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How To Design A Peltier Module System - CUI Devices

Peltier modules are commonly used to precisely control the temperature of an object and require several key subsystems: the Peltier module itself to transfer heat, a heat sink to dissipate heat, a power source, and a feedback loop using a thermal sensor. The document discusses selecting a suitable Peltier module based on thermal requirements, powering it using a controlled voltage source, implementing temperature control using pulse-width modulation, and accounting for all heat sources, including that generated by operating the module. Proper design of a Peltier system can provide an effective thermal management solution.

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45 views

How To Design A Peltier Module System - CUI Devices

Peltier modules are commonly used to precisely control the temperature of an object and require several key subsystems: the Peltier module itself to transfer heat, a heat sink to dissipate heat, a power source, and a feedback loop using a thermal sensor. The document discusses selecting a suitable Peltier module based on thermal requirements, powering it using a controlled voltage source, implementing temperature control using pulse-width modulation, and accounting for all heat sources, including that generated by operating the module. Proper design of a Peltier system can provide an effective thermal management solution.

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NaranLogan
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Thermal Management

How to Design a Peltier Module System


By Bruce Rose

In This Post...

1. Peltier Module Systems


2. Initial Selection Criteria of a Peltier Module Cookie Settings
 
3. Powering the Peltier Module
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4. Controlling the Voltage
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5. Accounting forabout
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7. Additional Resources

Peltier modules, also referred to as thermoelectric modules, are often at the


core of an e ective thermal management solution when there is a need to
precisely control the temperature of an object. Although they can be used to
either heat or cool objects, the most common use of Peltier modules is to
cool objects to below ambient temperature. Because they are typically
o ered as a component rather than as a complete system, some design
work will be required to properly integrate and drive the module. The design
of a Peltier thermal system is not di cult, but a basic understanding of
thermoelectric module characteristics is bene cial to ensure a successful
application. For simplicity in this discussion, the assumption will be made
that the Peltier module is cooling the object of interest. It should be noted,
however, that the design considerations for heating an object are identical
except for the fact that the polarity of the voltage and current powering the
Peltier device is reversed (the direction of heat ow through the module is
also reversed).

Peltier Module Systems

The diagram below shows the basic subsystems required when a Peltier
module is used to control the temperature of an object. The Peltier module
is the key element in the system, but the other elements are also necessary.
A thermoelectric module will transfer heat from the object to be cooled,
while a heat sink is required to dissipate both the heat transferred through
the Peltier module and the heat generated from the electrical power source.
The power source delivers the current needed to operate the Peltier device
and an external feedback loop tied to a thermal monitor allows the system
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to precisely  control the temperature of the object being cooled.
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Typical Peltier module system construction

Initial Selection Criteria of a Peltier Module

Peltier modules are normally selected based upon the thermal


requirements of the application. From there, the required current and
associated drive voltage can be determined. The most important thermal
conditions are the heat to be transferred across the module, the maximum
temperature across the Peltier module, and the maximum hot side
temperature of the module. Peltier manufacturers typically o er a range of
thermoelectric modules which will serve a given set of thermal conditions
and enable a range of supply current and voltage operating values. For a
more detailed discussion regarding selecting a Peltier device, please read
our "How to Select a Peltier Module" blog post.

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Peltier modules are most easily characterized by their current draw. The
level of current required for the application is determined by evaluating the
selected Peltier device's characteristic curves. Dominant parameters
a ecting the required current are the thermal power to be transferred, the
temperature to be maintained, and the operating temperature of the
module. Although the Peltier module characteristics are determined by the
current, a controlled voltage source can be used to power the device and
provide the desired operating current. The applied voltage required to
supply the desired current can be determined by viewing the speci cation
curves of the selected thermoelectric module (see example).

Controlling the Voltage Supplied to the Peltier Module

In some applications, the intention is to operate the Peltier module in such a


way that the maximum amount of cooling is continuously delivered. In these
instances, a constant voltage is applied to the Peltier device and the
resultant load current and cooling can be determined based upon the
characterization graphs in the datasheets.

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Peltier module system design with constant voltage

However, in other applications, Peltier modules are implemented to


maintain an object at a controlled temperature. These designs utilize a
thermal sensor, such as a thermocouple, a solid-state temperature sensor,
or an infrared sensor to monitor the temperature of the object. The
temperature data is fed back to the power source via a thermal control loop
to adjust the voltage (or current) applied to the Peltier module. A common
method to control the voltage applied to the thermoelectric module is to
include a Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) stage on the output of a standard
power supply. The external PWM stage is necessary because many power
supplies do not have the ability to easily adjust the output voltage over a
wide range. The output voltage of the PWM stage should also be ltered so
it exhibits less than about 5% ripple. Higher ripple voltages will not damage
the Peltier module, but it will reduce its Coe cient of Performance (COP)
and may cause electrical noise issues in the object being cooled. The design
of the thermal control loop can be implemented in many forms due to the
low loop bandwidth required. In addition, polarity of the controlled voltage
or current will need to be reversible if the temperature control system will
be required to both cool and heat the object.

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Peltier module system design with PWM stage

Accounting for All Heat Sources

Peltier devices transfer heat across the module when electrical power is
supplied. In addition to the transferred heat, thermoelectric modules
generate additional heat during operation due to the electrical power being
applied. The thermal solution for the Peltier system must be able to
dissipate both the heat being transferred across the Peltier module as well
as its own generated heat. In systems operating at a low COP, the heat
generated by the electrical operation of the Peltier device will be signi cantly
greater than its heat transfer. A combination of the ambient temperature
and the e ectiveness of the heat sink solution will determine the maximum
operating temperature of the Peltier module and the performance of the
system.
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Typical heat ow through a Peltier module

Summary

Systems employing Peltier modules can be an extremely e ective method to


control the temperature of an object. These systems have advantages over
traditional compressor and dissipative heater-based temperature control
con gurations in that they can be operated in any orientation and are often
smaller, lighter, and more energy e cient, while exhibiting less electrical
and acoustic noise. Standard components can also be used for almost all of
the subsystems required to con gure a Peltier module application. This
makes Peltier modules an intriguing option when it comes to the thermal
management design of your next project.

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