Thermoelectric heat exchanger for an hvac system

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system having a heat exchanger configured to thermally regulate a supply air flow, where the heat exchanger includes a thermoelectric device, a first plurality of fins coupled to the thermoelectric device, and a second plurality of fins coupled to the thermoelectric device. The first plurality of fins extend into a supply air flow path of the supply air flow to transfer thermal energy between the thermoelectric device and the supply air flow and the second plurality of fins convectively transfer thermal energy between the thermoelectric device and a working fluid exterior the supply air flow path.

1 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to thermally regulate a supply air flow, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
 a thermoelectric device; 
 a first plurality of fins coupled to the thermoelectric device, wherein the first plurality of fins extend into a supply air flow path of the supply air flow to transfer thermal energy between the thermoelectric device and the supply air flow; and 
   a second plurality of fins coupled to the thermoelectric device, wherein the second plurality of fins convectively transfer thermal energy between the thermoelectric device and a working fluid exterior the supply air flow path.   
     
     
         2 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a first heat exchange surface coupled to the first plurality of fins, and a second heat exchange surface coupled to the second plurality of fins. 
     
     
         3 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy absorbed from the supply air flow in the supply air flow path to the working fluid exterior the supply air flow path via the second plurality of fins. 
     
     
         4 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy absorbed from the working fluid exterior the supply air flow path to the supply air flow in the supply air flow path via the first plurality of fins. 
     
     
         5 . The HVAC system of  claim 4 , wherein the second plurality of fins extends into a working fluid flow path configured to receive a flow of the working fluid, wherein the working fluid flow path directs the flow of the working fluid across the second plurality of fins. 
     
     
         6 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric device extends into the supply air flow path. 
     
     
         7 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising a flow generating device disposed within the supply air flow path, wherein the flow generating device is configured to force the supply air flow across the first plurality of fins. 
     
     
         8 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a sensor in fluid communication with the supply air flow path; and   a controller electrically coupled to the sensor and the thermoelectric device, wherein the controller is configured to adjust an electric current supplied to the thermoelectric device in response to feedback acquired by the sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The HVAC system of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a battery module electrically coupled to the thermoelectric device and configured to supply the electric current thereto; and   a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery module, wherein the solar panel is configured to supply an additional electric current to the battery module.   
     
     
         10 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising an evaporator in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, wherein the evaporator is disposed downstream of the first plurality of fins relative to a direction of the supply air flow along the supply air flow path, and wherein the evaporator is configured to receive the supply air flow and absorb thermal energy from the supply air flow. 
     
     
         11 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , comprising an evaporator in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, wherein the evaporator is disposed upstream of the first plurality of fins relative to a direction of the supply air flow along the supply air flow path, and wherein the evaporator is configured to receive the supply air flow and absorb thermal energy from the supply air flow. 
     
     
         12 . The HVAC system of  claim 1 , wherein the heat exchanger comprises an enclosure having the thermoelectric device, the supply air flow path, and a working fluid flow path through which the working fluid flows. 
     
     
         13 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a heat exchanger configured to thermally regulate a supply fluid, wherein the heat exchanger comprises:
 a first chamber that defines a first flow path for the supply fluid; 
 a second chamber that defines a second flow path for a working fluid; and 
 a thermoelectric device disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a first heat exchange surface and a second heat exchange surface, wherein a first plurality of fins is coupled to the first heat exchange surface and extends into the first flow path and a second plurality of fins is coupled to the second heat exchange surface and extends into the second flow path, and wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy between the supply fluid and the working fluid. 
   
     
     
         14 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , comprising a first flow generating device disposed within the first chamber and configured to force the supply fluid through the first chamber and a second flow generating device disposed within the second chamber and configured to force the working fluid through the second chamber. 
     
     
         15 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , further comprising a third chamber fluidly coupled to the first chamber via an aperture, wherein the third chamber defines a third flow path for a return fluid. 
     
     
         16 . The HVAC system of  claim 15 , wherein the aperture is disposed upstream of the first plurality of fins relative to a flow direction of the supply fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , comprising a divider panel disposed between the first chamber and the second chamber, and wherein the divider panel comprises a thermally insulating material. 
     
