System and method for distributed thermoelectric heating and cooling

摘要

A thermoelectric system and method provides distributed localized heating, cooling, or both heating and cooling. The thermoelectric system includes a plurality of thermoelectric assemblies. Each thermoelectric assembly comprises a plurality of thermoelectric elements, and each thermoelectric assembly is in thermal communication with a first working fluid and in thermal communication with a region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly. Each thermoelectric assembly is selectively operable either to heat the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly by transferring heat from the first working fluid to the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly or to cool the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly by transferring heat from the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly to the first working fluid. Each thermoelectric assembly is operable independently from operation of other thermoelectric assemblies of the plurality of thermoelectric assemblies.

主权项

1. A thermoelectric system for distributed localized heating, cooling, or both heating and cooling, the thermoelectric system comprising:
at least one fluid conduit configured to allow a first working fluid to flow therein; and a plurality of thermoelectric assemblies, each thermoelectric assembly comprising a plurality of thermoelectric elements, each thermoelectric assembly comprising a first side and a second side and configured to transfer thermal energy between the first side and the second side, each thermoelectric assembly selectively in thermal communication with the first working fluid via the first side by a fluid flow controller corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly configured to either direct or stop flow of the first working fluid through the thermoelectric assembly relative to the first side, and each thermoelectric assembly in thermal communication with a region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly via the second side, wherein each thermoelectric assembly is selectively operable either to heat the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly by the thermoelectric assembly transferring heat from the first working fluid via the first side to the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly via the second side or to cool the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly by the thermoelectric assembly transferring heat from the region corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly via the second side to the first working fluid via the first side, wherein each thermoelectric assembly is operable independently from operation of other thermoelectric assemblies of the plurality of thermoelectric assemblies, wherein the at least one fluid conduit comprises a plurality of fluid conduits, each thermoelectric assembly in fluid communication with a fluid conduit corresponding to the thermoelectric assembly, each fluid conduit in fluid communication with a fluid loop, the fluid loop configured to allow the first working fluid to flow therein, each fluid conduit comprising an inlet side and an outlet side, the inlet side configured to direct at least a portion of the first working fluid from the fluid loop toward the thermoelectric assembly to flow through the thermoelectric assembly, the outlet side configured to direct the at least a portion of the first working fluid away from the thermoelectric assembly into the fluid loop, wherein the at least a portion of the first working fluid flows out of the fluid loop into an inlet side of a first fluid conduit corresponding to a first thermoelectric assembly of the plurality of thermoelectric assemblies, through the first thermoelectric assembly while an other portion of the first working fluid flows through the fluid loop in parallel with the at least a portion of the first working fluid flowing through the first thermoelectric assembly, and through an outlet side of the first fluid conduit back into the fluid loop when the thermoelectric system is operating, wherein, after flowing through the outlet side of the first fluid conduit back into the fluid loop, at least a part of the portion of the first working fluid sequentially flows out of the fluid loop into an inlet side of a second fluid conduit corresponding to a second thermoelectric assembly of the plurality of thermoelectric assemblies, through the second thermoelectric assembly while at least a part of the other portion of the first working fluid flows through the fluid loop in parallel with the at least a part of the portion of the first working fluid flowing through the second thermoelectric assembly, and through an outlet side of the second fluid conduit back into the fluid loop when the thermoelectric system is operating, and wherein the inlet of the second fluid conduit connects to the fluid loop directly downstream of the outlet of the first fluid conduit connecting to the fluid loop such that the first fluid conduit is in series fluid communication with the second fluid conduit while the fluid loop is in parallel fluid communication with the first and second fluid conduits.