Peltier cooling systems with high aspect ratio
New Peltier semiconductor heat transfer systems are presented herein. In particular, Peltier heat transfer systems of Peltier semiconductor elements of highly unique shape are arranged to bias the cooling side with respect to its size and consequently performance. In effect, a Peltier heat transfer system is created whereby the Peltier called side is greatly reduced in size and the Peltier hot side is greatly expanded in size. Such ‘high aspect ratio’ Peltier systems promote ‘focused’ cooling effect, which is particularly useful in conjunction with high-performance electronic devices having a small footprint. The entire cooling a fact of the Peltier device is brought to the small space approximated by a point. Thus a ‘point’ heat source such as a semiconductor laser are high-performance light emitting diode is more effectively cooled by these systems.
This application is a continuation of a previously filed application having a Ser. No. of 10/545,216 filed Aug. 04, 2005; which is a U.S. national application depending from PCT application PCT/IB2004/000202 which benefits from priority established as U.S. application Ser. No. 10/360,955 filed Jul. 02, 2003, now abandoned.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS1. Field
The following inventions disclosure is generally concerned with semiconductor cooling systems in high performance electronic devices and specifically concerned with Peltier semiconductor elements of non-rectilinear shapes arranged to provide a spatial concentration of the heat transfer effects.
2. Prior Art
US patent application publication No. 2004/0120156 published on Jun. 24, 2004 by inventor Ryan of the Riversdale, N.Y., teaches of a high-powered lighting assembly, which includes an easily sealed continuous thermal barrier and a solid-state actively controlled closed loop refrigeration system to maximize operational efficiencies increase unit life. A novel fanout arrangement of five rectilinear Peltier elements provides a nice heat spreading scheme coupled to an LED light source. In this way, the LED can operate at very high power while the Peltier cooling system transfers heat out the back of the package which includes a special insulation system. The systems presented by Ryan are highly effective in view of the fact that heat is generated in a small focused, point-like area.
US patent application, numbered 2004/0190305 by Arik et al, also teaches an LED with active cooling systems. In this case, fluid such as water draws heat away from the LED and transfers it to a dissipating structure.
Heat dissipating silicate-on-insulator structures are presented by inventor Marcis in US patent application publication numbered 2002/0033189 of Mar. 21, 2002. In some of the systems a radial fanout of silicate on insulator pieces formed a heat transfer system having a concentrated cold area at a device center. However as a device is purely two-dimensional in nature, that is the heat dissipating area is completely within a single plane, it is a necessary condition that the hot area is similar in size to the cold area, albeit somewhat larger.
Inventors Shimada et al, teach in U.S. Pat. No. 6,826,916, a “laser module, Peltier module, and Peltier module integrated heat spreader”. The laser module is a high-performance electronic device which generates significant amount of heat. The lasers performance would be improved if it were possible to draw heat quickly away from the laser. As such Shimada et al, have integrated a Peltier heat transfer system with the laser module. The laser module may be considered point-type heat source. As such, the Peltier module configuration is arranged to cooperate with such point-type heat sources as it is tightly thermally coupled thereto.
Kimura et al, are inventors of semiconductor laser modules having Peltier heat transfer systems which regulate laser temperature. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,399 entitled “Semiconductor laser module with Peltier module for regulating a temperature of a semiconductor laser chip” A high-performance electronic device, namely, a laser, is integrated with a Peltier heat transfer system. The systems of Kimura illustrate a primary deficiency in found throughout the art, that is the use of rectilinear Peltier elements to cool point-type heat sources is inefficient at best, because the “cold side” is embodied as a plane which occupies an extensive area while heat production occurs at a very tiny point. It is very hard to effectively couple a large planar surface to a point-type heat source as the coupling's efficiency depends on thermal conduction in the cold plane. Kimura et al. systems would be greatly improved if the cold generating means were more tightly focused, and in closer contact with the laser device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,219,364 inventor Dei teaches a semiconductor laser module having improved metal substrate on Peltier element. The “metal substrate on Peltier element” is designed to better couple the point-type heat source to the large plane of the Peltier heat transfer system. Particular attention is drawn to
The invention designs of Nagakubo et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,966,938 are directed to Peltier control circuits and Peltier device structure. Of particular interest is the Peltier device structure detailed in
While systems and inventions of the art are designed to achieve particular goals and objectives, some of those being no less than remarkable, these inventions have limitations which prevent their use in new ways now possible. Inventions of the art are not used and cannot be used to realize the advantages and objectives of the inventions taught herefollowing.
