KR101804710B1 - Apparatus for evaluating a thermoelectric device - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element which is easy to replace and attach to an evaluation device according to the size of a thermoelectric element and can correct a change of the thermoelectric element during evaluation of the thermoelectric element, And a plurality of temperature sensors mounted on at least one of the heat generating module and the cooling module for measuring the temperature of the thermoelectric element sample, A control unit connected to the heating module and the cooling module to control the temperature of the cooling module, a data unit connected to the temperature sensor and collecting signals transmitted from the temperature sensor, and a controller coupled to the data unit, And an operation unit for calculating a power generation efficiency and a cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element by the plurality of temperature sensors, Wherein the heat generating module and the cooling module are spaced apart from each other at a predetermined interval so that the temperature can be measured at regular intervals along the flow direction of the heat.

Description

[0001] Apparatus for evaluating a thermoelectric device [

The present invention relates to an apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element, and more particularly, to an apparatus for evaluating the power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element, And an apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element.

The term "thermoelectric element" refers to a device using various effects that exhibit heat and electricity interaction. The element is mainly composed of two elements, ie, a device using a Hebeck effect, which is a phenomenon in which an electromotive force is generated when two ends of a metal are connected, And a Peltier element that uses a Peltier effect, which is a phenomenon in which heat is generated at one terminal and heat is generated at the other terminal depending on the current direction when a current is passed through the terminal.

By utilizing the effect of the above-mentioned thermoelectric element, it is possible to easily make a cooling device, a heating device and a power generation device, and the devices using the thermoelectric device can be applied to various products, and the demand for a product using the thermoelectric device is steadily increasing It is a situation. Especially, recently, the development of new materials has raised expectations for the development of thermoelectric devices that can overcome the existing efficiency limit, and so much research and development has been carried out all over the world.

However, although thermoelectric elements have been widely used and widely used in various fields in recent years, the development of an evaluation device for discriminating thermoelectric elements has been limited.

Since it is important to measure the characteristics of the thermoelectric device objectively, the thermoelectric device can change its power generation characteristic or cooling characteristic according to the kind of the material used and the mixing ratio of the material. Therefore, It is necessary to develop an evaluation apparatus.

In particular, in order to evaluate the characteristics of a thermoelectric element, heat is applied to the heat side of the thermoelectric element under a constant temperature and pressure condition to measure the amount of power generated and the amount of heat absorbed thereby. There is a problem that it is difficult to accurately calculate the amount of heat applied since it is released to a certain amount outside in the form of conduction, convection, and radiation.

In addition, since the measurement value varies depending on the contact state between the thermoelectric element and the heating source when the thermoelectric element is loaded on the evaluation device, the contact state between the thermoelectric element and the heating source must be kept constant during the measurement Lt; / RTI >

It is necessary to develop a thermoelement evaluation device which can keep the evaluation condition constant during measurement and reduce the measurement error because the evaluation of the characteristics of the thermoelement is different according to the measurement environment or measurement condition as described above.

A related prior art is Korean Patent Laid-Open No. 10-2016-0049514 (published May 2016, 201).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a heating unit for heating a thermoelectric element and a plurality of sensors for measuring a heat amount in a cooling unit for cooling the thermoelectric element, A power generation efficiency and a cooling efficiency evaluation device of a thermoelectric element that can reduce a measurement error because the measurement conditions for evaluating power generation efficiency and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element can be kept constant by having a pressurizing device capable of keeping the contact state constant And the like.

The technical objects to be achieved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element, including: a heat generating module contacting an upper side of a thermoelectric element specimen; a cooling module contacting a lower side of the thermoelectric element specimen; An evaluation unit including a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of the thermoelement sample, a control unit connected to the heating module and the cooling module for controlling the temperature, and a temperature sensor connected to the temperature sensor, And a calculation unit connected to the data unit and calculating a power generation efficiency and a cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric device by a signal transmitted from the temperature sensor, And the cooling module at regular intervals along the direction of heat flow It may be characterized in that in order to measure FIG.

Specifically, the evaluating unit may include a pressing motor located at an upper end of the heating module, and a plurality of sliding columns vertically installed at a lower portion of the pressing motor, and connected to the pressing motor, And a sliding module for pressing the upper portion of the sliding frame to apply pressure.

