Design and Analysis of a Thermoelectric Air-conditioning System

Abstract

Thermoelectric devices use the Peltier effect which creates a heat flux between the junctions of two different types of materials. The thermoelectric module also referred to as a heat pump transfers heat from one side to the other when a DC current is applied. This study carried out the theoretical and experimental analysis of a thermoelectric air conditioning system. A prototype thermoelectric air conditioner of 286 W cooling capacity was built and a testing enclosure made from plywood and Styrofoam was also constructed in order to validate the theoretical result with an experimentation. It was discovered that thermoelectric air conditioning took 4 minutes to reach its desired temperature of 22℃ whereas the standard air conditioning system (Refrigeration Cycle) took 20 minutes to cool to a room temperature. Economically it was also discovered that thermoelectric air conditioning system is 50% cheaper than the refrigeration cycle air conditioning systems. The thermoelectric air conditioner has cheaper maintenance and greater estimated life span of 7 years more than the refrigeration air conditioner. This is because the air conditioner that operates on the refrigeration cycle uses a rotating compressor while the thermoelectric air conditioner uses thermometric module.