It should be understood that all of the herein referenced materials provide considerable definition of elements of these newly presented inventions. Therefore, those materials are incorporated herein by reference whereby the instant specification can rely upon them for enablement of the particular teachings of each.
SUMMARY OF THESE INVENTIONSComes now: Abramov, V.S.; Ivanov, A.A.; Shishov, A.V.; Sherbakov, N.V.; and Sushkov, V.P., with inventions of Peltier effect cooling systems having a high aspect ratio with respect to its hot and cold sides. These inventions include devices configured in conjunction with high performance electronic elements characterized as having a very small footprint. In some most preferred versions, these systems include a Peltier heat transfer systems having a spatial bias in conjunction with a plurality of LEDs arranged in an array.
It is a primary function of these Peltier cooling systems to provide highly concentrated cooling effect to size limited devices and geometries. It is a contrast to prior art methods and devices that those systems do not provide a significant size difference between hot and cold areas. A fundamental difference between Peltier cooling systems of these inventions and those of the art can be found when considering the ratios between the heating areas and the cooling areas.
Peltier elements of special geometric shape and design are arranged provide a ‘focused’ or concentrated cooling effect and deliver that cooling mechanism to a very small size and geometry. In this manner, point-type heat sources such as high-performance electronic devices, in example a laser, high output or otherwise high-performance LED, may be more effectively cooled as the cooling capacity of these Peltier heat transfer systems is more directly coupled to such devices in view of their intrinsic geometry.
Peltier elements of these inventions are sometimes configured in non-rectilinear, non-cylindrical arrangements. More particularly, Peltier elements of these inventions are configured as three-dimensional shaped elements, which provide considerable leverage with respect to spatial advantages. When properly arranged, these Peltier elements deliver cooling to a size limited space and geometry, but at the same time provide heat dissipation to a considerably larger three-dimensional space. It is not unusual to have “hot side” to “cold side” ratios greater than 3. It is entirely possible to provide a hot side ratio greater than 10.
When used in combination with high-performance LEDs, these three-dimensional Peltier heat transfer systems deliver the highest cooling effect to the LED junction, which permits these high-performance LEDs to be driven with greater currents and thus at higher optical outputs. Thus these three-dimensional Peltier heat transfer systems when used in combination with high-performance electronic devices having a point-type heat source profile, always permit better performance.
OBJECTIVES OF THESE INVENTIONSIt is a primary object of these inventions to provide Peltier cooling systems arranged with a spatial bias with respect to the hot and cold sides.
It is an object of these inventions to provide Peltier cooling systems having a cold side which is smaller that a hot side.
It is a further object to provide Peltier cooling systems having a cold side smaller than a hot side in conjunction with a high performance electronic element with a small footprint.
It is further an object to provide array arrangements of Peltier systems having hot side/cold side ratio of greater than 2.
A better understanding can be had with reference to detailed description of preferred embodiments and with reference to appended drawings. Embodiments presented are particular ways to realize these inventions and are not inclusive of all ways possible. Therefore, there may exist embodiments that do not deviate from the spirit and scope of this disclosure as set forth by appended claims, but do not appear here as specific examples. It will be appreciated that a great plurality of alternative versions are possible.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURESThese and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims and drawings where:
Throughout this disclosure, reference is made to some terms which may or may not be exactly defined in popular dictionaries as they are defined here. To provide a more precise disclosure, the following terms are presented with a view to clarity so that the true breadth and scope may be more readily appreciated. Although every attempt is made to be precise and thorough, it is a necessary condition that not all meanings associated with each term can be completely set forth. Accordingly, each term is intended to also include its common meaning which may be derived from general usage within the pertinent arts or by dictionary meaning. Where the presented definition is in conflict with a dictionary or arts definition, one must consider the context of use and liberal discretion to arrive at an intended meaning. One will be well advised to error on the side of attaching broader meanings to terms used in order to fully appreciate the depth of the teaching and to understand all the intended variations.