Specifically, the sliding frame of the pressing module includes a vertical guide frame in which a pair of plates having a plate-like shape are vertically coupled to the lower surface at regular intervals, and a plate having a plate- And a horizontal guide frame fixedly inserted between the frames.

Specifically, the pressure module may further include a load cell positioned between the lower surface of the horizontal guide frame and the heat-generating module to recognize a change in pressing force due to thermal expansion of the thermoelectric element, Can be corrected.

The pressing module may further include a plurality of plungers having a columnar shape and coupled to penetrate through the sliding frame vertically and then having a longitudinal portion passing through the horizontal guide frame to contact the heating module, So that the heat generating module can be depressed at the time of descending, and at the same time, a buffering action can be performed.

Specifically, the heat generating module may include: a cartridge which is slidably inserted between the pair of vertical guide frames; a heat block which is coupled to the lower surface of the cartridge and in which cooling water flows to block heat; The heater block being coupled to the lower surface of the block and having a heating means therein to radiate heat and an upper surface coupled to a lower surface of the heater block and a lower surface to position the thermoelectric device specimen, And a first heat transfer block capable of transferring heat to the thermoelectric element sample.

Specifically, the heat generating module may be configured to allow the cartridge to be detached between the vertical guide frames, thereby replacing the entire heat generating module.

Specifically, the cooling module includes: a cooling water block capable of cooling the periphery by allowing cooling water to flow therein; a lower end coupled to an upper surface of the cooling water block and fixed by a fixing jig; And a second heat transfer block for allowing the thermoelectric element sample to be cooled by the cooling water block.

Specifically, the cooling module may further include a cooling module clamp that can fix the second heat transfer block to the fixing jig so that the second heat transfer block can be detached from the fixing jig, can do.

Specifically, the cooling module may further include a plurality of temperature-controlled thermoelectric elements positioned between the cooling water block and the second heat transfer block to precisely control the temperature of the thermoelement sample, And the temperature of the thermoelectric element sample can be controlled in a double manner.

As described above, the apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element of the present invention includes a heating unit for applying heat to a thermoelectric element and a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring a heat amount in a cooling unit for cooling the thermoelectric element at predetermined intervals The temperature can be measured at regular intervals according to the flow direction of the heat.

Further, since the evaluation apparatus is provided with the pressurizing device capable of keeping the contact state between the thermoelectric element and the heat source constant, it is possible to detect a change in the test condition due to the thermal expansion of the thermoelectric element during the test of the thermoelectric element, So that the accuracy of measurement can be improved.

In addition, since the heating module and the cooling module integrally attached to the evaluation device are detachable, even if the size of the thermoelectric element to be tested is changed, it is possible to replace the heating module and the cooling module, And the test convenience is improved.

1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a perspective view showing the evaluation device shown in Fig.
3 is a side view showing the pressure module shown in FIG. 2 in detail.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the heat generating module shown in FIG. 2 in detail.
FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the cooling module shown in FIG. 2 in detail.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference symbols whenever possible. In the following description, well-known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

First, when a thermoelectric element generates heat by supplying heat to one side of the thermoelectric element, the thermoelectric element emits heat to the other side, thereby generating an electromotive force in the thermoelectric element to generate electric power, and the generated electric power is roughly supplied to the outside . At this time, the power generation efficiency of the thermoelectric element is calculated by accurately calculating the amount of heating applied to the thermoelectric element sample and the amount of power generated through the thermoelectric element.

The device for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric device of the present invention is a device designed to accurately calculate the heat absorbing amount Q absorbed in the thermoelectric element sample 10, which is essential for thermoelectric power generation efficiency and cooling efficiency calculation.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an outline of an apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the evaluation apparatus shown in FIG. 1, The power generation and cooling efficiency evaluating apparatus includes a heat generating module 120 contacting the upper side of the thermoelectric element sample 10, a cooling module 130 contacting the lower side of the thermoelectric element sample 10, And a plurality of temperature sensors (125, 135) mounted on the heating module (130) and measuring the temperature of the thermoelectric element sample, and an evaluation unit (100) connected to the heating module and the cooling module A data unit 300 connected to the temperature sensors 125 and 135 and collecting signals transmitted from the temperature sensors 125 and 135 and a data unit 300 connected to the data unit 300, By the signals transmitted from the sensors 125 and 135, And an operation unit 400 for calculating a power generation efficiency and a cooling efficiency of the power generation apparatus.

