CN106486592A - Electrothermal module and thermoelectricity switch - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a thermoelectric module and a thermoelectric exchange device. The thermoelectric module provided by the present invention includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a thermoelectric structure, and at least two support columns; the thermoelectric structure includes at least one group of thermoelectric elements, and each group of thermoelectric elements includes a P-type thermoelectric element and an N-type thermoelectric element; the upper The substrate is arranged parallel to the lower substrate, and the at least two support columns are supported at the edge position between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements of each group of thermoelectric elements pass through the electrodes of the upper substrate and the The electrodes on the lower substrate are connected alternately, and the supporting columns are made of ductile material. The embodiment of the present invention can improve the service life of the thermoelectric module.

Description

Thermoelectric modules and thermoelectric exchange devices

technical field

Embodiments of the present invention relate to thermoelectric technology, and in particular to a thermoelectric module and a thermoelectric exchange device.

Background technique

As a type of electronic device that can directly convert electric energy and thermal energy, thermoelectric modules have advantages such as small size, light weight, no noise, and high reliability, which make thermoelectric modules more and more widely used.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a common thermoelectric module. As shown in FIG. 1 , the thermoelectric module may include an upper substrate 101 , a lower substrate 102 , and a thermoelectric structure located between the upper substrate 101 and the lower substrate 102 . The thermoelectric structure may include at least one set of thermoelectric elements 103 . Each set of thermoelectric elements in at least one set of thermoelectric elements 103 may include a P-type thermoelectric element and an N-type thermoelectric element. Each thermoelectric element in the at least one group of thermoelectric elements 103 is connected to the electrodes of the upper substrate 101 and the electrode of the lower substrate 102 , and P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements in each group of thermoelectric elements are alternately connected. The thermal energy of the thermoelectric module during operation, that is, there is a temperature difference between the upper substrate 101 and the lower substrate 102 , so the upper substrate 101 and the lower substrate 102 have linear thermal expansion due to thermal stress. When the thermoelectric module operates in a high-temperature environment, residual thermal stress still exists in each thermoelectric element during operation, that is, each thermoelectric element also has a temperature distribution. Therefore, the thermoelectric element still has linear thermal expansion under the action of the residual thermal stress. The different linear expansion coefficients of the substrate and the thermoelectric element make the linear thermal expansion of the substrate and the thermoelectric element different, so that the overall thermoelectric module is deformed. The overall deformation of the thermoelectric module causes the thermoelectric elements to generate mechanical torsion, and the thermoelectric element located between the upper substrate 101 and the lower substrate 102 and farthest from the center receives the largest mechanical torsion.

In the prior art, thermoelectric modules often have the problem that the thermoelectric elements at the edge of the substrate are seriously deformed and easily cracked, thereby affecting the service life of the entire thermoelectric module.

Contents of the invention

Embodiments of the present invention provide a thermoelectric module and a thermoelectric exchange device, so as to improve the service life of the thermoelectric module.

In the first aspect, an embodiment of the present invention provides a thermoelectric module, including: an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a thermoelectric structure, and at least two support columns; the thermoelectric structure includes at least one set of thermoelectric elements, and each set of thermoelectric elements includes a P-type A thermoelectric element and an N-type thermoelectric element;

Wherein, the upper substrate and the lower substrate are arranged in parallel, the at least two support columns are supported at the edge position between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements of each group of thermoelectric elements are The thermoelectric elements are alternately connected through the electrodes of the upper substrate and the electrodes of the lower substrate, and the material of the supporting columns is tough material.

According to the first aspect, in a first possible implementation manner, the at least two support columns are respectively disposed between the upper substrate and the lower substrate at positions farthest from the center of the thermoelectric structure.

According to the first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the second possible implementation manner, there are two supporting columns, and the two supporting columns are respectively arranged between the upper base plate and the lower base plate The diagonal vertex positions between .

According to the first possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the third possible implementation manner, there are four support columns, and the four support columns are respectively arranged between the upper base plate and the lower base plate The position of the edge vertices in between.

According to any one of the first aspect to the third possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in the fourth possible implementation manner, the area of the cross-section of the support column along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column body is smaller than the The area of the cross-section of the thermoelectric element along the direction in the thermoelectric structure.