Heat Sink
A heat sink is any system into which heat may be dissipated. These include mechanical systems such as bulk material of high thermal capacity promoting heat transfer via conduction. Alternatively, these include systems such cooling fins in air currents which promote heat transfer via convection and radiation.
Active Area An ‘active area’ is a geometric construction including a place in which a point-type heat source may be accommodated. An active area of these inventions is fairly coupled to a cold side of a Peltier heat transfer system.
High Performance Electronic Device
High performance electronic devices herein are devices which generate significant amounts of heat detrimental to their performance. The efficacy of such devices becomes compromised without active cooling. Thus, a high performance electronic device is one which benefits from a cooling system operable for taking heat away from the device. For these inventions, a high performance electronic device is a heat producing system of small footprint—i.e. a point-type heat source.
‘Hot Side’ and ‘Cold Side’
Use of terms hot and cold ‘side’ might otherwise seem to imply a planar structure, however this notion is hereby explicitly rejected. For purposes of these inventions, a ‘hot side’ or ‘cold side’ may be drawn to structures not necessarily planar in nature. Cold sides tend to approximate a point structure or a structure including a group of point approximations. A hot side may be planar or may include a structure such as a cylinder. These may include cylinders of circular section. Accordingly, it would be a mistake to associate any particular geometry to the term ‘side’ unless a particular geometry is explicitly set forth.
PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THESE INVENTIONSIn accordance with each of preferred embodiments of these inventions, there is provided asymmetric Peltier heat transfer systems where the asymmetry is a spatial arrangement which favors the cold side of system being smaller in size than the hot side. This is achieved by providing Peltier elements of remarkable and unusual shapes in comparison to those which may be found in the art. Typically, Peltier elements are grown as crystals and are nearly invariably formed as cubes or at least rectangular-cylindrical in shape. In the special devices first presented herein, Peltier elements are fashioned from bulk material into shapes which are not rectangular-cylindrical.
It will be appreciated that each of embodiments described include an apparatus and that the apparatus of one preferred embodiment may be different than the apparatus of another embodiment.
Peltier cooling systems are typically comprised of alternately doped semiconductor elements. These semiconductor elements are formed from bulk semiconductor material grown as a crystal. Peltier semiconductor elements are typically formed in rectangular shapes having six orthonormal sides. Peltier heat transfer systems of the art are generally comprised of many tens of these rectangular-cylindrically shaped pieces formed in an array between a hot plane in a cold plane.
Despite that fact, it remains possible to form semiconductor elements into complex shapes. Indeed cleaving, grinding, etching or otherwise shaping semiconductor devices to desired shapes can produce “unnaturally shaped” crystal structures. In the following description, semiconductor elements of shapes having at least two of posing sides which are not parallel are proposed. These crystals may be formed in various ways, and by various procedures, but in the end, it is the new geometric shapes proposed herein, which provides foundation for these inventions.
With reference to the drawing figures, one will gain a more complete understanding of these inventions. In particular with reference to
In devices first presented herein, we not only consider Peltier elements where the sides are not orthonormal, but also we consider sides having peripheries which are non-rectangular polygons. For illustration purposes, the Peltier element of
While these specially shaped Peltier elements may include sides of complex shapes and sizes, they behave like common Peltier elements in that they have a ‘cold side’ and a ‘hot side’ depending upon the relationship the element has with its electrical connectors/conductors and the direction of electrical current which is passed therethrough. In drawing
It is herein shown to be sometimes advantageous to ‘focus’ the heat transfer properties of Peltier systems to a very small area. For example, where a system to be cooled has a very small footprint or point geometry. In inventions first presented here, the heat transfer mechanisms of Peltier elements are concentrated or ‘focused’ via these complex shapes used to form the Peltier elements. In the example shown as
When the nature of the object to be cooled is characterized by a point-type heat source, then it is a great advantage to form a Peltier cooling system having a cold side of limited spatial extent.
