Thesis Title: Efficiency of thermoelectric modules in cooling and heating of buildings

Friday 31 August 2018, at:11:00, Venue: Hall Κ2. Α11

Examination Committee

• Associate Professor Dionysia Kolokotsa (advisor)
• Professor Theocharis Tsoutsos
• Professor Konstantinos Kalaitzakis

Abstract:

Over the last few decades, the need for a new way of energy production has grown significantly, as fossil fuels are on the brink of extinction and the planet is in need of more environmentally friendly technologies. A very promising, environmentally friendly way for energy production is the use of thermoelectric materials and, thus, the Peltier modules.
Peltier modules are named after Jean Charles Athanase Peltier, who in the early 1800s discovered the presence of heating or cooling at an electrified junction of two different conductors. This particular phenomenon is called the Peltier effect, which is essentially the reverse of the Seebeck effect. During the Seebeck effect heat is converted directly into electricity at the junction of different types of wire.
In this particular study, the Seebeck effect was observed as a way to measure the efficiency of thermoelectric modules. For a Peltier module to produce electrical current, a different temperature on each side of the module is needed. The heat source for this experiment was the waste heat originating from the solar energy.
For the efficiency of the modules to be determined, a physical model made of polyurethane panels was constructed. The selections of polyurethane panels were determined, in order for the physical model to be completely insulated. Specifically, the model is a cube with internal dimensions of 1m x 1m x 1m, and on one of its sides, the thermoelectric modules were placed. The thermoelectric modules were used as cooling devices.
The modules’ voltage and amperage were constantly measured, as well as the temperature in several places inside and outside of the cube. At the same time, the internal temperatures of a duplicated cube with no thermoelectric modules were measured, in order to make a comparison with the original cube.
The thermoelectric modules made a significant difference in the temperature inside of the cube, compared to the cube that had no modules on it. The use thermoelectric modules is a promising technology for the future of heating and cooling in buildings, without using large amounts of energy or aggravating the climate change.