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U.S. Department of Energy
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Study of thermoelectric technology for automobile air conditioning

Conference ·
OSTI ID:5297341
;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Midwest Research Inst., Kansas City, MO (United States)
  2. Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
An analytical study was conducted to determine the feasibility of employing thermoelectric (TE) cooling technology in automobile air conditioners. The study addressed two key issues -- power requirements and availability of thermoelectric materials. In this paper, a mathematical model was developed to predict the performance of TE air conditioners and to analyze power consumption. Results show that the power required to deliver a cooling capacity of 4 kW (13,80 Btu/h) in a 38{degree}C (100{degree}F) environment will be 9.5 kW electric. Current TE modules suitable for air conditioning are made of bismuth telluride. The element tellurium is expected to be in short supply if TE cooling is widely implemented for auto air conditioning; some options available in this regard were studied and presented in this paper.
Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-84OR21400
OSTI ID:
5297341
Report Number(s):
CONF-911213-7; ON: DE91017948
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English