A very important pie-wedge shaped Peltier element 21 is shown as
In particular, the pie-wedge example of the figure is comprised of six sides. Two sides, one indicated as 21 (its compliment is not visible nor labeled in the diagram), have an area considerably larger than the area of all other sides. These two sides may be parallel to each other. We refer to those as facing sides or sides which oppose each other. Underside 22, and its compliment, topside 23, have rectangular periphery however, these sides are not parallel with respect to each other, but rather are askew. ‘Backside’ 24 and ‘tip’ 25 are configured and arranged as junction sides. A metal contact, and electrical conductor is joined at these sides to form a Peltier junction between semiconductor and conductor. These contacts bring about the Peltier cooling and heating depending upon current direction and semiconductor type (‘P’-type or ‘N’-type). If the current is properly directed, then the backside 24 will have the Peltier heating and the tip will present Peltier cooling.
Experts will appreciate that every electron of the current, when passing from a conductor to a semiconductor, or vice versa, contributes to heating or cooling in the junction where the transition takes place. Accordingly, if all the current is forced into a small area junction all the heating or cooling will occur in that limited area. It is therefore easy to understand how the entire cooling capacity of a Peltier device might be forced to occur in a small area. If a conductor/semiconductorjunction is formed in a small area, the current is forced to pass that junction and deliver the cooling process locally there. In the Peltier element of
One will appreciate that in preferred versions, hot ends are appreciably larger in area than said cold ends. Since the entire current will pass that very limited area, i.e. the junction where a metal contact is applied, each electron will contribute to the cooling effect as it looses its energy traversing the junction. When properly configured in a heat transfer system, each Peltier element has a cold side and a hot side. In best arrangements, pairs of Peltier elements are arranged to form aportion of a serial electronic circuit, and at the same time, a portion of a parallel thermal circuit.
It is not necessary that the junction be on a single surface, but rather might take up a shape not in a single plane. For example, it is possible to arrange a connector which connects to a small portion of the surface indicated as 22 and the entire surface indicated as 25. Thus, an ‘L’-shaped connector might be suitable to define the ‘cold side’ of these shaped Peltier elements. Experts will appreciate that there is nothing sacred about a ‘cold side’ being a planar surface. What is strictly called the ‘cold side’ or ‘hot side’ of Peltier systems—may be embodied in these inventions as something which does not resemble the literal meaning of ‘side’ at all; but rather is a complex shaped surface or structure. For these Peltier systems where a metal conductor contacts a Peltier element surface of any shape, the portion were the Peltier material and metal conductor join together defines the ‘cold side’ or ‘hot side’.
It is now clear that old Peltier device terminology ‘side’ does not apply well to the three-dimensional devices presented herein this disclosure, it is useful to present further description as to precisely what makes up the nature of a cold side of these unique systems. Since these systems are primarily directed to accommodate heat generating electrical elements having a small footprint, we sometimes referred to these heat producing sources as ‘point-type’ sources. As such, our ‘cold sides’ are sometimes arranged to cooperate with a geometric point. While a geometric point is unaddressable in real physical systems having finite extent, one will appreciate that small circular areas, surfaces, and spaces will sometimes be liberally considered herein ‘a point’. To better understand how the uniquely shaped Peltier element of
With regard to
With attention directed to Peltier element 33, careful consideration should be directed to the underside. In particular, an approximately ⅓ portion of the underside which is closest to the foreground in the drawing. If one were to arrange an electrical conductor to join on this forward portion of the Peltier element, all Peltier cooling activity would occur at the junction of the metal conductor and the Peltier element in the forward area as described.
