Cooling and mechanical performance analysis of a trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler with variable cross-section

Abstract

In this study, a full-scale three-dimensional trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler model is constructed to study its cooling performance and mechanical reliability using finite element simulation. Temperature dependent material properties are considered in this work. The boundary conditions similar to those in a real experimental environment are applied. The effects of the input electrical current and geometry of the thermoelectric leg on the cooling performance and reliability of a trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler are analyzed, and a comparison is made with a rectangular thermoelectric cooler. The results indicate that increasing the leg height and the variable cross-sectional design of the leg can improve the cooling performance of the trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler. Compared to the original rectangular thermoelectric cooler, the minimum chip temperature was reduced by 0.87% under the trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler with optimized geometry. Furthermore, increasing the leg height enhances the mechanical reliability of the trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler, while the trapezoidal design of the leg reduces its mechanical reliability. The maximum von Mises stress of the leg for the trapezoidal thermoelectric cooler with optimal cooling performance increased by 40.1%. The results of this work provide useful guidance for the structural design of trapezoidal thermoelectric coolers.