DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A PCM BASED

THERMOELECTRIC VACCINE STORAGE

A PROJECT REPORT

Submitted by

ARAVIND C.
RUBAN FRANCIS S.
SIDHAARTH B. T.
VIVEK PRASANNA P.

In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the

ME8612
CREATIVE AND INNOVATIVE PROJECT

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

ANNA UNIVERSITY
CHENNAI - 25

APRIL 2016
 BONA FIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this project report titled “DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT

OF A PCM BASED THERMOELECTRIC VACCINE STORAGE” is the bona

fide work carried out by ARAVIND C., RUBAN FRANCIS S., SIDHAARTH

B.T. & VIVEK PRASANNA P. under my supervision. Certified further that to the

best of my knowledge the work reported herein does not form part of any other

project report or dissertation on the basis of which a degree or an award was

conferred on an earlier occasion on this or any other candidate.

Dr. B. MOHAN Dr. M. VENKATA RAMANAN

Professor and Head Assistant Professor (Senior)
Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering Guindy College of Engineering Guindy
Anna University Anna University
Chennai – 600 025 Chennai – 600 025
 ABSTRACT

Snake bites in rural areas have been increasing, leading to casualties due to
lack of availability of vaccines during the needy time. These vaccines are to be stored
under 4°C to prevent contamination. This temperature must be maintained during the
transportation of the vaccines from the laboratories to the villages. Hence there is a
need for portable, handy and efficient refrigerators to store these vaccines during
preservation and also transportation. Conventional vapor compression refrigeration
system fails to be effective in this case due to its bulkiness, power consumption and
moving parts. Hence, thermoelectric refrigeration system turns out to be a good
solution, since it does not use any refrigerant, gases or heavy compressors. It uses a
small solid state device as the cooling device. It is a simple system suited for easy
transportation, handling and usage. Looking at the considerable number of
unelectrified villages, use of a portable solar panel can provide sufficient power
supply to operate the thermoelectric refrigerator in the daytime. Batteries are
generally used as buffer storage with solar power systems, but batteries add up
weight and lead to recurring cost for replacement. Instead, we can use phase change
materials for cooling retention in the absence of sunlight. So design of a refrigeration
system that uses thermoelectric principle and incorporating it with phase change
materials proves out to be an effective solution. A Portable mini thermoelectric
refrigerator for vaccine storage was designed in this project, which works on optimal
current, having maximum cooling rate and large coefficient of performance. Design
process mainly involves design of vaccine storage chamber and calculation of
cooling load. A heat sink with optimum heat transfer rate has been selected to
increase the cooling rate and overall performance of the system.
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I am extremely indebted to my guide and project coordinator, Dr. M.

VENKATA RAMANAN, Assistant Professor ( Senior ), Institute for Energy
Studies, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy,
Anna University, Chennai, for his unstinted guidance and encouragement with a
dint of will and enthusiasm throughout the project. His timely guidance, practical
approach and feedback on the progress, helped a lot to carry out the project in
successful manner.

I sincerely thank the project coordinator, Dr. J. PRASANNA, Assistant Professor

(Mechatronics), Central Workshop Division, Department of Mechanical
Engineering, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai, for
extending all the facilities in the department.

I would like to thank Mr. B. KIRUBAKARAN, M. E. scholar, and Mr. K.

VENKATESAN, research scholar for their support and guidance during this
project.

I also thank Dr. B. MOHAN, Professor and Head, Department of Mechanical

Engineering, College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University, Chennai, for
extending all the facilities in the department.

