New concept of integrated Peltier cooling device for the preventive detection of water condensation

✍ Scribed by P. Ancey; M. Gschwind; O. Vancauwenberghe

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1995
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 435 KB
• Volume: 27
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0925-4005
• DOI: 10.1016/0925-4005(94)01606-i

✦ Synopsis

A new sensor concept for the preventive detection of water condensation is presented. Based on the Peltier effect, this sensor should be able to detect, on any surface, the condensation probability measured as the small difference between surface temperature and dew-point temperature. It is composed of a sensitive area and a Peltier device and is linked to the surface through a heat sink. The Peltier device generates a thermal oscillation on the sensitive area, while the heat sink stays at the surface temperature. A condensation probability is detected by the change in oscillation frequency, since the condensation energy due to droplet formation introduces a delay in the thermal cycle. Detection efficiency depends on the device dimensions and on the materials. Peltier devices made with bismuth-telluride in bulk allowed us to validate the sensor concept. We present experimental results and simulation for these devices. However, the thermal inertia of such devices was harmful to the response time. A computer model was developed and used to optimize a low-thermal-inertia structure based on a micromachined membrane, which will be realized using microtechnology.