Peltier heating would occur where a second conductor is joined with the Peltier element to form a ‘hot side’ at backside surface 35. Casual inspection will reveal that, in fact, the conductor 36 which joins two Peltier elements together wouldn't resemble a ‘side’ at all in the traditional sense. But rather, for these devices ‘sides’ would be cylindrical sections. In this way, it is possible for current to flow from a first Peltier element, through the cylindrically shaped conductor, and into the second Peltier element. Peltier heating would be occur at both junctions were the conductor interfaces with either Peltier element. Indeed, the area over which Peltier heating occurs can be made to be quite large.
Close examination will reveal another conductor 37 between two other Peltier elements, Peltier elements 31 and 32. This conductor similarly forms junctions of metal and Peltier bulk material at one ‘N’-type element and one ‘P’-type element. As explained previously, current may pass from a first Peltier element, through the Peltier-metal junction causing Peltier cooling, further into the metal conductor and over towards a second Peltier element, through the metal-Peltier junction further causing additional Peltier cooling, and finally into the second Peltier element. It is now quite easy to appreciate that a serial electronic circuit is formed by this arrangement. That is electrical current may pass from Peltier element 31, through a cold side conductor 37, into Peltier element 32, through hot side conductor 36, and finally into Peltier element 33. Experts will further note that the arrangement promotes a very interesting parallel thermal circuit. Active area 38 is thermally coupled by way proximity to metal conductor 37, and further to Peltier elements at their apex. In some preferred versions, the hot area is substantially concentric with the active area.
Drawing area designated as 39 includes the active area into which cooling service may be delivered and Peltier cold side which is a generally circular area defined by the group of conductors arranged about Peltier element apex.
Thus, this highly unique and untraditional arrangement of Peltier elements shares the necessary features of all Peltier heat transfer systems, that is a serial electronic circuit and parallel thermal circuit.
Extension of this concept, such that a plurality of Peltier elements completely surround circular ‘active area’ 38, yields a highly functional heat transfer system particularly suitable for cooling a point-type heat generating source or high-performance electronic element. In this way, an active area is thermally coupled to the cold ends of a plurality of Peltier semiconductor elements.
Such system becomes immediately more clear in view of
Attention is now drawn to the center region of this device. A circular region at the center is fashioned as an active area 44. The active area is configured whereby a high-performance electronic device may be affixed or otherwise coupled thereto. This coupling preferably includes thermal consideration which passes thermal energy from a high-performance electronic device 45 into the substrate from which the active area may be comprised. The active area may be coupled to the Peltier elements by mere proximity. The active area may join the Peltier elements by way of metallic conductors which may be formed on a same substrate from which an active area is made. The high-perfomance electronic device can be electrically insulated from Peltier elements but can be include in series electrical circuit with Peltier elements.
It is important for a full understanding of these inventions to describe the novel electrical conductors which may be found in these Peltier heat transfer systems. These conductors are notably distinct and cannot found in the prior arts. For example, in consideration of the devices presented in
While various interesting configurations, may be devised from materials commonly used in the fabrication of electronic systems, the true essence of these inventions lies not in these configurations, but rather in the notion that a cold side is fashioned to cooperate with a small footprint point source by way of shaped Peltier elements which have a cold side considerably smaller in surface area than a hot side.
While it is suggested herein these examples that a high-performance electronic device be a laser or a high output light emitting diode, et cetera, it is easy to appreciate that many heat generating elements might benefit from heat transfer systems of the type first presented here. In accordance with the particular geometries shown, it is easy to appreciate that any heat producing source which has a ‘small footprint’, that is to say occupies a small area, will benefit from such heat transfer systems. Because the systems are arranged to concentrate the cooling activity into a very small area, point sources are more effectively coupled to the entire cooling portion of the Peltier heat transfer system. Competing Peltier heat transfer systems rarely or never have cooling activity concentrated into a small space or area.
The system shown in
While it is a preferred case that these systems be arranged in conjunction with a ‘point’ type heat source, there are other configurations of great interest. Namely, it is possible to address arrays of high-performance electronic elements with specially configured Peltier systems which concentrate the cooling effect to a plurality of distributed limited areas.
