A Comparative Analysis of Thermoelectric Modules for the Purpose of Ensuring Thermal Comfort in Protective Clothing

Abstract

In recent times, more and more workers are exposed to thermal stress due to climate changes and increased ambient temperature. Demanding physical activities and the use of protective clothing are additional sources of thermal load for workers. Therefore, recent research has focused on the development of protective clothing with a cooling function. Phase change materials, air or liquid, were mainly used for this purpose; only a few publications were concerned the use of thermoelectric modules. This publication analyzes the influence of such factors as supplied current, ambient temperature, and the type of heat sink on the amount of heat flux transferred by a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) and the electric power consumed by it. In the course of laboratory tests, a flexible thermoelectric module and three heat sink variants were tested. For this purpose, a polymer TEGway heat sink, a metal one, and a self-made one based on a superabsorbent were used. The research showed that at a temperature of 30 °C and above, the amount of the heat flux transferred by a TEC with a total area of 58 cm2, and an active area of 10 cm2 should be expected to be from 1 W to 1.5 W. An increase in ambient temperature from 20 to 35 °C caused a significant reduction in the heat flux by about 1 W. The results obtained indicated that the type of heat sink affects the heat flux drawn by the TEC to a statistically significant extent. The heat sink using the evaporation effect turned out to be the most efficient.