Finally I am obliged to staff members of Institute for Energy Studies, College of

Engineering, Guindy, Anna University and Mechanical Engineering Department,
for the valuable information provided by them in their respective fields. I am
grateful for their cooperation during the period of my assignment.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER TITLE PAGE

NO. NO.
ABSTRACT III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT IV
LIST OF TABLES VII
LIST OF FIGURES VIII
LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVATIONS IX
1 INTRODUCTION 1

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 3
3 DESIGN 5
3.1 PRINCIPLES OF THERMOELECTRICS 5
3.1.1 Seebeck Effect 5
3.1.2 Peltier Effect 5
3.1.3 Thomson Effect 6
3.1.4 Joule Effect 6
3.1.5 Fourier Effect 6
3.1.6 Thermocouple 7
3.2 FIGURE OF MERIT 7
3.3 IMPROVING THE FIGURE OF MERIT 8
3.4 THERMOELECTRIC MODULE 9
3.4.1 Single Thermocouple 9
3.5 CHARACTERISTICS OF THERMOELECTRIC 12
MODULE
3.5.1 Cold Side Temperature 13
3.5.2 Hot Side Temperature 13
3.5.3 Temperature Difference 13
 3.5.4 Cooling Load 13
3.6 LATEST MODULE TECHNOLOGIES 14
3.6.1 Thin Film Micro Cooler 14
3.6.2 Multistage Thermoelectric Module 14
3.7 HEAT SINK 14
3.8 DESIGN FOR COOLING LOAD 15
3.8.1 Heat Load Calculation 15
3.8.1.1 Transmission Load 15
3.8.1.2 Product Load 16
3.8.1.3 Cooling retention time 17
3.8.1.4 Power consumption of Peltier module 17
4 FABRICATION 18
4.1 FABRICATION OF THERMOELECTRIC 18
REFRIGERATOR
4.1.1 Fabrication of cooling chamber 18
5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS 20
6 CONCLUSION 22
REFERENCES 23
 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

3.1 Properties of various materials 9

 LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

3.1 Thermocouple based on p type materials 10

3.2 Thermocouple based on n type materials 10
3.3 Various possible configurations of 11
thermoelectric modules
3.4 The most efficient configuration of 12
thermocouple
3.5 Top view of the setup 17
3.6 Graph representing experimental values 20
 LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS

COP Coefficient of performance

DC Direct current

TEC Thermoelectric cooler

ΔT Temperature difference

dV Voltage difference

Seebeck coefficient
12

Peltier coefficient
12

I Current
Thomson coefficient

R Electrical resistance

K Thermal conductivity

A Surface Area

mm Millimeter

Z Figure of merit

Electrical resistivity

ZT Dimensionless figure of merit

Ω Electrical resistance unit

ke Thermal conductivity due to charge carrier

kp Thermal conductivity due to phonon

Tc Module cold side temperature
Th Module hot side temperature

Qc Heat absorbed at cold side

Qh Heat rejected at hot side

Optimum current for maximum COP

Maximum value of COP

K Kelvin
U Total thermal resistance

X Wall thickness

H Convective heat transfer coefficient

Ta Temperature of the ambient

 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Refrigeration is the process of cooling a space or substance below

environmental temperatures. Refrigeration has become an essential part of the
way we live our life. Almost every household has a refrigerator. Nature works
much like a heat engine, heat flows from high temperature to low temperature. As
it does, work is also done to its environment. Refrigeration is a process of keeping
a cold element cool or to reduce the temperature of one element below that of the
other. The refrigeration process is, in essence then, a reverse heat engine; where
heat is taken from a cold element to be transferred to a warmer element, generally
by adding work to the system. In a heat engine, work was done by the system but
in refrigerator work must be done to the system. This work input is traditionally
mechanical work, but it can also be driven by magnetism, lasers, acoustics, and
other means.
Gorrie created a refrigeration effect by compressing a gas, cooling it
through radiating coils, and expanding it to lower the temperature further. It is this
method of refrigeration that is most widely used today and is known as the vapor-
compression process. The technological advancements made over the last 100
years have been nothing short of astonishing, but despite all these advancements,
the fundamentals of the refrigeration process have remained virtually the same.
Modern advancement has given us alternative ways to conduct this refrigeration,
in addition to increasing its efficiency.
There are different types of refrigeration systems like vapor absorption
system, thermoelectric system, thermomagnetic system, thermo-acoustic system,
thermionic system. They have advantages like high coefficient of performance, high
cooling capacity, and economical with simple design. But they use liquid or gaseous
refrigerants that are harmful to the environment and these systems are not portable
and modular. Thermoelectric refrigeration system is a good alternative to the vapor
compression system as it uses solid state devices for cooling purpose and they are
eco-friendly. They are more compact in size and can be used in the small capacity
portable coolers. Even though their coefficient of performance is less than the
vapor compression system, the researches and advancements in the field of
material physics, nanotechnology helps to increase the coefficient of performance
of the system.
In a conventional vapor compression refrigeration cycle, the fundamental
parts are evaporator, compressor, condenser and liquid refrigerant. The evaporator
is a part where the refrigerant is pressurized to expand and then evaporate. Due to
this change in state of matter from liquid to gas, heat is absorbed. The compressor
acts like a refrigerant pump and recompresses the refrigerant from gas to liquid.
The condenser releases heat absorbed by the evaporator and also the heat
produced by compressor are pumped out into the surrounding environment.
Similarly, in thermoelectric module, doped semi-conductor material acts
functionally as liquid refrigerant. The cold side acts as evaporator where heat is
absorbed. The DC current acts as a compressor, so when current is applied to the
thermoelectric module, heat absorbed on the cold side is pumped to the hot side
where the fined heat sink is attached. Thus heat sink works as the condenser and
releases its own heat energy into the surrounding environment.
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE SURVEY