The plurality of temperature sensors 125 and 135 are installed at predetermined intervals on the side surfaces of the heat generating module 120 and the cooling module 130 installed in the evaluating device 100, So that the temperature can be measured. Details will be described later.

The evaluating device 100 includes a pressing module 110 that connects the plate-shaped upper frame 112 and the lower frame 113 by a plurality of posts and applies appropriate pressure to the thermoelectric element sample 10 during the test, A heat generating module 120 for applying heat to one side of the thermoelement sample 10, and a cooling module 130 for cooling the other side of the thermoelement sample 10.

2 is a side view showing the pressing module 110 in detail. The pressing module 110 includes a pressing motor 111 positioned at the upper end of the heating module 120 and a pressing motor 111 positioned at a lower portion of the pressing motor 111 And a sliding frame 114 inserted into the plurality of vertically erected sliding columns and connected to the pressing motor 111 to press the upper portion of the heating module to apply pressure.

The pressing motor 111 is mounted at the center of the upper frame 112 so that the pressing motor extension rod 111a is connected to the sliding frame 114 so that the sliding frame 114 114).

The pressing motor 111 is connected to the controller 200 to control the degree of lift of the sliding frame 114 so that the pressure applied to the heating module 120 can be controlled. The thermoelement test piece 10 is always brought into close contact with the heat generating module 120 and the cooling module 130 by sensing a change of the applied thermoelement sample 10 due to the expansion.

The sliding frame 114 is a plate having a plate shape and is mounted between the upper frame 112 and the lower frame 113 and positioned below the pressing motor 111. The edge portions are inserted and inserted by the plurality of sliding columns 115 vertically erected by connecting the upper frame 112 and the lower frame 113 so that they can freely move up and down. Accordingly, the sliding frame 114 has the same cross-sectional shape as that of the sliding pillar 115, and a hole through which the sliding pillar 115 as much as the number of the sliding pillar 115 penetrates is formed. In this embodiment, the sliding pillar 115 has a circular shape in the shape and the number of the cross sections, and the sliding pillar 115 has four pillar shapes so as to pass through four corners of the rectangular sliding frame 114. However, It goes without saying that the shape and the number of the light guide plate 115 can be changed as much as necessary.

The sliding frame 114 is connected to the end of the extension rod 111a of the pressing motor 111 and is moved up and down according to the operation of the pressing motor 111 so that the upper part of the heating module 120 is pressed It can be applied. As will be described later, the heat generating module 120, the thermoelectric element sample 10, and the cooling module 130 are disposed in order below the sliding frame 114. When the heat is applied to the heat generating module 120, And a pressure is applied to the thermoelement sample 10 placed between the modules 130. [

The pressurizing module 110 configured as described above may additionally have a structure for applying pressure to the heat generating module 120 positioned below the pressurizing module.

That is, the pressing module 110 is mounted on the lower surface of the sliding frame 114 to apply a stable and accurate pressure to the heat generating module 120, and a vertical guide And may further include a frame 116 and a horizontal guide frame 117.

The vertical guide frame 116 is a structure in which a pair of plates having a plate shape are vertically coupled to the lower surface at a predetermined interval so as to be vertically coupled to the heat generating module 120, So that the pressure can be applied. Accordingly, when the pressure is applied to the heat generating module 120, the heat generating module 120 is moved between the pair of plates of the vertical guide frame 116 so that the heat generating module 120 can move up and down As shown in FIG.

The horizontal guide frame 117 has a plate structure having a plate-like shape and is fixed by being sandwiched between a pair of plates as the vertical guide frame 116. The horizontal guide frame 117 is positioned between the vertical guide frames 116 and serves as a support for stably fixing the vertical guide frames 116 coupled to both sides.

One or more plunger holes 117a through which the plunger 118 can pass may be formed in the horizontal guide frame 117 so that when the plunger 118 presses down the heat generating module 120 and presses it, It is a guide function that can apply force. Details of the plunger 118 will be described later.

Accordingly, the vertical guide frame 116 coupled to the lower surface of the sliding frame 114 and the heat generating module 120 coupled thereto by the horizontal guide frame 117 can be easily detached and stably fixed, Pressure can be applied.

