Performance analysis and optimal design of a water-cooled thermoelectric component for air cooling based on simulation and experiments

In the present study, a water-cooled thermoelectric component model for air cooling is established. To validate the present model, the results of transient and steady-state experiments are compared with numerical calculations. The effects of different air flow rates and water flow rates on the TEC performance and thermal-hydraulic characteristics of the plate-fin heat sinks (PFHS) are studied. The heat transfer and flow characteristics (JF) and coefficient-of-performance (COP) are adopted as optimization goals. A standard design of experiment (DOE) method called a partial factorial design (PFD) is applied in this experimental plan. The significant influential factors are distinguished from six parameters in the PFHS (fins width, fins length, substrate thickness, fins number, fin thickness, and fins height). The number and height of fins have a great effect on the heat transfer and flow characteristics of the PFHS, while the width of the PFHS and fin height have a great effect on the COP of the TEC. The aim is to maximize the response variable JF of the PFHS under the criterion of COP of the TEC. A three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) based on the response surface methodology (RSM) has been established for predicting and optimizing the response variables JF and COP with the design constraints. The predicted results also indicate that the model proposed in this study is reasonable and accurate and can be used for describing the heat transfer and flow characteristics and coefficient-of-performance with the limitations of the factors studied. This work is expected to provide help in the analysis and optimization of thermoelectric components.