Liquid - Liquid Devices
Conventional thermoelectric modules require a physical envelope that contains the TE materials and electrical connections in a form suitable for integration into larger systems. The design of conventional thermoelectric modules (i.e. their configuration and the materials used) introduces thermal and electrical parasitic losses that compromise each module's performance. BSST has developed proprietary designs that simplify the system by eliminating thermal electrical interfaces. The resulting configurations are more cost effective, efficient, reliable, and are generally more compact (i.e. they have a higher power density).
The image shown here is of a stack of BSST TE devices that were specifically designed to notably reduce thermal and electrical losses while offering a structurally stable compact configuration. The stack was designed to remove heat from a primary liquid stream that passes through the stack, and expel that heat into a separate waste liquid stream that also flows through and then out of the stack. The individual TE devices, which are the building blocks of the stack, are made of a conducting metal (copper in this case), are hollow, and are connected so that the primary and waste heat liquid streams flow through alternating devices in the stack.
Each of the TE devices is conductive. Because of this conductivity, the devices are able to pump heat from the primary liquid stream to the waste liquid stream when they are both flowing and an electrical current is passed through the stack. When a number of stacks are assembled as a unit, the unit can dissipate a larger amount of heat while offering a relatively small footprint that does not have any moving parts. Such a unit is capable of effectively cooling such things as an enclosed high heat-generating electronics system or passengers in an automobile.
While the particular TE stack shown and discussed here represents an early generation of advanced BSST thermoelectrics (due to client confidentiality), it is representative of BSST's progressive approach to the development of thermoelectric cooling and heating system platforms.