According to any one of the first aspect to the fourth possible implementation manner of the first aspect, in a fifth possible implementation manner, the material of the support column is Kovar alloy or alumina.

According to any one of the fifth possible implementation manners from the first aspect to the first aspect, in a sixth possible implementation manner, both ends of the support column are respectively welded to the upper substrate and the lower substrate .

According to any one of the sixth possible implementation manners from the first aspect to the first aspect, in the seventh possible implementation manner, a metal layer is further provided on the opposite surfaces of the upper substrate and the lower substrate .

According to any one of the seventh possible implementation manners from the first aspect to the first aspect, in the eighth possible implementation manner, the material of the thermoelectric element is bismuth telluride, antimony telluride, silicon germanium or tellurium lead.

In the second aspect, the embodiment of the present invention also provides a thermoelectric conversion device, including: a power module and a thermoelectric module;

The power supply module is connected to the thermoelectric module to provide electric energy for the thermoelectric module; the thermoelectric module is any one of the thermoelectric modules described above.

In a third aspect, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a thermoelectric conversion device, including: a heat source module and a thermoelectric module;

The heat source module is connected to the thermoelectric module to provide thermal energy for the thermoelectric module; the thermoelectric module is any one of the thermoelectric modules described above.

In the thermoelectric module and the thermoelectric exchange device provided by the embodiments of the present invention, the thermoelectric module may include an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a thermoelectric structure, and at least two support columns, and the at least two support columns are supported on the edge between the upper substrate and the lower substrate position, and the material of the support column is a tough material, so the support column can consume the thermal energy of the thermoelectric structure during the operation of the thermoelectric module through deformation, which can reduce the thermal stress of the thermoelectric structure and reduce the mechanical force at the position of the support column. The size of the torsion force, thereby reducing the cracks caused by the machine repair torsion of the support column at its location, and improving the service life of the thermoelectric module.

Description of drawings

In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings that need to be used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description These are some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can also be obtained according to these drawings on the premise of not paying creative efforts.

Fig. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a common thermoelectric module;

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 1 of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

Fig. 4 is a schematic structural diagram of another thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

Fig. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a temperature gradient diagram corresponding to each supporting column provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric conversion device provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric conversion device provided in Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

detailed description

In order to make the purpose, technical solutions and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments It is a part of embodiments of the present invention, but not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by persons of ordinary skill in the art without making creative efforts belong to the protection scope of the present invention.

The thermoelectric modules provided by various embodiments of the present invention can be applied in various fields such as refrigeration, heating, power generation, and temperature sensing. Therefore, the thermoelectric modules can be installed in refrigeration equipment, heaters, generators, or temperature sensing equipment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 1 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2 , the thermoelectric module includes: an upper substrate 201 , a lower substrate 202 , a thermoelectric structure 203 , and at least two supporting columns 204 . Wherein, the material of the support column 204 is tough material.

Wherein, the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202 may be insulating substrates, and materials of the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202 may be ceramics, for example. The thermoelectric structure 203 may include a thermoelectric element. A thermoelectric element may be referred to as a thermoelectric element. The thermoelectric elements may be thermoelectric semiconductors. The malleable material can be, for example, a malleable metal material.

The upper substrate 201 is arranged parallel to the lower substrate 202 . At least two support columns 204 are supported at edge positions between the upper base plate 201 and the lower base plate 202 . The thermoelectric structure 203 includes at least one group of thermoelectric elements, and each group of thermoelectric elements includes a P-type thermoelectric element and an N-type thermoelectric element; the P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements of each group of thermoelectric elements pass through the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate The electrodes of 202 are connected alternately.

Wherein, the electrodes may be, for example, metal electrodes.

Optionally, the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and/or the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 may also be connected to a power source so that a potential is generated between the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 , that is, there is a voltage difference. A potential is generated between the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202, which can form a current loop in the thermoelectric element module connected to each electrode. Due to the Peltier effect, one of the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 It absorbs heat, and the other electrode releases heat to realize the conversion of electric energy and heat energy for cooling or heating. Wherein, one electrode may absorb heat through the substrate where the one electrode is located, and the other electrode may release heat through the substrate where the other electrode is located. Therefore, one of the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202 may be a cold substrate, and the other substrate may be a hot substrate. Specifically, whether the upper substrate 201 or the lower substrate 202 is used as the hot substrate can be determined by the direction of the current in the thermoelectric structure. If the direction of the current changes, the original cold substrate can be a hot substrate, and the original hot substrate can also become a cold substrate.