Wei-Hsin Chen, Chen-Yeh Liao, Chen-I Hung conducted a numerical study on the
performance of miniature thermoelectric cooler affected by Thomson effect. It was
observed that when the number of pairs of TEC in a module was increased, the
cooling power of the module grew drastically and this reveals that the miniature TEC
is a desirable route to achieve thermoelectric cooling with high performance. The
obtained results also suggest that the cooling power of a thermoelectric module with
Thomson effect can be improved by a factor of 5 to 7% and higher the number of
pairs of TEC, better is the improvement of cooling power.

Jun Luo, Lingen Chen, Fengrui Sun, Chih Wu analyzed and optimized the
performance of a thermoelectric refrigerator using the theory of finite time
thermodynamics. Based on that the total heat transfer surface area of the heat
exchangers was optimized for maximizing the cooling and coefficient of
performance. The effect of various parameters on the optimum performance were
analyzed. These results provide guidelines for the analysis and optimization of
practical thermoelectric refrigerators.

Jianheng Chen, Jianlin Yu, Ming Ma investigated and developed an analytical

model two stage cascaded thermoelectric module operating with dual power
source. The obtained results indicate that optimum two stage current combination
can maximize both the cooling capacity and coefficient of performance.

Anjan Sarkar, Swarup K.Mhapatra investigated the role of surface radiation on

the functionality of the thermoelectric cooler with heat sink. Usually, the
performance datasheet of the thermoelectric module and heat sinks consider only
natural convection cooling. But they also included radiation heat transfer from the
heat sink while modeling the thermal performance of a thermoelectric cooler.
Yazeed Alomair, Muath Alomair, Shohel Mahmud, Hussein A. Abdullah
constructed and characterized a solar thermoelectric liquid chiller. They proposed
analytical models which are used to calculate different performance parameters
including heat removal rate, coefficient of performance at different inputs of
electrical currents, temperature differences and flow rate. Optimum values of the
electrical current are calculated to achieve maximum heat removal rate by the
system.

From the reviews of various literature presented above, the following are the
major conclusions:

i. Optimum values of current supplied to the Peltier module ensures

maximum heat removal rate.
ii. Effect of internal irreversibilites is more pronounced than the
external reversibilities.
iii. Two scale cascaded thermoelectric module has high cooling
capacity and coefficient of performance.
 CHAPTER 3

DESIGN

3.1 PRINCIPLES OF THERMOELECTRICS

Thermoelectric cooling is governed by three identical effects which are reversible
interchange of thermal energy as well as electrical energy viz., the Seebeck effect,
the Peltier effect and the Thomson effect. Besides, there are two more effects
which have irreversible effect or the residual effect of heat generation namely, the
Joule Effect and the Fourier Effect.

