FlexiTEC - flexible thermoelectric cooling using next generation miniaturisation

热电设备是利用电力来泵热的设备。它们可以在同一设备中提供供暖和制冷。它们没有活动部件，这使它们成为维护最少的坚固、小型、安静、环保的系统的理想选择。现有的热电系统是刚性的，更复杂的形状或更柔软的表面，如身体，很难相互作用。我们的提案名为FlexiTEC，旨在开发一种完全灵活的热电系统。这将增加热电系统的易用性，并鼓励采用个人热电温度控制系统，例如在主动加热和制冷座椅产品中。这种局部环境控制可以显著节省能源，因为只有你立即感觉到的环境被控制，而不是你周围的整个空间。此外，热电系统的加热效率比本地电加热器更高。这些能效优势在电动汽车开发中尤为重要，在电动汽车开发中，驾驶室温度控制可以对续航里程产生高达40%的影响，例如在冰冻条件下。为了实现这一目标，将执行完整的系统级建模，并对热电材料、设备架构和柔性散热器的耦合影响进行优化，以实现电气、热和机械性能之间所需的平衡。这将指导材料、设备和系统创新，以加快迈向高性能、坚固、灵活的系统的进程。开发工作将包括新的工艺路线，以实现下一代小型化，以及一个设计成比传统设备更耐故障的模块。此外，柔性散热器将采用新的低成本工艺进行优化和建造。这项工作将在莱斯特附近的欧洲热力学有限公司进行，这是英国领先的工业热电研究中心，并将与莱斯特大学和伦敦玛丽女王大学合作，分别利用他们在热电材料机械和先进热电加工路线方面的专业知识。

Thermoelectric devices are devices that use electricity to pump heat. They can provide both heating and cooling in the same device. Their lack of moving parts makes them good choices for robust, small, quiet, environmentally friendly systems with minimal maintenance. Existing thermoelectric systems are rigid, and more complex shapes or softer surfaces such as the body are difficult to interact with. Our proposal, entitled FlexiTEC, is to develop a fully flexible thermoelectric system. This will increase the ease of use of thermoelectric systems, and encourage take up in personal thermoelectric temperature control systems, for example in active heating and cooling seating products. Such local environment control can significantly save energy, as only the environment that you immediately feel is controlled, rather than the entire space around you. In addition thermoelectric systems have a higher efficiency in heating then local electrical heaters. These efficiency advantages are especially important in electric vehicle development, where cabin temperature control can have up to a 40% impact on range for example in freezing conditions.In order to achieve this aim, full system level modelling and optimisation of the coupled impact of thermoelectric materials, device architecture and flexible heat sinks will be performed in order to achieve the required balance between electrical, thermal and mechanical properties. This will direct the material, device and system innovation in order to accelerate progress towards a high performance, robust, flexible system. Development work will include novel processing routes to enable next generation miniaturisation, coupled with a module designed to be more resistant to failure than conventional devices. In addition, flexible heat sinks will be optimised and constructed using novel low cost processing.This work will be undertaken at European Thermodynamics Ltd near Leicester, a leading UK centre for industrial thermoelectrics research, and will partner with University of Leicester and Queen Mary University of London to harness their expertise in the mechanics of thermoelectric materials and advanced thermoelectric processing routes respectively.