Thermoelectric cooling heating unit prototype

Abstract

The article describes from an architectonical point of view the design, assembly, and energy behavior of a prototype for air-conditioning in residential buildings using Peltier cells, which means the application in the field of construction of a technology used in very specific areas. The new system has been designed as an independent, prefabricated, modular construction element that must fit perfectly between the structural floors and is easily adapted to the demands of different buildings. The thermoelectric cooling heating unit is designed to offer a high level of comfort to those living in the building. The only mechanical elements are the dissipation heat fans placed on the outside of the prototype, and heat sinks to transfer the heat from the power elements, reducing the possibilities of failure. The result of all these ideas is the construction of a prefabricated module, consisting of a simplified inhabited housing unit with a thermoelectric installation serving the module, which has obtained a national patent. The results of the thermal and electric behavior demonstrate that the system does not work as well as had been expected; nevertheless, the system has a high potential for its use in buildings associated with photovoltaic. Practical application: The system opens new ways to the air-conditioning without using the traditional concepts of primary and secondary loop, because the system is highly independent. Their applications could be in building refurbishment where other systems involving the use of water or air are complicated to implement, in spaces where security and resilience are crucial factors (such as surgeries or computer server rooms), or those situations with extreme maximum and minimum temperatures or irregular electrical supply, as those could exist when the army must intervene or an humanitarian disaster occurs. © 2015 The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers.