
limin. In all flow rates, the heat transfer coefficients increase
with increase of the revolution speeds of the impeller the same
as increase of the flow rate. It is considered that the rotation of
the impeller close to the heat transfer surface makes the
temperature boundary layer thin.
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21st International Conference on Thermoelectronics (20021

Table 1. Performance comparison of the cooling system

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Table 1 shows performance comparison of the cooling

system. At an ambient air temperature of 30C and at 11C in
a cabinet, the cooling system utilizing the heat exchanger
combined with pump achieves equal cooling capacity with a
COP of 2.1 times in comparison with the cooling system for
the three current manifolds with three 40 x 40mm
thermoelectric modules.

Conclusions
The cooling system utilizing a heat exchanger combined
with pump achieves equal cooling capacity with a COP of 2.1
times in comparison with the cooling system for the three
current manifolds with three 40 x 40 mm thermoelectric
modules. This system was mass-produced for new-model
wine cellars first and has also been applied in larger peltier
cooling application goods.
References
1. G.S. Attey, 17Ih International Conference on
Thermoelectrics (1998), 519.
2. 0. Kido and T. Arakawa, Refrigeration, 73-853 (1998),
519.
3. 0. Kido, 36' National Heat Transfer Symposium of Japan
(1999), 803.
4. 0. Kido et al., 37' National Heat Transfer Symposium of
Japan (2000), 407.

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21st International Conference on Thermoelenronics (2002)