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Abstract: Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) are used to precisely maintain the specified operating temperature of photonics components which generate variable heat loads while being subjected to a wide range of ambient temperatures. This setpoint temperature of a photonics component is maintained by mounting it onto the controlled side of a TEM. Normally, a conventional heat sink (CHS), of fixed therm... read moreal resistance, is mounted to the uncontrolled side of a TEM. To minimize TEM power consumption, a CHS is replaced by a variable conductance heat pipe (VCHP) which offers the ability to passively decrease its thermal resistance as ambient temperature and/or heat load increase and vice versa. This thesis presents detailed fabrication techniques for an as-built TEM-VCHP assembly, which covers heat pipe wick construction, cleaning, leak testing and charging. Furthermore, a means of interfacing a TEM to a heat pipe through an evaporator stackup is provided. Next, specific details are provided for an experimental apparatus setup which allows representative conditions of a photonics component application to be simulated (i.e., heat loads varying from 2 W to 7 W and ambient temperatures ranging from -5°C to 65°C). Finally, experimental results for a TEM-VCHP subjected to these conditions are provided to demonstrate achievable power savings. TEM power consumption is shown to be reduced by 38% on average across all examined conditions and up to 98% in one case when compared to a TEM-constant conductance heat pipe assembly.
Thesis (M.S.)--Tufts University, 2012.
Submitted to the Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Advisor: Marc Hodes.
Committee: Vincent Manno, and Martin Cleary.
Keywords: Mechanical engineering, Energy, and Engineering.read less
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