Alternatively, the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 can output voltages to convert thermal energy into electrical energy for output. There is a temperature difference between the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 , that is, the temperature of one electrode is different from the temperature of the other electrode. The temperature of the one electrode may be the temperature of the substrate on which the one electrode is located after absorbing or releasing heat. The temperature difference between the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 causes a current loop to be formed in the thermoelectric module connected to the electrodes, and a voltage difference is generated between the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 due to the Seebeck effect, That is, electric potential, which realizes the conversion of thermal energy into electrical energy and generates electricity. Power generation by thermoelectric modules can be called thermoelectric power generation or thermal energy power generation.

The thermoelectric structure 203 can be a semiconductor structure. For example, the thermoelectric element of the thermoelectric structure 203 is a thermoelectric semiconductor. Therefore, cooling by a thermoelectric module can be called semiconductor cooling, heating by a thermoelectric module can be called semiconductor heating, and power generation by a thermoelectric module can also be called semiconductor power generation. . The P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements of each group of thermoelectric elements are alternately connected through the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202, which means that two adjacent thermoelectric elements are different, and the adjacent two thermoelectric elements may include One P-type thermoelement and one N-type thermoelectric element. Wherein, the distance between adjacent thermoelectric elements in each group of heating elements may be the same.

The at least two support columns 204 are supported at the edge position between the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202, the material of the support columns is a tough material, and the support columns can consume the thermal energy of the thermoelectric structure during the operation of the thermoelectric module through deformation, Therefore, the thermal stress of the thermoelectric structure 203 can be reduced, the thermal expansion of the thermoelectric structure 203 can be reduced, and the magnitude of the mechanical torsion at the location of the support column can be reduced, thereby reducing the cracks caused by the mechanical torsion of the location of the support column. Wherein, the thermal energy of the thermoelectric structure 203 may be the temperature of the external environment during the operation of the thermoelectric module, so that the thermoelectric structure 203 has thermal energy brought by residual thermal stress.

The thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 1 of the present invention includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a thermoelectric structure, and at least two support columns, and the at least two support columns are supported at the edge position between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the support The material of the column is a tough material, so the support column can consume the heat energy of the thermoelectric structure during the operation of the thermoelectric module through deformation, which can reduce the thermal stress of the thermoelectric structure and the mechanical torsion at the position of the support column, thereby reducing the Due to the cracks caused by the mechanical repair torsion of the small support column, the service life of the thermoelectric module is improved.

Optionally, the at least two support pillars 204 are respectively disposed between the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202 at positions farthest from the center of the thermoelectric structure 203 .

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3 , there may be two supporting columns 204 , and the two supporting columns 204 are respectively arranged at diagonal apex positions between the upper base plate 201 and the lower base plate 202 .

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view of another thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 4 , there may be four supporting columns 204 , and the four supporting columns 204 are respectively arranged at edge apex positions between the upper base plate 201 and the lower base plate 202 .

Optionally, the area of the cross section of the support column 204 along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column may be equal to the area of the cross section of the thermoelectric element in the thermoelectric structure 203 along this direction.

Optionally, the area of the cross section of the support column 204 along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column is smaller than the area of the cross section of the thermoelectric element in the thermoelectric structure 203 along this direction.

If the area of the cross-section of the support column 204 along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column body is smaller than the area of the cross-section of the thermoelectric element in the thermoelectric module 203 along this direction, it can be reduced due to the single gap between the support column and the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202. The heat flux in the opposite direction of heat transfer ensures the performance of the thermoelectric module, that is, ensures the temperature difference between the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202 of the thermoelectric module.

At the same time, the area of the cross section of the support column 204 perpendicular to the axial direction of the column body is small, which can make the mechanical rigidity of the support column 204 smaller, and its deformation is larger, so that the thermal energy consumed by deformation is more, so that the thermoelectric structure 203 The residual thermal stress is smaller, reducing the damage of the thermoelectric module caused by the residual thermal stress, and better ensuring the service life of the thermoelectric module.

