NANOHMICS INC — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N221-083

Description

Most fieldable sensor systems are designed to operate under extreme environmental temperature swings (?T ~ 100 °C) yet require stable temperature control to minimize systematic errors in the measurement output. To combat this temperature swing, a combination of  active and passive cooling methods such as thermoelectric coolers and variable conductance heat pipes (VCHP), are usually necessary maintain the sensors’ optimal operation temperature. To address the shortcomings of current thermoelectric cooling technology, Nanohmics, Inc. has been developing a modular thermoelectric technology, referred to as Thermolynx, that provides large-area, cost-effective and high efficiency (CoP >1.5), high cooling power (Qc) solid-state cooling capabilities to enable innovative new cooling/heating application solutions. Recent advancements are two-fold: 1) TE material figure of merit (ZT) at Penn State (> 1.2) and other groups have led to much higher coefficient of performance (CoP > 1.5) which approaches the conversion efficiency achieved with vapor-compression cooling,3 and 2) novel TE device thermal interface materials and electrical connectivity provide advanced engineering opportunities for constructing larger area cooling devices. Capitalizing on the development of these core technologies, Nanohmics Inc., working in collaboration with Penn State University and Capstan Technologies, proposes to design and fabricate a low-profile, Thermoelectric (TE), Sensor Environment Temperature (T-SET) tracking and regulation system fabricated using Nanohmics’ innovative Thermolynx modular thermoelectric (TE) technology. The T-SET regulation unit has several benefits in maintaining narrow sensor temperature ranges by heating (e.g. to 55°C) more efficiently compared to conventional resistive heaters (Scenario 1). Additionally, secondarily the T-SET will be designed to maintain sensor temperatures at 50 °C by heating in colder weather (20 – 50 °C) and cooling the sensor in hot weather (50 – 85 °C), which is Scenario 2. In both scenarios, the T-SET system will actively and autonomously maintain the temperature differentials between sensor and environment with minimal input power (< 1W) by switching the input current polarity.