ISSN 10637397, Russian Microelectronics, 2012, Vol. 41, No. 7, pp. 393–399. © Pleiades Publishing, Ltd., 2012.
Original Russian Text © M.Yu. Shtern, Yu.I. Shtern, A.A. Sherchenkov, 2011, published in Izvestiya Vysshikh Uchebnykh Zavedenii. Elektronika, 2011, No. 4, pp. 30–38.
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INTRODUCTION
In order to effectively use electronic engineering
products, one should maintain thermal conditions for
electronic components, which is of primary importance
for computing machinery, with its efficiency being
largely dependent upon the temperature of electronic
components. Progress in highperformance computer
system design requires an effective thermal exchange for
electronic components, which makes cooling devices
an indispensably important part of modern computers.
We note that the problem of cooling should be solved
not only for electronic components but also for the
entire computer or computing system as a whole. It has
beome especially important for highperformance
computers and stations. However, the use of such sys
tems is connected with handling a number of complex
scientific and technical problems.
Thermoelectric systems (TESs) for cooling are the
most prospective for maintaining thermal conditions
of computing machinery [1], which is determined by
several reasons. First, thermoelectric cooling devices
(TCDs) have a number of advantages over other cool
ing and temperature control systems [2]: better reli
ability, no moving parts, an almost unlimited working
life, small dimensions, low weight, the possibility of
local cooling, small lag effect, noiselessness, indepen
dence of spatial orientation, and the possibility to
smoothly and finely control and maintain tempera
ture. Second, the enhancement of investigations in the
field of thermoelectricity and the advances in TCD
technology made it possible to fabricate thermoelec
tric modules (TEMs) with a maximal temperature dif
ference of up to 74 K. Third, high environmental
friendliness and security have increased the competi
tiveness of TESs as compared to other cooling systems.
In the present study, we propose several variants of
design of TESs for maintaining thermal conditions of
computing machinery, where new designing and engi
neering solutions are implemented [3, 4]. Local TCDs
are mounted directly on a heatgenerating element of a
computer, for instance, a processor. These devices are
destined for cooling lowpower electronic components.
Autonomous TESs show improved cooling power and
are used to prepare a heat carrier in a separate thermo
electric block, where power supply and TES control
systems are also situated. The heat carrier, circulating
through the external TES circuit, provides the desired
temperature conditions for computing machinery.
STRUCTURAL CHARTS
OF THERMOELECTRIC SYSTEMS
Local TESs
Let us consider structural charts of different designs
of local and autonomous TESs. Figure 1a depicts a
structural chart of a local thermoelectric device with a
thermoelectric module, with an airtoair heat
exchanger of hot junctions as a principal element.
Thermoelectric module
3
is mounted on processor
1
through heat conductor
2
. Hot TEM junctions are
cooled by heat exchanger
4
with a builtin fan
5
. To
determine the processor temperature and cold TEM
junction temperature, sensors
6
connected to temper
ature measuring and TEM control block
7
are used.
The TEM is powered by dc source
8
through the con
trol block. The computer power supply unit can serve
as a power supply source. This construction of a ther
moelectric device effectively withdraws heat from the
active electronic components of a computer.
A disadvantage of local TCDs is the fact that the heat
carried away from the processor is dissipated within the
system unit, therefore, heating other components of the
computer. This requires better performance from the
heat exchange devices of the system unit. The construc
tion shown in Fig. 1b allows the efficiency of local TESs
Thermoelectric Systems for Maintaining Thermal Conditions
of Computing Machinery
M. Yu. Shtern, Yu. I. Shtern, and A. A. Sherchenkov
National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET), Moscow, Russia
email: M.Y.Shtern@gmail.com
Received April 25, 2011
Abstract
—Different variants of design solutions for thermoelectric systems (TESs) with various cooling pow
ers used to maintain thermal conditions of computing machinery are proposed. Techniques for the calcula
tion of thermoelectric blocks, confirmed by the results of investigations of the fabricated TES units, were
developed.
DOI:
10.1134/S1063739712070098
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