Optionally, the support column 204 is made of Kovar alloy (KOVAR) or aluminum oxide (Aluminaoxide). The alumina can be expressed as aluminum oxide (Al ₂ O ₃ ).

Optionally, two ends of the support column 204 are welded to the upper base plate 201 and the lower base plate 202 respectively.

Optionally, Embodiment 2 of the present invention also provides another thermoelectric module. FIG. 5 is a schematic structural diagram of another thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 2 of the present invention. As shown in Figure 5, optionally, the thermoelectric module in Figure 5 is based on the thermoelectric module described in the first or second embodiment above, and the opposite surfaces of the upper substrate 201 and the lower substrate 202 are further provided with a metal layer 501.

Wherein, the metal layer 501 may be copper-nickel-gold plating. The electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 may also be copper-nickel-gold plated.

The metal layer of the upper substrate 201 can facilitate soldering connection of other components of the upper substrate 201 , and the metal layer 501 of the lower substrate 202 can facilitate soldering connection of other components of the lower substrate 202 .

Optionally, the material of the thermoelectric element is Bismuth Telluride, antimony Telluride, silicon germanium (SiGr) or lead telluride (PbTe). Bismuth telluride can be expressed as Bi ₂ Te ₃ . Antimony telluride can be expressed as Sb ₂ Te ₃ .

In the various thermoelectric modules provided in Embodiment 2 of the present invention, the area of the cross section of the support column is reduced so that the area of the cross section of the support column is smaller than the area of the cross section of the thermoelectric element of the thermoelectric structure, and the area of the support column is reduced. The reverse heat flux prevents the heat from the hot substrate from being transferred to the cold substrate, ensures the performance of the thermoelectric module, and reduces the cross-sectional area of the support column, which can reduce the mechanical stiffness of each support column and increase the deformation, so through The deformation consumes more heat energy, which makes the residual thermal stress of the thermoelectric element in the thermoelectric structure smaller, reduces the damage of the thermoelectric module caused by the residual thermal stress, and better guarantees the service life of the thermoelectric module.

It should be noted that the supporting columns and thermoelectric elements may be rectangular columns, cylinders, cylinders or columns of other shapes. Although the cross-section of each support column and each thermoelectric element in the drawings of each thermoelectric module provided in Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2 of the present invention is a rectangle, however, the cross section of each support column and each thermoelectric element The cross section can also be in other shapes, such as circle, rhombus and other shapes, which are not limited in the embodiments of the present invention.

Embodiment 3 of the present invention also provides a thermoelectric module. FIG. 6 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 6 , the thermoelectric module may include an upper substrate 601 , a lower substrate 602 , at least one set of thermoelectric elements 603 and at least two supporting columns 604 . Wherein, each group of thermoelectric elements 603 in at least one group of thermoelectric elements 603 includes one P-type thermoelectric element and one N-type thermoelectric element. The material of each support column 604 in the at least two support columns 604 is ductile metal, such as Kovar alloy or aluminum alloy. The material of the upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 may be ceramics, for example. An electrode 605 is further provided on the opposite surface of the upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 ; a metal layer 606 is further provided on the opposite surface of the upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 .

The upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 are arranged in parallel. At least two support columns 604 are supported at edge positions between the upper base plate 601 and the lower base plate 602 .

The P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements of each group of thermoelectric elements are alternately connected through the electrodes of the upper substrate 201 and the electrodes of the lower substrate 202 .

Surfaces of the upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 may be rectangular, and the number of supporting columns 604 may be four. The four support columns 604 are respectively arranged at edge fixed positions between the upper base plate 601 and the lower base plate 602 .

The area of the cross-section of the supporting column 604 along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column may be smaller than the area of the cross-section of each thermoelectric element 603 along this direction.

The support column 604 may be a column with a rectangular cross section. For example, the cross-section of the thermoelectric element 603 is a square with a side length of 0.47 millimeters. Therefore, the area of the cross-section of the thermoelectric element 603 may be 0.22 square millimeters. The cross section of the support column 604 is a square with a side length of 0.2 mm, therefore, the area of the cross section of the support column 604 may be 0.04 square mm.

When the thermoelectric element 603 has current, the upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 in the thermoelectric module generate a temperature difference, that is, generate a temperature gradient. This temperature gradient can be expressed as ΔT.