The pressurizing module 110 may further include a plurality of plungers 118 serving as a buffer when applying pressure to the heat generating module 120.

The plunger 118 is a mechanical part used for compressing a fluid or transferring pressure inside the cylinder, typically by a combination of a piston and a cylinder. The plunger 118 has a columnar shape and is disposed at a central portion of the sliding frame 114, The end portion of the piston rod protruding outwardly from the plunger 118 passes through the horizontal guide frame 117 and is guided to the outside through the heat generating module 111, (Not shown). The plunger 118 that touches the heat generating module 120 through the horizontal guide frame 117 is moved in the direction of the plunger 118 when the control unit 200 actuates the pressure motor 111 to lower the sliding frame 114. [ The lower end of the piston rod of the plunger 118 pushes down the upper surface of the heat generating module 120 and pressurizes the piston rod.

Particularly, when the plurality of plungers 118 push the heat generating module 120, the piston does not suddenly apply force to the heat generating module 120, that is, the liquid in the cylinder of the plunger 118 So that it is possible to buffer the heat generating module 120 by the function of a general plunger moving when the heat generating module 120 is moved.

The pressure module 110 measures a pressure applied to the heat generating module 120 in real time and controls the load cell 119 for controlling the pressure of the thermoelectric element sample 10 placed between the heat generating module 120 and the cooling module 130 .

The load cell 119 is positioned between the lower surface of the horizontal guide frame 117 and the heat generating module 120 and is connected to the controller 200 so that the controller 200 can detect a change in the pressing force according to the thermal expansion of the thermoelectric element sample 10 So that the pressure applied to the thermoelectric module 10 can be corrected by controlling the pressure motor 111 so that the pressure applied to the heat generating module can be kept constant. do.

The heat generating module 120 is slidably inserted between a pair of vertical guide frames 116 coupled to a lower surface of the sliding frame 114, A heat shield block 122 coupled to a lower surface of the cartridge 121 and capable of shutting off heat by allowing cooling water to flow therein, and a heat shield block 122 coupled to a lower surface of the heat shield block 122 A heater block 123 is provided inside the heater block 123 to dissipate heat and an upper surface of the heater block 123 is coupled to a lower surface of the heater block 123 and a lower surface of the heater block 123 is positioned to position the thermoelectric element sample 10, And a first heat transfer block 124 capable of transferring the heat radiated from the thermoelectric conversion element 123 to the thermoelectric element sample 10 so as to apply heat to the upper side of the thermoelement sample 10. [

The cartridge 121 has a shape that can be inserted and removed between a pair of vertical guide frames 116 coupled to a lower surface of the sliding frame 114. In an embodiment of the present invention, 116) having a width corresponding to the interval between the two electrodes. It goes without saying that this shape can be changed as much as necessary.

A plurality of engaging latching ends 121a may be coupled to both sides of the cartridge 121. The engaging latching end 121a is inserted into a groove formed in the vertical guide frame 116 so as to be smoothly slidable in a cylindrical shape. At this time, the groove of the vertical guide frame 116 has a predetermined clearance So that the engaging latching end 121a coupled to both sides of the cartridge 121 can be moved.

At this time, since the entire heat generating module 120 varies in size according to the size of the thermoelectric element sample 10, the entire heat generating module 120 must be replaced every time the thermoelement sample piece 10 is replaced. At this time, such a replacement operation can be easily performed by simply detaching the cartridge 121.

The heat block 122 is coupled to the lower surface of the cartridge 121 and has a cooling water outlet 122a formed at one side thereof to allow cooling water to flow through the cooling block 122 through the cooling water outlet 122a, And the like. This is because heat is applied to the thermoelectric element sample 10 during the test for the thermoelement sample 10 so that the applied heat is prevented from being convex upward and is applied only to the thermoelectric element sample 10 completely.

In the heat block 122, the cooling water flows for heat insulation in the present embodiment of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the inside of the heat block 122 may be formed in a vacuum or filled with another heat insulating material. As the cooling water, liquid nitrogen may be usually used, but liquid helium, freon gas, or the like may be used.

The heater block 123 is coupled to the lower surface of the heat block 122 and includes a heating means 123b to dissipate heat and a heat transfer block 124 below the heat block 123. The body of the heater block 123 is made of a heat insulating material 123a, and the heating means 123a inside the body is usually provided with a heat wire.