3.1.1 SEEBECK EFFECT

The Seebeck effect was given by Thomas Seebeck. It states than an electric
potential or voltage is generated when the two junctions formed by two dissimilar
materials are held at different temperatures. The voltage generated is directly
proportional to the temperature difference between the junctions and also depend
on the material used.
= 12.

where 12 the combined Seebeck coefficient of the materials, dV is the voltage generated, dT is the temperature difference between the junctions

3.1.2 PELTIER EFFECT

It states that heat is generated or rejected at the junction of two different materials
when a current is applied. Thus, the amount of heat pumped to thermoelectric is
= 12 .

where 12 is known as Peltier coefficient, is the amount of this heat pumped, I is the input current.
3.1.3 THOMSON EFFECT

Thomson also formed a relationship between the Peltier coefficient and the
Seebeck coefficient.
= . .

where is the heat energy absorbed or released, is the Thomson coefficient of the
material, I is the amount of current flowing through the conductor, is the
temperature gradient along the length of the conductor.

3.1.4 JOULE EFFECT:

Joule effect states that the heat generated by an electrical current is equal to the
product of square of current and electrical resistance in the conductor. The Joule
heat generated is given by
= 2.

where is the heat released, I is the amount of current flowing through the
conductor, R is the electrical resistance of the conductor.

3.1.5 FOURIER EFFECT:

The Fourier effect or Fourier conduction law states that heat rate is proportional to
the area normal to the heat flow and temperature along the conducting path.
=− . .

where is the heat conducted through the material, k is the thermal conductivity of
the material, A is the area of cross section of the material, is the temperature
gradient along the length of the material.
3.1.6 THERMOCOUPLE:

A thermocouple is formed by connecting two different metals to form two

junctions. When the junctions are maintained at different temperatures, a current
is generated which flows along the circuit. This is known as Seebeck effect.
Similarly when the electric potential difference is applied along the junctions, then
the heat is released across one junction while heat is absorbed along the other
junction. This is known as Peltier effect. The Peltier effect is the basic principle of
the thermoelectric cooling. The heat absorbed or released is directly proportional
to the amount of current flowing through the circuit and also depends on the
material used to form the junction.

3.2 FIGURE OF MERIT

The figure of merit represents the quality of performance of a thermoelectric

material. It is defined as:
=
.

where ρ is the electrical resistivity, k is the thermal conductivity, and  is the

Seebeck Coefficient.

Low electrical resistivity and thermal conductivity are required for high figure of
merit. These values are temperature dependent; therefore the figure of merit is
temperature dependent. Hence usually Z is multiplied with temperature to form a
dimensionless figure of merit ZT. Thus for achieving a high value of figure of
merit, the material should have a high Seebeck coefficient value, high electrical
conductivity and less value of thermal conductivity.

Usually materials are classified into three types, conductors, semiconductors and
insulators.
The insulators have very high Seebeck coefficient and low thermal conductivity,
also low electrical conductivity; hence its figure of merit is also less. So an
insulator cannot be a thermoelectric material.

The conductors have very high electrical conductivity; hence the figure of merit
increases. But the Seebeck coefficient is low and its thermal conductivity is also very
high. This causes the net reduction in figure of merit. Hence conductors cannot be a
thermoelectric material. Semiconductors have moderate values of Seebeck
coefficient, thermal conductivity and electrical conductivity. Hence semiconductor
materials have high figure of merit and are used as thermoelectric materials.

Table 3.1 Properties of various materials

Property/Material CONDUCTOR SEMICONDUCTOR INSULATORS

Seebeck coefficient 5 x 10-6 200 x 10-6 1000 x 10-6
(VK-1)

Electrical
conductivity 108 105
10-10
(Ω-1m-1)
Thermal = + = + = +

Conductivity ≈ > ≈
(Wm-1K-1) 1000 100 0.1

ZT 10-3 0.1 – 1
10-14
3.3 IMPROVING THE FIGURE OF MERIT:

In order to increase the figure of merit,

1] Electrical conductivity should be increased,

2] Thermal conductivity should be decreased,

3] Seebeck coefficient must be increased.

 3.4 THERMOELCTRIC MODULES:

Thermoelectric module can be designed on various configurations.