FIG. 8 is a temperature gradient diagram corresponding to each supporting column provided in Embodiment 3 of the present invention. If a common thermoelectric module includes 42 thermoelectric elements of bismuth telluride material, and the cross-sectional area of each thermoelectric element is 0.22 square millimeters, the temperature between the two substrates in the thermoelectric module can be set by the default support column in Figure 8. The corresponding temperature gradient is 35.7 degrees. Kovar has a thermal conductivity of 30W/mK and alumina has a thermal conductivity of 17W/mK. As shown in Figure 8, if the support column of the thermoelectric module in the third embodiment of the present invention has a cross section of 0.47mm×0.47mm, and the material is a support column of Kovar alloy, then the temperature gradient of the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the thermoelectric module It can be 19 degrees as shown in FIG. 8 . As shown in Fig. 8, if the support column of the thermoelectric module in the third embodiment of the present invention is a support column with a cross section of 0.47mm×0.47mm and the material is alumina, the temperature of the upper substrate 601 and the lower substrate 602 of the thermoelectric module The gradient may be 16 degrees as shown in FIG. 8 .

Compared with the temperature gradient of the existing common thermoelectric modules, the material is Kovar alloy or aluminum oxide, and the temperature gradient of the thermoelectric modules whose cross-section is 0.47mm×0.47mm is smaller. The temperature gradient of the thermoelectric module ensures the applicability of the thermoelectric module. The cross-sectional area of the support column can be reduced.

As shown in Figure 8, if the supporting column of the thermoelectric module in the third embodiment of the present invention has a cross-section of 0.2 mm × 0.2 mm, and the material is a supporting column of Kovar alloy, then the temperature gradient of the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the thermoelectric module It may be 28.5 degrees as shown in FIG. 8 . As shown in Figure 8, if the support column of the thermoelectric module in the third embodiment of the present invention is a support column with a cross-section of 0.2mm×0.2mm and the material is alumina, the temperature gradient between the upper substrate and the lower substrate of the thermoelectric module can be It is 26.7 degrees as shown in Fig. 8 .

The displacement vector sum of a common thermoelectric module operating in a high-temperature environment can be, for example, 1.346 microns. If the material of the support column in the thermoelectric module of the third embodiment of the present invention is Kovar, then the thermoelectric module of the third embodiment of the present invention is The unique vector sum during operation in a high temperature environment can be 1.311 microns, and the displacement vector sum achieves a slight decrease. The maximum von Mises stress of the thermoelectric element in the common thermoelectric module in the high temperature environment can be 34616gf/mm ² , if the material of the support column in the thermoelectric module of the third embodiment of the present invention is Kovar alloy, then the present invention can implement The maximum von Mises stress of the thermoelectric element during the operation of the thermoelectric module of Example 3 in a high temperature environment may be 31433 gf/mm ² . Therefore, it can be seen that the support pillars made of tough materials can dissipate residual thermal stress through deformation of the support pillars, thereby effectively reducing the von Mises stress of the thermoelectric elements in the thermoelectric module of the third embodiment of the present invention.

In the thermoelectric module provided by Embodiment 3 of the present invention, since at least two support columns are respectively arranged at fixed points on the edge between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the material of the support columns is tough material, the support columns can be deformed to The thermal energy of each thermoelectric element is consumed during the operation of the thermoelectric module, which can reduce the thermal stress of the thermoelectric element, reduce the size of the mechanical torsion at the position of the support column, and thus reduce the mechanical torque of the support column due to the machine repair torque at the position of the support column. Cracks, improve the service life of thermoelectric modules.

Embodiment 4 of the present invention also provides a thermoelectric conversion device. FIG. 9 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric conversion device provided by Embodiment 4 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 9 , the thermoelectric conversion device 900 may include a power module 901 and a thermoelectric module 902 . The power supply module 901 is connected to the thermoelectric module 902 to provide electric energy for the thermoelectric module 902; the thermoelectric module 902 can be the thermoelectric module described in any one of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention.

The thermoelectric conversion device 900 may be a thermoelectric cooler, a thermoelectric heater, and other devices for exchanging heat energy and electric energy. The electrodes in the thermoelectric module 902 also have power input terminals, which can be connected to the power supply module 901 to provide electric energy for the thermoelectric module, that is, to provide driving current for the thermoelectric elements of the thermoelectric module. The difference between the thermoelectric module 902 used for cooling and heating is that the current directions of the thermoelectric elements of the thermoelectric module 902 are different.

