Performance evaluation and optimization of air-to-air thermoelectric heat pump system

IF 6.6 2区工程技术 Q1 CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TECHNOLOGY

Energy and Buildings Pub Date : 2025-06-06 DOI:10.1016/j.enbuild.2025.115994

Je-Hyeong Bahk, Thiraj D. Mohankumar, Abhishek Saini, Sarah J. Watzman

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Thermoelectric (TE) heat pumps are promising solid-state technology for space cooling and heating owing to their unique advantages such as environmental friendliness with no harmful refrigerants, small form factors, low noise, robustness with no moving parts, and demand-flexible operation. However, their low coefficient of performance (COP) presents a challenge towards broader adaptation of the technology at the market level. Built on our previous theoretical framework for a modular system design aimed at improving both COP and cooling capacity, this study focuses on experimental characterization and optimization of a unit air-to-air TE heat pump system. We employ double-sided heating/cooling and counterflow configuration for uniform heat transfer with TE modules and heat exchangers. System-level evaluations validate the theoretical model and show the variation of air temperature change and system COP with different electric current inputs and air flowrates. A maximum cooling COP of 4.4 and a maximum heating COP of 6.0 were obtained at optimized current levels. Further analysis shows that parasitic thermal resistances in the system significantly reduced both COP and air temperature change by over 50%.

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空气-空气热电热泵系统性能评价与优化

热电热泵（TE）由于其独特的优点，如环境友好，不含有害制冷剂，小尺寸，低噪音，坚固耐用，无活动部件，以及需求灵活的操作，是有前途的固态空间制冷和供暖技术。然而，它们的低性能系数（COP）对该技术在市场层面的更广泛适应提出了挑战。本研究建立在我们之前旨在提高COP和制冷量的模块化系统设计理论框架的基础上，重点研究了单元空对空TE热泵系统的实验表征和优化。我们采用双面加热/冷却和逆流配置，通过TE模块和热交换器实现均匀的传热。系统级评估验证了理论模型，并显示了不同电流输入和空气流量下空气温度变化和系统COP的变化。在优化电流水平下，最大制冷COP为4.4，最大供热COP为6.0。进一步分析表明，系统中的寄生热阻显著降低了COP和空气温度变化50%以上。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Energy and Buildings 工程技术-工程：土木

CiteScore

12.70

自引率

11.90%

发文量

863

审稿时长

38 days

期刊介绍： An international journal devoted to investigations of energy use and efficiency in buildings Energy and Buildings is an international journal publishing articles with explicit links to energy use in buildings. The aim is to present new research results, and new proven practice aimed at reducing the energy needs of a building and improving indoor environment quality.