     
         18 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a plurality of sensors disposed within the first flow path, the second flow path, or both; and   a controller communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors, wherein the controller is configured to control the thermoelectric device to adjust a rate of heat transfer between the supply fluid and the working fluid based on feedback from a sensor of the plurality of sensors.   
     
     
         19 . The HVAC system of  claim 18 , wherein the plurality of sensors comprises a temperature sensor, a humidity sensor, a carbon dioxide sensor, a flow rate sensor, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The HVAC system of  claim 18 , wherein the controller is communicatively coupled to at least one flow generating device within the first chamber, the second chamber, or both, and the controller is configured to modulate an operational speed of the at least one flow generating device based on the feedback from the sensor. 
     
     
         21 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 a battery module electrically coupled to the thermoelectric device; and   a solar panel electrically coupled to the battery module, wherein the solar panel is configured supply a first electrical current to charge the battery module, and wherein the battery module is configured to supply a second electrical current to power the thermoelectric device.   
     
     
         22 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of thermoelectric devices, and wherein the plurality of thermoelectric devices is disposed within the heat exchanger in a cascaded arrangement. 
     
     
         23 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , wherein thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy absorbed from the supply fluid in the first flow path to the working fluid in the second flow path via the second plurality of fins. 
     
     
         24 . The HVAC system of  claim 23 , comprising an evaporator in fluid communication with the heat exchanger, wherein the evaporator is disposed downstream of the first plurality of fins with respect to a flow direction of the supply fluid along the first flow path, and wherein the evaporator is configured to receive the supply fluid and absorb thermal energy from the supply fluid. 
     
     
         25 . The HVAC system of  claim 13 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy absorbed from the working fluid in the second flow path to the supply fluid in the first flow path via the first plurality of fins. 
     
     
         26 . A heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system, comprising:
 a thermoelectric heat exchanger, comprising:
 a first chamber defining a first flow path for a supply fluid; 
 a second chamber adjacent the first chamber, wherein the second chamber defines a second flow path for a working fluid; 
 a thermoelectric device disposed within the first flow path, wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a first heat exchange surface and a second heat exchange surface coupled to a first fin array and a second fin array, respectively, wherein the first fin array extends into the first flow path and the second fin array extends into the second flow path, and wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy between the supply fluid and the working fluid via the first fin array and the second fin array. 
   
     
     
         27 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , comprising a solar array electrically coupled to the thermoelectric device and configured to supply an electrical current thereto. 
     
     
         28 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , wherein the thermoelectric device is disposed within an opening of a divider separating the first chamber and the second chamber. 
     
     
         29 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , wherein the thermoelectric device comprises a plurality of thermoelectric devices arranged in a cascaded arrangement, wherein the cascaded arrangement extends into the first flow path. 
     
     
         30 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , wherein the first fin array and the second fin array extend in a direction crosswise to a first flow direction of the supply fluid and a second flow direction of the working fluid, respectively. 
     
     
         31 . The HVAC system of  claim 30 , wherein the first flow direction is opposite the second flow direction. 
     
     
         32 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , further comprising a third chamber in fluid communication with the first chamber, wherein the third chamber defines a third flow path for a return fluid, and wherein the third chamber is configured to direct a portion of the return fluid into the first chamber upstream of the first fin array relative to a flow direction of the supply fluid. 
     
     
         33 . The HVAC system of  claim 32 , wherein the third chamber comprises a damper configured to direct an additional portion of the return fluid through an aperture of the third chamber to an environment external to the thermoelectric heat exchanger. 
     
     
         34 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , further comprising a first flow generating device disposed within the first chamber and a second flow generating device disposed within the second chamber. 
     
     
         35 . The HVAC system of  claim 26 , wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to transfer thermal energy absorbed from the supply fluid in the first chamber to the working fluid in the second chamber. 
     
     
         36 . The HVAC system of  claim 35 , comprising an evaporator in fluid communication with the first chamber, wherein the first fin array is disposed upstream of the evaporator relative to a flow direction of the supply fluid along the first flow path, and wherein the evaporator is configured to receive the supply fluid and absorb thermal energy from the supply fluid.