Thermoelectric Heat Pipe-Based Refrigerator: System Development and Comparison with Thermoelectric, Absorption and Vapor Compression Refrigerators

Thermoelectric coolers have been widely applied to provide cooling for refrigerators in addition to conventional absorption and vapor compression systems. To increase heat dissipation in the thermoelectric cooler’s modules, a heat pipe can be installed in the system. The aim of this study is to develop a thermoelectric heat pipe-based (THP) refrigerator, which consists of thermoelectric coolers that are connected by heat pipe modules to enhance heat transfer. A comparative analysis of the THP prototype and conventional refrigerator with vapor compression, absorption and thermoelectric systems is also presented. The prototype system has a faster cooling down time and a higher coefficient of performance than the absorption system but still lower than vapor compression system