The thermoelectric conversion device provided in Embodiment 4 of the present invention includes the thermoelectric module described in any of the above embodiments, and its beneficial effects are similar to those of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

Embodiment 5 of the present invention also provides a thermoelectric conversion device. FIG. 10 is a schematic structural diagram of a thermoelectric conversion device provided in Embodiment 5 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 10 , the thermoelectric conversion device 1000 may include a heat source module 1001 and a thermoelectric module 1002 . The heat source module 1001 is connected to the thermoelectric module 1002 to provide electric energy for the thermoelectric module 1002; the thermoelectric module 1002 can be the thermoelectric module described in any of the above-mentioned embodiments of the present invention.

The thermoelectric conversion device 1000 can be a thermoelectric generator, and the thermoelectric module 1002 can be used to generate electricity. The substrate in the thermoelectric module 1002 also has a heat source input end, and the heat source input end can be connected to the heat source module 1001, so as to connect the thermoelectric elements of the thermoelectric module. The electrodes provide heat.

The thermoelectric conversion device provided by Embodiment 5 of the present invention includes the thermoelectric module described in any one of the above embodiments, and its beneficial effects are similar to those of the above embodiments, which will not be repeated here.

Those of ordinary skill in the art can understand that all or part of the steps for implementing the above method embodiments can be completed by program instructions and related hardware. The aforementioned program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. When the program is executed, it executes the steps including the above-mentioned method embodiments; and the aforementioned storage medium includes: ROM, RAM, magnetic disk or optical disk and other various media that can store program codes. Finally, it should be noted that: the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention, rather than limiting them; although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that: It is still possible to modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments, or perform equivalent replacements for some or all of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the technical solutions of the various embodiments of the present invention. scope.

Claims (11)

1. A thermoelectric module, characterized in that it comprises: an upper substrate, a lower substrate, a thermoelectric structure, and at least two support columns; the thermoelectric structure includes at least one group of thermoelectric elements, and each group of thermoelectric elements includes a P-type thermoelectric element and An N-type thermoelectric element; Wherein, the upper substrate and the lower substrate are arranged in parallel, the at least two support columns are supported at the edge position between the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the P-type thermoelectric elements and N-type thermoelectric elements of each group of thermoelectric elements are The thermoelectric elements are alternately connected through the electrodes of the upper substrate and the electrodes of the lower substrate, and the material of the supporting columns is tough material. 2 . The thermoelectric module according to claim 1 , wherein the at least two support columns are respectively arranged at positions between the upper substrate and the lower substrate that are farthest from the center of the thermoelectric structure. 3 . 3 . The thermoelectric module according to claim 2 , wherein there are two support columns, and the two support columns are respectively arranged at diagonal apex positions between the upper base plate and the lower base plate. 4 . 4 . The thermoelectric module according to claim 2 , wherein there are four support columns, and the four support columns are respectively arranged at edge apex positions between the upper substrate and the lower substrate. 5. The thermoelectric module according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, the area of the cross-section of the supporting column along the direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the column is smaller than that of the thermoelectric element in the thermoelectric structure along the The area of the cross-section in the direction. 6. The thermoelectric module according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, the material of the support column is Kovar alloy or alumina. 7. The thermoelectric module according to any one of claims 1-6, characterized in that, two ends of the support column are respectively welded to the upper substrate and the lower substrate. 8. The thermoelectric module according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein a metal layer is further provided on the opposite surfaces of the upper substrate and the lower substrate. 9. The thermoelectric module according to any one of claims 1-8, characterized in that, the material of the thermoelectric element is bismuth telluride, antimony telluride, silicon germanium or lead telluride. 10. A thermoelectric conversion device, comprising: a power module and a thermoelectric module; The power supply module is connected to the thermoelectric module to provide electric energy for the thermoelectric module; the thermoelectric module is the thermoelectric module described in any one of claims 1-9. 11. A thermoelectric conversion device, comprising: a heat source module and a thermoelectric module; The heat source module is connected to the thermoelectric module to provide thermal energy for the thermoelectric module; the thermoelectric module is the thermoelectric module described in any one of claims 1-9.