3.4.1 Single Thermocouple:

A single thermocouple consists of a semiconductor (p-type or n-type)

sandwiched between two conductors, usually copper. When the voltage is applied,
heat is transported in the direction of the current in an n-type semiconductor and
in opposite direction in a p-type semiconductor.

Absorbed heat Hole flow

+
DC
VOLTAGE
P Heat flow
SOURCE
Hole flow
_
Hole flow
Released heat

FIGURE 3.1 Thermocouple based on p- type Materials.

Released heat Electron flow

+

DC
N Heat flow VOLTAGE
SOURCE
Electron
flow _
Absorbed heat Electron flow

FIGURE 3.2 Thermocouple based on n-type Materials.

With the help of single thermocouple, heating effect can be obtained in terms of
micro watts. In order to increase the heat transport, several p-type or n-type
semiconductors are to be hooked up in parallel. However, the device requires low
voltage and therefore a large current will be needed. Hence it consumes more
current.

Released heat

N N N N N N
Electron _
flow

Absorbed heat

Released heat

Electron
flow +
N N N N
_

Absorbed heat

FIGURE 3.3 Various Possible Configurations of Thermoelectric Modules

The thermoelectric components can be put in series but the heat transport abilities
are diminished because the interconnection between the semiconductors creates
thermal shorting.
 The most efficient configuration is where p and n type semiconductors are
placed electrically in series and thermally in parallel. This forms a thermoelectric
couple. One side is attached to a heat source and the other side the heat is released
on the other side which can be convected out with the help of a suitable heat sink.
The side facing the heat source is considered the cold side and the side facing the
heat sink is called as hot side. Between the heat generating device and the
conductor must be an electrical insulator to prevent an electrical short circuit
between the module and the heat source. The electrical insulator must also have a
high thermal conductivity so that the temperature gradient between the source and
the conductor is small. Ceramics like alumina are generally used for this purpose.

Absorbed heat
Copper plate

P N Electron Ceramic substrate

Hole flow flow

Heat sink

Released heat
_
+

DC current

FIGURE 3.4 The Most Efficient Configuration of Thermocouple

Electrons can travel freely in the copper conductors but not so freely in the
semiconductor. As the electrons leave the copper and enter the hot-side of the p-
type, they must fill a hole in order to move through the p-type. When the electrons
fill a hole, they drop down to a lower energy level and release heat in the process.
Then, as the electrons move from the p-type into the copper conductor on the cold
side, the electrons are bumped back to a higher energy level and absorb heat in the
process. Next, the electrons move freely through the copper until they reach the
cold side of the n-type semiconductor. When the electrons move into the n-type,
they must bump up an energy level in order to move through the semiconductor.
Heat is absorbed when this occurs. Finally, when the electrons leave the hot-side
of the n-type, they can move freely in the copper. They drop down to a lower
energy level and release heat in the process.

A standard module consists of any number of thermocouples connected in

series and sandwiched between two ceramic plates. While applying a current to the
module, one ceramic plate is heated while the other is cooled. The direction of the
current determines which plate is cooled. The number and size of the thermocouple
as well as the materials used in the manufacturing determines the cooling capacity.

3.5 CHARACTERISTICS OF THERMOELECTRIC MODULE:

Commercially, modules are available in variety of sizes, shapes, operating

currents, operating voltages and ranges of heat pumping capacity. We can choose
a module based on our determined cooling power and minimum cooling
temperature. The main parameters that determine the thermoelectric module are,

1] Cold side temperature (Tc)

2] Hot side temperature (Th)

3] Operating temperature difference, which is the temperature difference between

Th and Tc

4] Heat load calculation, amount of heat to be absorbed at the cold surface (Q c) in

terms of watts

5] Operating current (I) and operating voltage (V)

3.5.1 Cold Side Temperature (Tc)

In a thermoelectric module, when the current is passed, one side is heated and
the other side gets cooled. The temperature of the side where the heat absorption
takes place is known as cold side temperature.

