Improved thermoelectric cooling based on the Thomson effect

G. Jeffrey Snyder; Raghav Khanna; Eric S. Toberer; Nicholas A. Heinz; Wolfgang Seifert

doi:10.1117/12.2228760

17 May 2016 Improved thermoelectric cooling based on the Thomson effect

G. Jeffrey Snyder, Raghav Khanna, Eric S. Toberer, Nicholas A. Heinz, Wolfgang Seifert

Proceedings Volume 9821, Tri-Technology Device Refrigeration (TTDR); 98210J (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2228760
Event: SPIE Defense + Security, 2016, Baltimore, MD, United States

Abstract

Traditional thermoelectric cooling relies on the Peltier effect which produces a temperature drop limited by the figure of merit, zT. This cooling limit is not required from classical thermodynamics but can be traced to problems of thermoelectric compatibility. Alternatively, if a thermoelectric cooler can be designed to achieve full thermoelectric compatibility, lower temperature can be achieved even if the zT is low. In such a device the Thomson effect plays an important role. We present the theoretical concept of a “Thomson cooler,” for cryogenic cooling which is designed to maintain thermoelectric compatibility and we derive the requirements for the Seebeck coefficient.

Citation Download Citation

G. Jeffrey Snyder, Raghav Khanna, Eric S. Toberer, Nicholas A. Heinz, and Wolfgang Seifert "Improved thermoelectric cooling based on the Thomson effect", Proc. SPIE 9821, Tri-Technology Device Refrigeration (TTDR), 98210J (17 May 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2228760

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