HEXTEM

The integration of thermoelectric modules available on the market into hydraulic cooling or heating systems requires the use of heat exchangers. The associated thermal resistance between the module and the heat exchanger leads to a reduction in the achievable overall efficiency of the module used for cooling or heating. By integrating the heat exchanger structure directly into the ceramic plates of the thermoelectric module, the number of heat transfers can be reduced, thus increasing the overall efficiency of the system.

The aim of this project is therefore to evaluate different integration options for a heat exchanger structure directly into the ceramic plate using simulations and to develop an optimised structure. The evaluation also includes a comparison between an integrated heat exchanger solution and a printed heat exchanger solution attached externally to the thermoelectric module.

The performance of different heat exchanger designs is analysed using the COMSOL Multiphysics simulation software. An iterative optimisation of the heat exchanger design is carried out by evaluating the simulation results and the potential improvements derived from them.