3.5.2 Hot Side Temperature (Th)

In a thermoelectric module heat is absorbed on one side and heat is rejected

on other side. The heat rejecting side is very hot compared to the heat absorption
side. The temperature of that rejecting side is known as hot side temperature.

3.5.3 Temperature Difference (ΔT)

Temperature difference (ΔT) is calculated by finding the difference between

Th and Tc . In a thermoelectric refrigerator, the objects are maintained at a
temperature less than that of the atmospheric temperature. Due to thermal
resistance across thermoelectric module and heat sink, the temperature difference
(ΔT) need not be same as that of the temperature difference between atmosphere
and the cooling chamber.

3.5.4 Cooling Load (Qc)

The amount of heat to be removed by the thermoelectric module is

determined by finding the specific heat capacity of the material to be cooled,
minimum temperature upto which the object is to be cooled and the amount of
heat leakage into the system.

3.5.5 Coefficient of Performance (COP):

The performance of the refrigerator is determined by a parameter known as

Coefficient of Performance (COP).
=
where Qc is the heat removed, W is the input electric power in terms of watts.

3.6 LATEST MODULE TECHNOLOGIES

With advancements in material physics, nanotechnology, new kinds of crystal

growth techniques, new technologies are used in the development of modules which
have high cooling capacity and efficiency. Multistage thermoelectric modules and
thin film micro-cooler are some of the new technologies in the thermoelectrics.

3.6.1 Thin Film Micro Cooler:

The cooling density of Peltier cooler is inversely proportional to its length.

Current thermoelectric coolers use thermoelectric leg length in the range of
millimeters. With the help of nanotechnology and modern crystal growth
techniques, the thermoelectric leg length is reduced upto 30 times the original size
for the same cooling rate.

3.6.2 Multistage Thermoelectric Modules:

When the desired temperature differential between the cold and hot side
cannot be obtained with a single stage module, a multistage module may be
needed. Multistage modules are essentially single stage modules stacked up in a
vertical pyramid-shaped array. As the number of stages increases, the minimum
cold side temperature will decrease. Also, increasing the number of stages
increases the coefficient of performance for a given cold side temperature.

3.7 HEAT SINK

The main function of thermoelectric module is to absorb heat from the cooling
chamber and dissipate that heat to the atmosphere. In the hot side, convection heat
transfer takes place with the atmospheric air. If the atmospheric convective heat
transfer rate is lower than that of the heat removal rate of the module, the temperature
of the module rises and this affects the heat removal rate of the module and the
efficiency decreases. So in order to increase the heat transfer rate, heat sinks are used
on the hot side of the thermoelectric module. There are many different
types of heat sinks like fins and heat pipe. Fins are commonly used because of its
simple design and low cost. There are many different types of fins such as
rectangular fins, triangular fins, parabolic fins, radial fins, pin fins and conical
fins. Among that rectangular fins are commonly used because of its simple design,
easy casting and low cost.

3.8 DESIGN FOR COOLING LOAD

For a portable thermoelectric refrigerator that can store vaccine at 4°C the
chamber capacity is determined. Then the heat load is determined. Based on that,
heat load value, thermoelectric module and fins are selected.

3.8.1 Heat Load Calculation:

There are two types of heat load that must be considered for design - transmission
load and product load.

3.8.1.1 Transmission Load

Due to temperature difference between the refrigeration chamber and the

surrounding the heat is conducted from the atmosphere to the inner chamber
through covering materials. The heat rate is governed by Fourier law of heat
conduction.
q = UA(Ta − Tc)
1 U= x
1+ p + xt + 1
h k k h
c p t a

Where A is the surface area of the chamber

U is the thermal resistance

Ta, Tc are the temperature of ambient and the inner cooling chamber respectively
ha ,hc are the convective heat transfer coefficient of the air in the atmosphere and
in the cooling chamber respectively.

kt, kp are the thermal conductivity of the insulating material and chamber material
respectively.

xt, xp are the thickness of the insulating material and chamber material respectively.

The difference in temperatures is taken to be 25 °C

From the above formula the transmission load is found to be 7.25 W.

3.8.1.2 Product Load:

The product load is the heat load that is due to the objects kept inside the
refrigerator.

