Control system for a food and beverage compartment thermoelectric cooling system
US8516832B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 30, 2010 |
| Grant date | Aug 27, 2013 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 27, 2031 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC F)Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
- CPC primaryF25D2317/0684
- WIPO fieldThermal processes and apparatus
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
A controller for a thermoelectric cooling system comprises a sensor input that receives input from a sensor that measures a performance parameter of a thermoelectric cooling system. The thermoelectric cooling system comprises a plurality of thermoelectric devices electrically coupled in a combination of in series and in parallel with one another and electrically driven by a common driver. The controller also comprises a voltage control signal output, a processor, and a non-transitory memory having stored thereon a program executable by the processor to perform a method of controlling the thermoelectric cooling system. The method comprises receiving sensor data from the sensor input, determining a parameter of the voltage control signal based on the input sensor data, and transmitting a voltage control signal having the parameter to the driver to control heat transfer by the plurality of thermoelectric devices. The voltage control signal may include a pulse width modulation signal having a pulse width modulation duty cycle, or a variable voltage control signal having a percentage of the maximum voltage of the variable voltage control signal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.