The first heat transfer block 124 has a columnar shape having the same cross-sectional area as the area of the thermoelectric element sample 10, and the upper surface thereof is coupled to the lower surface of the heater block 123, 10 to the thermoelement sample 10 so as to transfer the heat emitted from the heater block 123 to the thermoelectric element sample 10.

The first heat transfer block 124 may be made of a metal material such as copper or aluminum having a high thermal conductivity so that the heat transmitted from the heater block 123 may be smoothly transmitted in a rectangular column shape in an embodiment of the present invention. have. Of course, these materials can be changed as needed.

A plurality of mounting holes may be mounted on one side of the first heat transfer block 124 so that a plurality of first temperature sensors 125 may be inserted.

The first temperature sensor 125 is installed at a predetermined interval on one side of the first heat transfer block 124 to measure the temperature at regular intervals along the flow direction of the heat flowing through the first heat transfer block 124, .

The first temperature sensor 125 is connected to the data unit 300 together with the second temperature sensor 135 to transmit the collected signal to the data unit 300. The subsequent operation unit 400 then generates a thermoelectric The power generation and cooling efficiency of the element sample 10 is calculated.

The heat generating module 120 may be detachable between the vertical guide frames 116 in the embodiment of the present invention so that the entire heat generating module 120 can be easily replaced.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating the cooling module shown in FIG. 2 in detail. The cooling module 130, which abuts the lower side of the thermoelectric element sample 10 to keep the temperature of the cooling element side of the thermoelement sample 10 constant, A cooling water block 131 for cooling the periphery of the cooling water flowing inside the cooling water block 131 and a lower end fixed to the upper surface of the cooling water block 131 by a fixing jig 132, And a second heat transfer block 134 for allowing the thermoelectric element sample 10 to be cooled by the cooling water block 131 by allowing the thermoelectric element 10 to be positioned.

The cooling water block 131 is formed with a cooling water passage 131a through which cooling water can flow to cool the cooling water block 131 around the cooling water passage 131a. Here, as in the case of the heat block 122, the cooling water material used may be vacuum-formed inside, or may be filled with other heat insulating material, and liquid nitrogen is usually used as the cooling water. Liquid helium, freon gas, or the like may be used.

As with the heater block 123 described above, the cooling water block 131 is preferably made of a heat insulating material, but preferably has a high thermal conductivity only on the upper surface side.

The lower end of the second heat transfer block 134 is coupled to the upper surface of the cooling water block 131 and is fixed by the fixing jig 132 and the thermoelectric element sample 10 is positioned on the upper surface thereof, May be cooled by the cooling water block 131 through the second heat transfer block 134.

In other words, the thermoelectric element sample 10 is brought into close contact with the upper surface of the second heat transfer block 134 so that heat generated from the thermoelectric element sample 10 is transferred through the second heat transfer block 134, So that it can be cooled by the cooling water block 131 coupled to the lower end of the block 134.

The second heat transfer block 134 may have a rectangular column shape similar to the first heat transfer block 134 in the embodiment of the present invention. The second heat transfer block 134 may be made of copper, aluminum, or the like having a high thermal conductivity so that heat can be smoothly transferred to the cooling water block 131. And the like. Of course, these materials can be changed as needed.

A plurality of second temperature sensor mounting holes 135a may be mounted on one side of the second heat transfer block 134 so that a plurality of second temperature sensors 135 may be inserted and mounted.

The second temperature sensor 135 is installed at a predetermined interval on one side of the second heat transfer block 134 in order to measure the temperature at regular intervals along the flow direction of the heat flowing through the second heat transfer block 124 as described above .

The second temperature sensor 125 is connected to the data unit 300 together with the first temperature sensor 125 to transmit the collected signal to the data unit 300. The subsequent operation unit 400 then generates a thermoelectric The power generation and cooling efficiency of the element sample 10 is calculated.

The cooling module 130 may further include a plurality of temperature control thermoelectric elements 133 positioned between the cooling water block 131 and the second heat transfer block 134 for more precise temperature control.

This is because maintaining the lower cooling temperature of the cooling module 130 constantly affects the accuracy of the evaluation apparatus in the power generation and cooling efficiency evaluation apparatus of the thermoelectric element.