10 ml X 10 vials (1:10 ml diluted water)

Weight of vaccine = 0.1 kg

Weight of glass bottle (excluding vial) = 0.1138 kg

Specific heat capacity of glass = 0.84 kJ/kg°C

Air inside box = 1.52 X 10-3 kg

Amount of water used as PCM = 1.5 kg

Qglass = 0.1138*840*25 = 2133.75 J

Qair = 0.00152*1005*25 = 38.19

Qvaccine =0.1*4186*25 = 10465 J

Qpcm = (1.5*4186*25) + (334*1000*1.5) = 654825 J

Qtotal = 667462 J
Time taken to remove Qtotal and transmission load = 1 hour 41 minutes

3.8.1.3 Cooling retention time:

Retention time = (334*1000*1.5)/7.25

= 69103 seconds

= 19 hours 11 minutes
Hence, in 24 hours, working = 2 hours
time Therefore, Retention time = 22 hours

3.8.1.4 Power consumption by Peltier modules:

Power consumption by Peltier modules = 2*216

= 432 Wh

= 0.432 units
 CHAPTER 4

FABRICATION

4.1 FABRICATION OF THERMOELECTRIC REFRIGERATOR

4.1.1 Fabrication of cooling chamber

Experimental setup consists of Tupperware box (plastic) of dimensions

150*150*135 mm, the Peltier modules TEC12706, TEC12712, heat sinks, thermal
paste and thermocol insulation. The box forms the cooling chamber. The size of
cooling chamber 150*150*135 mm was determined to be that of to accommodate
ten 10ml vials. The thickness of the plastic box is 2mm on all sides. Water /ice is
used as the phase change material for cooling retention; and this is placed at the
bottom of the cooling chamber. Mass of the phase change material placed is 1.5
kg. A steel wire mesh is used to partition the phase change material and the vials.
Thermocol insulation is provided on the external surfaces of the cooling chamber
for 15 mm thickness. Peltier modules are placed on the sides of the cooling
chamber with cold sides of both the modules lying exactly inside the chamber
facing each other. Heat sinks with fans are attached to hot side plate with thermal
paste sealing the contact resistance and ensuring a perfect contact. Initially, one
heat sink was placed at the top of the chamber, with phase change material around
the chamber and glass wool was used for insulation purpose. In order to improve
the performance, two heat sinks were placed on the sides of the chamber. In order
to completely convect the heat out of the hot side of the heat sink, water was
circulated inside a water block using a submersible pump. Calculations are then
made with this setup prior to the commencement of the experiments. The top view
of the setup is shown below.
 FIGURE 3.5 Top view of the setup

Yellow color represents the thermocol insulation. Blue color represents the
cooling chamber. White color is the space inside the cooling chamber. Red
colored boxes represent the two heat sinks. All these pictorially represent the
setup described above.
 CHAPTER 5

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

40

35

30

25
TEMPERATURE

20

15

10

0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
TIME (IN MINUTES)

Temperature (in degree Celsius) Linear (Temperature (in degree Celsius))

FIGURE 3.6 Graph representing experimental values

The above graph shows the decrease in temperature inside the cooling
chamber over a period of time. From this, the inferences made are,

 Practical values differ from the theoretical values of temperature

decrease prediction.
 This is due to the irreversibilities resulting from the assumptions
taken during calculations and the practical scenario.
 The hot side of the Peltier module needs much better heat dissipation.
 Air circulation is needed inside the cooling chamber.
 CHAPTER 6

CONCLUSION

From the detailed study about the basic principles of thermoelectrics and
various research journals, a thermoelectric refrigerator with capacity of holding 10
x 10 ml vials of vaccine bottles was developed. The following results were
obtained from the design.

1) The cooling load for our application is found out to be 110 W.

2) The suitable commercial thermoelectric modules for our cooling load are
TEC 12706 and TEC 12712
3) The suitable heat sink configuration is found to be fin.
4) The suitable fin profile is rectangular fin.

Thus a thermoelectric refrigerator is designed for vaccine storage purpose.

REFERENCES

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