AZEqualizer
12-05-2008, 10:10 AM
The Southern California company that brought air conditioned and heated seats to the luxury car segment has joined a development team aiming to use thermoelectric technology help come up with an energy efficient system for automobiles that involves heating and cooling the occupants without wasting energy on changing the overall cabin temperature. This was reported in an article on Green Car Advisor>>> (http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2008/12/energy-efficient-automotive-climate-control-goal-of-federal-private-project.html)
Amerigon Inc. said its BSST subsidiary will join Ford Motor Co., Visteon, Ohio State University and the Department of Energy's National Energy Renewable Laboratory in the three-year project.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/12/Zonal%20TE%20HVAC%20without%20the%20liquid%20loop-thumb-500x293.jpg (http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/Zonal%20TE%20HVAC%20without%20the%20liquid%20loop. jpg)
The team plans to develop a high-efficiency thermoelectric heating and cooling system.
The concept is to use thermoelectric technology - which can place the source of heated or chilled air precisely where it is needed - to create a zoned system that directs the conditioned air directly on the vehicle occupants. It would eliminate the need for a heated liquid loop system and for engine-driven air conditioning compressors.
Amerigon's seat-mounted heating and cooling technology will be one part of the system and thermoelectric devices also will be placed at strategic locations in the instrument panel and cabin ceiling to chill or heat air that would then be directed to the occupants.
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On a personal observation I have used Peltier's (TECs) in computer cooling and also had a motorcycle helmet with a thermoelectric cooler built in. Though they worked fine, I think Amerigon has a big challenge ahead of them since in current form TEC's are not very energy efficient and work best in small applications.
Amerigon Inc. said its BSST subsidiary will join Ford Motor Co., Visteon, Ohio State University and the Department of Energy's National Energy Renewable Laboratory in the three-year project.
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/assets_c/2008/12/Zonal%20TE%20HVAC%20without%20the%20liquid%20loop-thumb-500x293.jpg (http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/Zonal%20TE%20HVAC%20without%20the%20liquid%20loop. jpg)
The team plans to develop a high-efficiency thermoelectric heating and cooling system.
The concept is to use thermoelectric technology - which can place the source of heated or chilled air precisely where it is needed - to create a zoned system that directs the conditioned air directly on the vehicle occupants. It would eliminate the need for a heated liquid loop system and for engine-driven air conditioning compressors.
Amerigon's seat-mounted heating and cooling technology will be one part of the system and thermoelectric devices also will be placed at strategic locations in the instrument panel and cabin ceiling to chill or heat air that would then be directed to the occupants.
------------------------------------
On a personal observation I have used Peltier's (TECs) in computer cooling and also had a motorcycle helmet with a thermoelectric cooler built in. Though they worked fine, I think Amerigon has a big challenge ahead of them since in current form TEC's are not very energy efficient and work best in small applications.