The temperature control thermoelectric element 133 is connected to the control unit 200. Accordingly, the controller 200 controls the temperature control thermoelectric element 133 precisely through current control in order to stably control the temperature.

As described above, most of the heat transmitted through the second heat transfer block 134 is controlled by the cooling water block 131, and the remaining minute temperature is controlled by the temperature control thermoelectric element 133, thereby controlling the temperature of the thermoelectric element sample 10 The temperature of the thermoelectric element sample can be controlled with the cooling water block 131 in a double manner.

The cooling module 130 can easily fix the second heat transfer block 134 to the fixing jig 132 formed on the lower frame 113 and can be easily detached from the fixing jig 132 of the lower frame 113 (Not shown).

The fixing jig 132 is a structure coupled to the lower frame 113 and has a frame structure of a predetermined height so as to cover and fix the lower end of the second heat transfer block 134 by a predetermined height.

The cooling module clamp 136 is a kind of clamping type fastening member which is fixed to the lower frame 113 at a predetermined interval on both sides of the cooling module 130. The cooling module clamp 136 is formed by pressing down the second heat transfer block 134, 132 and at the same time, the second heat transfer block 134 is easily detached from the fixing jig 132 and can be replaced when the presser is depressed.

 The control unit 200 is connected to the heat generating module 120 and the cooling module 130 of the evaluating device 100 to control the temperature and is connected to the pressing module 110 to heat the thermoelectric element sample 10, In real time. The control unit 120 controls the amount of heat generated in the heat generating module 120 by controlling the power source connected to the heater block 123 in the heat generating module 120, And controls the temperature of the cooling module 130 through current control of the cooling module 133. The details thereof have been described in detail, and will be omitted.

The data unit 300 is connected to the temperature sensors 125 and 135 to collect signals transmitted from the temperature sensors 125 and 135 and transmits the collected signals to the operation unit 400. Based on the signals received by the operation unit 400 So that power generation and cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element sample 10 can be calculated. The data unit 300 may be a general memory device, a storage device, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

The operation unit 400 is connected to the data unit 300 and calculates the power generation efficiency and the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric device by signals transmitted from the temperature sensors 125 and 135 and outputs the power generation efficiency and the cooling efficiency to the outside through a display device, (300). The operation unit 400 may be a microcomputer, but is not limited thereto.

A method of calculating the heat absorption amount of the thermoelectric element sample 10 in order to calculate the power generation efficiency and the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element is as follows. Sectional area of the thermoelectric element sample 10 and the thermal energy emitted to a portion other than the cross-sectional area of the thermoelement sample 10 need not be separately considered.

At this time, in order to measure the power generation efficiency of the thermoelectric element sample 10, the temperature of the plurality of first temperature sensors 125 mounted at a predetermined interval on one side of the first heat transfer block 124 is set at a temperature The heat absorption amount of the thermoelectric element sample 10 is calculated by using the following equation (1).

[Formula 1]

Here, k is the heat transfer coefficient of the first heat transfer block 124, dx is the interval between the first temperature sensors 125 mounted at regular intervals on the side of the first heat transfer block 124, (125).

The calculating unit 400 calculates the heat absorbed amount of the thermoelectric element sample 10 in the above manner and then calculates the power generation efficiency and the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element sample 10 using the heat absorbed amount.

As described above, the apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric element of the present invention includes a heating unit for applying heat to a thermoelectric element and a plurality of temperature sensors for measuring a heat amount in a cooling unit for cooling the thermoelectric element at predetermined intervals The temperature can be measured at regular intervals according to the flow direction of the heat.

Further, since the evaluation apparatus is provided with the pressurizing device capable of keeping the contact state between the thermoelectric element and the heat source constant, it is possible to detect a change in the test condition due to the thermal expansion of the thermoelectric element during the test of the thermoelectric element, So that the accuracy of measurement can be improved.

In addition, since the heating module and the cooling module integrally attached to the evaluation device are detachable, even if the size of the thermoelectric element to be tested is changed, it is possible to replace the heating module and the cooling module, And the test convenience is improved.

The apparatus for evaluating power generation and cooling efficiency of a thermoelectric device according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the configuration and operation of the embodiments described above. The embodiments may be configured so that all or some of the embodiments may be selectively combined so that various modifications may be made.