To more completely understand this, attention should be directed to
To coupled two such Peltier elements together forming a serial electronic circuit, one need apply a metal conductors as shown in
Now
Just to remind one how an electronic circuit may be arranged in view of such configurations,
These systems are well suited to cooperate with and may be joined by conventional heat dissipation means. For example, the hot plane of devices of these inventions can be thermally coupled to heatsinks having large surface area.
One will now fully appreciate how Peltier semiconductor heat transfer systems may be arranged to focus or concentrate the cooling effect to a small area. Although the present inventions have been described in considerable detail with clear and concise language and with reference to certain preferred versions thereof including best modes anticipated by the inventors, other versions are possible. Therefore, the spirit and scope of the invention should not be limited by the description of the preferred versions contained therein, but rather by the claims appended hereto.
Claims
1) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems comprising:
- at least one semiconductor element pair arranged to yield Peltier effect heat transfer, said semiconductor element pair comprising one ‘P’ type doped semiconductor element and one ‘A’ type doped semiconductor element, each element having a cold end and a hot end, further said element pair being arranged to form a portion of a serial electronic circuit and a portion of a parallel thermal circuit,
- an active area thermally coupled to the cold ends of said at least one ‘P’ type doped semiconductor element and one ‘N’ type doped semiconductor element; and
- a hot area thermally coupled to the hot ends of said at least one ‘P’ type doped semiconductor element and one ‘N’-type doped semiconductor element,
- said hot ends being appreciably larger than said cold ends.
2) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 1, said cold ends arranged to thermally couple with a single contiguous active area characterized as an annulus or circle, said hot ends arranged to thermally couple with an hot area characterized as a substantially cylindrical element.
3) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 2, said hot area is fashioned as a heat sink having a high thermal conductivity suitable for transmission of heat from said hot ends to a heat dump.
4) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 4, heat sink has fins to increase the total surface area exposed to surrounding air and transmits heat into that air.
5) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 2, said hot area being substantially concentric with said active area.
6) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 1, said active area is thermally coupled an electronic heat producing system.
7) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 6, said electronic heat producing system is at least one light emitting diode.
8) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 1, said active area is formed of a material having a high thermal conductivity.
9) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 1, said active area is fashioned as a plurality of fields distributed about a planar region.
10) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 9, said plurality of fields are rectangular areas distributed in an array arrangement.
11) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 10, said plurality of fields comprise a total area which less than 50% of said hot area.
12) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 9, said hot area is fashioned as a plurality of fields distributed about a hot plane planar region.
13) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 12, said hot plane being fashioned of thermally conductive material whereby heat easily passes from hot ends into said hot plane.
14) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 9, further comprising an arrangement of interconnects to form a serial circuit wherein a plurality of semiconductor element pairs are electrically coupled.
15) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 14, said interconnects are fashioned as thin metal strips on the cold ends and hot ends of the semiconductor elements.
16) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 9, said cold plane is characterized as a substrate having low thermal conductivity.
17) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 9, said hot plane is characterized as a substrate having high thermal conductivity.
18) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 10, said plurality of fields further having coupled thereto high performance LEDs.
19) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 18, said LEDs being high lumen output white LEDs.
20) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 10, said hot plane has a heat sink cooling fin arrangement thermally coupled thereto whereby the surface area of the cooling fin arrangement is effectively larger than the hot plane.
21) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 2, said cold ends are arranged to thermally couple with a single contiguous active area, said hot ends are arranged to thermally couple with a hot area characterized as a substantially cylindrical element.
22) Peltier effect semiconductor heat transfer systems of claim 21, said cold sides are characterized as a substrate said active area has high thermal conductivity and low electrical conductivity.
Type: Application
Filed: Dec 22, 2005
Publication Date: May 25, 2006
Inventors: Vladimir Abramov (Moscow), Alexander Shishov (Bykovo), Nikolay Sherbakov (Moscow), Valeriy Sushkov (Moscow), Alexey Ivanov (Moscow)
Application Number: 11/316,178
International Classification: H01L 35/34 (20060101); H01L 35/28 (20060101);