An experimental and numerical study of a thermoelectric air-cooling and air-heating system

This paper describes an experimental study and the numerical model of a system that cools or warms an airflow by means of thermoelectric modules (TE modules). The device consists of four TE modules in contact with fins within a circulating airflow. The opposite sides of TE modules are in contact with water box heat exchangers. The experimental results are in good agreement with the theoretical thermoelectricity equations, and confirm the feasibility of cooling or heating air through TE modules with a good COP. The numerical model presented afterward is based on an electric analogy and calculates temperatures along the flow. The results are very close to those obtained during the experiment, thereby reasonably validating this model.