Authors:
S. Kevin Bennett, T. Anand, Mohammad Ayaz Ahmad, S. Silvia Priscila
Addresses:
Department of Aeronautical Engineering, Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Department of Mathematics, Physics and Statistics, University of Guyana, Georgetown, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana. Department of Computer Science, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.
Abstract:
This work studies techniques to increase the cooling efficiency of thermoelectric coolers by boosting the Peltier effect while lowering parasitic heat transfer processes such as Fourier heat conduction and Joule heating. Two complementary strategies were examined: system-level heat management and geometric alteration of thermoelectric components. An experimental study was conducted on a 54 W bismuth telluride–based thermoelectric cooler, and numerical simulations were performed using COMSOL Multiphysics to examine the influence of thermoelement geometry. The thermal management study examined the effects of input voltage, air velocity, heat sink design, and the integration of phase change material. OM35 phase change material was inserted into square, rectangular, and circular aluminum heat sink pockets. Results showed that higher input voltage raised both hot- and cold-side temperatures, whereas increasing air velocity lowered them. Among the designs, the square PCM-filled heat sink provided the most effective heat extraction, dramatically reducing the cold-side temperature compared with designs without PCM. The numerical study examined different shapes of thermoelements, including cylindrical, cuboidal, pin-type, trapezoidal, and octahedral frustums. Certain shapes provided greater cooling performance and lower thermal stress. Pulse current operation further enhanced cooling, with greater pulse ratios giving lower temperatures.
Keywords: Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC); Peltier Effect; Thermal Management; Global Warming; Phase Change Material (PCM); Ozone Depletion Potential; Cooling Technology.
Received on: 27/07/2024, Revised on: 06/09/2024, Accepted on: 12/12/2024, Published on: 12/09/2025
DOI: 10.64091/ATIAS.2025.000242
AVE Trends in Intelligent Applied Sciences, 2025 Vol. 1 No. 3 , Pages: 127–135