System and method for preventing overheating or excessive backpressure in thermoelectric systems

Abstract

A thermoelectric assembly and a method of operating a thermoelectric assembly are provided. The thermoelectric assembly includes at least one thermoelectric subassembly configured to be in thermal communication with a heat source and configured to be in thermal communication with a heat sink. The at least one thermoelectric subassembly includes at least one thermoelectric element including a hot side at a first temperature and a cold side at a second temperature lower than the first temperature. The thermoelectric assembly further includes a controller in operative communication with the at least one thermoelectric subassembly. The controller is configured to adjust the first temperature by adjusting an electrical current of the at least one thermoelectric subassembly.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A thermoelectric assembly comprising:
 at least one thermoelectric subassembly configured to be in thermal communication with a heat source and configured to be in thermal communication with a heat sink, the at least one thermoelectric subassembly comprising at least one thermoelectric element comprising a hot side at a first temperature and a cold side at a second temperature lower than the first temperature; and   a controller in operative communication with the at least one thermoelectric subassembly, wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first temperature by adjusting an electrical current of the at least one thermoelectric subassembly.   
     
     
         2 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the first temperature to be less than or equal to a predetermined value. 
     
     
         3 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined value is below a threshold damage temperature at which the at least one thermoelectric subassembly experiences temperature-generated damage. 
     
     
         4 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the predetermined value is below a threshold damage temperature at which the at least one thermoelectric element experiences temperature-generated damage. 
     
     
         5 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further configured to calculate the electrical current expected to maintain the first temperature to be less than or equal to the predetermined value. 
     
     
         6 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to maintain the first temperature to be below a threshold damage temperature at which the at least one thermoelectric subassembly or the at least one thermoelectric element experiences temperature-generated damage. 
     
     
         7 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises at least one temperature-sensitive switch or relay. 
     
     
         8 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to be selectively switched such that the voltage across the at least one thermoelectric element is substantially equal to zero. 
     
     
         9 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source or the heat sink comprises at least one working fluid, the thermoelectric assembly further comprising at least one selectively movable flow deflector configured to selectively move so as to selectively vary an amount of the at least one working fluid in thermal communication with the at least one thermoelectric subassembly. 
     
     
         10 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source or the heat sink comprises at least one working fluid, the thermoelectric assembly further comprising a plurality of selectively movable fins in thermal communication with the plurality of thermoelectric elements and configured to be in thermal communication with the at least one working fluid, the plurality of selectively movable fins configured to be selectively movable to modify a flow of the at least one working fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one conduit configured to have at least one working fluid flowing therethrough, the at least one working fluid received by the at least one thermoelectric subassembly from the at least one conduit; and   a coolant system in thermal communication with the at least one conduit, the coolant system configured to selectively cool the at least one working fluid flowing through the at least one conduit, the coolant system comprising at least one valve configured to adjust coolant flow through at least a portion of the coolant system in response to at least one temperature of the at least one working fluid.   
     
     
         12 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric element comprises a plurality of thermoelectric elements, the heat source or the heat sink comprises at least one working fluid, the thermoelectric assembly further comprising:
 at least one heat exchanger configured to be in thermal communication with the at least one working fluid; and   at least one interface structure in thermal communication with the at least one heat exchanger and the plurality of thermoelectric elements, wherein the at least one interface structure comprises at least one material configured to undergo phase changes which result in corresponding changes of thermal conductance of the at least one interface structure.   
     
     
         13 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric element comprises a plurality of thermoelectric elements, the thermoelectric assembly further comprising:
 at least one heat exchanger configured to be in thermal communication with the at least one working fluid; and   at least one interface structure in thermal communication with the at least one heat exchanger and the plurality of thermoelectric elements, wherein the at least one interface structure is configured to have a first portion at the first temperature and a second portion at the second temperature less than the first temperature, wherein the at least one interface structure comprises a chamber containing a material that is responsive to the first temperature and the second temperature by have a first mass density in the first portion and a second mass density in the second portion, the second mass density greater than the first mass density.   
     