10: Specimen of thermoelectric element
100: Spreader unit 110: Pressure module
111: Pressurizing motor 111a: Pressurizing motor extension rod
112: upper frame 113: lower frame
114: Sliding frame 115: Sliding column
116: vertical guide frame 117: horizontal guide frame
117a: plunger hole 118: plunger
119: load cell 120: heating module
121: cartridge 121a:
121b: plunger fixing groove 122: heat block
122a: cooling water outflow inlet 123: heater block
123a: Insulating material 123b: Heating means
124: first heat transfer block 125: first temperature sensor
130: cooling module 131: cooling water block
131a: Cooling water flow path 132: Fixing jig
133: temperature control thermoelectric element 134: second heat transfer block
135: second temperature sensor 135a: second temperature sensor hole
136: Cooling module clamp

Claims (10)

And a plurality of temperature sensors mounted on the heat generating module and the cooling module to measure the temperature of the thermoelectric element test piece, wherein the temperature measuring module comprises: a heat generating module in contact with the upper side of the thermoelectric element test piece; a cooling module in contact with the lower side of the thermoelectric element test piece; A data unit connected to the temperature sensor and collecting a signal transmitted from the temperature sensor; a control unit connected to the heating module and the cooling module to adjust the temperature; And a calculator connected to the data unit and calculating a power generation efficiency and a cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element by a signal transmitted from the temperature sensor, wherein the plurality of temperature sensors include a constant So that the temperature can be measured at regular intervals along the direction of the heat flow,
The pressure regulating device includes a pressure motor disposed at an upper end of the heat generating module, and a plurality of sliding columns vertically installed at a lower portion of the pressure motor. The pressure measuring motor is connected to the pressure motor, And a sliding frame capable of applying pressure by pressing the pressing module,
The sliding frame of the pressing module includes a vertical guide frame in which a pair of plates having a plate shape are vertically coupled to the lower surface at regular intervals and a plate having a plate shape is interposed between the pair of vertical guide frames And a horizontal guide frame fixedly inserted into the frame,
The heat generating module includes: a cartridge which is slidably inserted between the pair of vertical guide frames; a heat block which is coupled to the lower surface of the cartridge and in which cooling water flows to block heat; A heater block coupled to a lower surface of the heater block and having a heating means therein to dissipate heat; And a first heat transfer block having an upper surface coupled to a lower surface of the heater block and a lower surface configured to allow the thermoelectric element specimen to be positioned to transfer heat radiated from the heater block to the thermoelectric element specimen. And the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element.
delete delete The method according to claim 1,
The pressing module includes:
And a load cell located between the lower surface of the horizontal guide frame and the heat generating module to recognize a change in pressing force due to thermal expansion of the thermoelectric element to correct the pressure applied to the heat generating module by the controller Wherein the power generation efficiency and the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric device are evaluated.
The method according to claim 1,
The pressing module includes:
And a plurality of plungers which have a columnar shape and are inserted through the sliding frame so as to penetrate through the sliding frame vertically, and whose end portions pass through the horizontal guide frame and can reach the heat generating module. When the sliding frame is lowered, So that a buffering action can be performed at the same time that the thermoelectric element is pressed.
delete The method according to claim 1,
The heat-
And the cartridge is detachable between the vertical guide frames so that the entire heat generating module can be replaced.
The method according to claim 1,
The cooling module includes:
A cooling water block for allowing the cooling water to flow therein to cool the surroundings;
And a second heat transfer block which is coupled to an upper surface of the cooling water block and fixed by a fixing jig and whose upper surface allows the thermoelectric element specimen to be positioned so that the thermoelectric element specimen can be cooled by the cooling water block And the cooling efficiency of the thermoelectric element.
The method of claim 8,
The cooling module includes:
And a cooling module clamp capable of closely fixing the second heat transfer block to the fixing jig so that the second heat transfer block can be detached from and replaced by the fixing jig. Efficiency evaluation device.
The method of claim 8,
The cooling module includes:
And a plurality of temperature control thermoelectric elements disposed between the cooling water block and the second heat transfer block to precisely control the temperature of the thermoelectric element specimen so that the temperature of the thermoelectric element specimen And the temperature of the thermoelectric element can be controlled.

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