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Experiments & Protocols

Projects modules

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• MC96
• MC1.5
• TAC

 

MC96

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Thermal experimentation

The only experimentations done are simulations because no prototype has been built yet.

Simulation

Thermal simulations have been done on the software COMSOL. These simulations have been used to verify the heat transfer of the aluminium mold of the modules, thus helping us improve their design. For the MC96, some simulation has been done on early design, but none on the final design, due to the impossibility to simulate heat pipes.

Simulation parameters

Parameters	Values
Peltier element cooling power	120W
Peltier element heating power	500W
Air convective heat transfer coefficient	50W/(m2 ℃)
Isolation conductive heat transfer coefficient	5W/(m ℃)
Aluminium type	6061-t6
Aluminium conductive heat transfer coefficient	167W/(m ℃)
Aluminium specific heat capacity	0.896J/(g ℃)

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MC1.5

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Thermal experimentation

Simulation

Simulation parameters

Parameters	Values
Peltier element cooling power	60W
Peltier element heating power	250W
Air convective heat transfer coefficient	50W/(m2 ℃)
Isolation conductive heat transfer coefficient	5W/(m ℃)
Aluminium type	6061-t6
Aluminium conductive heat transfer coefficient	167W/(m ℃)
Aluminium specific heat capacity	0.896J/(g ℃)

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Trials protocols

These are the protocol used to test the thermal characteristic of the MC1.5 prototype. These protocols have been tested on a single sub-module of a MC1.5 .

 

Projects modules

• Maintaining a temperature below room temperature test
• Maintaining a temperature over room temperature test
• Cooling speed test
• Heating speed test

 

Maintaining a temperature below room temperature test

Purpose

Determine if the module temperature stability fits the specified of ±1.5℃, when the set temperature is below room temperature. Also, this test determines the voltage versus the set temperature relation.

Material

• MC1.5 sub-module
• High current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply)
• Power supply (Topward 6303D)
• Electronic thermometer (Fluke 51K/J thermometer)

Setup

1. Connect the power supply (Topward 6303D) to the fan
2. Power up the power supply and adjust the voltage to 12V
3. Connect the high current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply) to the Peltier element (PS vcc to Peltier gnd and PS gnd to Peltier vcc)
4. Set the thermocouple probe at the bottom of the middle hole of the aluminium mold
5. Wait for the thermometer measure to stabilize for 20 second

Measurement

1. Set the voltage of the high current power supply to 1V
2. Wait for thermometer measure to stabilize for at least 20 second
3. Note the thermometer measure and the voltage associated with it
4. Repeats set 1, 2 and 3 and increased the voltage by 1V each time until the thermometer measure is below the specified lower limit (0℃)
5. Stop the high current power supply
6. Stop the fan power supply

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Maintaining a temperature over room temperature test

Purpose

Determine if the module temperature stability fits the specification of ±1.5℃, when the set temperature is over room temperature. Also, this test determines the voltage versus the set temperature relation.

Material

• MC1.5 sub-module
• High current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply)
• Power supply (Topward 6303D)
• Electronic thermometer (Fluke 51K/J thermometer)

Setup

1. Connect the power supply (Topward 6303D) to the fan
2. Power up the power supply and adjust the voltage to 12V
3. Connect the high current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply) to the Peltier element (PS vcc to Peltier vcc and PS gnd to Peltier gnd)
4. Set the thermocouple probe at the bottom of the middle hole of the aluminium mold
5. Wait for the thermometer measure to stabilize for 20 second

Measurement

1. Set the voltage of the high current power supply to 1V
2. Wait for thermometer measure to stabilize for at least 20 second
3. Note the thermometer measure and the voltage associated with it
4. Repeats set 1, 2 and 3 and increased the voltage by 1V each time until the thermometer measure is over the specified upper limit (80℃)
5. Stop the high current power supply
6. Stop the fan power supply

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Cooling speed test

Purpose

Determine if the module cooling speed fits the specification of 0.5 to 1℃/s. Also, this test determines the optimal voltage to apply to cool the aluminium mold.

Material

• MC1.5 sub-module
• High current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply)
• Power supply (Topward 6303D)
• Electronic thermometer (Fluke 51K/J thermometer)
• Chronometer

Setup

1. Connect the power supply (Topward 6303D) to the fan
2. Power up the power supply and adjust the voltage to 12V
3. Connect the high current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply) to the Peltier element (PS vcc to Peltier vcc and PS gnd to Peltier gnd)
4. Set the thermocouple probe at the bottom of the middle hole of the aluminium mold

Measurement

1. Set the voltage of the high current power supply to reach 85℃
2. Wait for thermometer measure to stabilize for at least 20 second
3. Stop the high current power supply
4. Invert connection between the Peltier element and the high current power supply
5. Set the high current power supply to 15.5V (calculated by this method)
6. Start the chronometer when the thermometer measure reach 80℃
7. For each 10℃ temperature drop, note the timestamp until 0℃ is reached
8. Stop the high current power supply
9. Invert connection between the Peltier element and the high current power supply
10. Repeats step 1 to 9 for cooling voltage of 15V and 16V

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Theoretical method to determine the optimised cooling voltage

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Heating speed test

Purpose

Determine if the module heating speed fits the specified 0.5 to 1℃/s.

Material

• MC1.5 sub-module
• High current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply)
• Power supply (Topward 6303D)
• Electronic thermometer (Fluke 51K/J thermometer)
• Chronometer

Setup

1. Connect the power supply (Topward 6303D) to the fan
2. Power up the power supply and adjust the voltage to 12V
3. Connect the high current power supply (bk precision 1694 power supply) to the Peltier element (PS vcc to Peltier gnd and PS gnd to Peltier vcc)
4. Set the thermocouple probe at the bottom of the middle hole of the aluminium mold

Measurement

1. Set the voltage of the high current power supply to reach -5℃
2. Wait for thermometer measure to stabilize for at least 20 second
3. Stop the high current power supply
4. Invert connection between the Peltier element and the high current power supply
5. Set the high current power supply to 24V (Maximal voltage available for the Peltier element)
6. Start the chronometer when the thermometer measure reach 0℃
7. For each 10℃ temperature rise, note the timestamp until 80℃ is reached
8. Stop the high current power supply

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TAC

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