     
         14 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one hot side shunt in thermal communication with the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric element;   at least one cold side shunt in thermal communication with the cold side of the at least one thermoelectric element, wherein the thermoelectric assembly comprises at least one first thermal path for heat flow from the at least one hot side shunt, through the at least one thermoelectric element, to the at least one cold side shunt; and   at least one structure in thermal communication with the at least one hot side shunt, the at least one structure comprising a portion configured to respond to the first temperature, wherein the portion has at least two configurations comprising:
 a first configuration when the first temperature is greater than a predetermined temperature in which the portion forms at least one second thermal path for heat flow from the at least one hot side shunt to the at least one cold side shunt without passing through the at least one thermoelectric element, wherein the at least one second thermal path has a thermal resistance that is sufficiently low such that a substantial amount of heat flows through the at least one second thermal path; and 
 at least one second configuration when the first temperature is less than or equal to the predetermined temperature in which the portion does not form the at least one second thermal path or the at least one second thermal path has a thermal resistance sufficiently high such that an insubstantial amount of heat flows through the at least one second thermal path. 
   
     
     
         15 . The thermoelectric assembly of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one hot side heat exchanger configured to be in thermal communication with at least one working fluid of the heat source;   at least one hot side shunt in thermal communication with the hot side of the at least one thermoelectric element;   at least one cold side shunt in thermal communication with the cold side of the at least one thermoelectric element; and   at least one structure configured to respond to the first temperature, wherein the thermoelectric assembly is configured to change between at least two configurations comprising:
 a first configuration when the first temperature is less than a predetermined temperature, the first configuration having at least one first thermal path for heat flow from the at least one hot side heat exchanger, through the at least one hot side shunt, through the at least one thermoelectric element, to the at least one cold side shunt, wherein the at least one first thermal path has a thermal resistance sufficiently low such that a substantial amount of heat flows through the at least one first thermal path; and 
 at least one second configuration when the first temperature is greater than or equal to the predetermined temperature, wherein the at least one second configuration does not have the at least one first thermal path or the at least one first thermal path has a thermal resistance sufficiently high such that an insubstantial amount of heat flows through the at least one first thermal path. 
   
     
     
         16 . A method of operating a thermoelectric assembly comprising at least one thermoelectric subassembly in thermal communication with a heat source and in thermal communication with a heat sink, the at least one thermoelectric subassembly comprising at least one thermoelectric element comprising a hot side at a first temperature and a cold side at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, the method comprising adjusting the first temperature by adjusting an electrical current of the at least one thermoelectric subassembly. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein controlling the first temperature comprises maintaining the first temperature to be less than or equal to a predetermined value. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising calculating the electrical current expected to maintain the first temperature to be less than or equal to the predetermined value. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined value is below a threshold damage temperature at which the at least one thermoelectric subassembly experiences temperature-generated damage. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the predetermined value is below a threshold damage temperature at which the at least one thermoelectric element experiences temperature-generated damage. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the thermoelectric assembly comprises at least one conduit configured to have at least one working fluid flowing therethrough, the at least one thermoelectric subassembly configured to receive the at least one working fluid from the at least one conduit, the method comprising selectively cooling the at least one working fluid flowing through the at least one conduit. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one thermoelectric element comprises a plurality of thermoelectric elements, the thermoelectric assembly comprising at least one heat exchanger configured to be in thermal communication with the at least one working fluid, the method comprising changing a phase of at least one material in thermal communication with the at least one heat exchanger and the plurality of thermoelectric elements, wherein the phase change results in a corresponding change of thermal conductance of the at least one material. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon a computer program that instructs a computer system to operate a thermoelectric assembly comprising at least one thermoelectric subassembly in thermal communication with a heat source and in thermal communication with a heat sink, the at least one thermoelectric subassembly comprising at least one thermoelectric element comprising a hot side at a first temperature and a cold side at a second temperature lower than the first temperature, by at least adjusting the first temperature by adjusting an electrical current of the at least one thermoelectric subassembly.