TEC module is placed between two heat exchangers (plates) fixed by screws.
For good thermal conductance the clearances between the plates are filled
with thermal conductive grease
or
heat-conducting gasket.
Application
The method is widely applied for mounting of large single-stage TE modules
and when permanent TEC mounting bonding is not desired.
Advantages
Advantages of the mechanical method of installation are a possibility to
disassemble of the construction and, consequently, maintainability of a
design.
Restrictions
Mechanical mounting is not applied to most of TEC micromodules
applications as the mechanical installation demands extra space. Passive heat fluxes through the elements of
fixtures reduce TEC performance, which is crucial for micromodules efficiency, especially in
case of multi-stage TECs.
Procedure
 |
Prepare heat exchanger, cold exchanger and TEC surfaces.
All surfaces must be not more than 0.03 mm of flatness. |
|
Locate bolt holes in your assembly so that they are at
opposite sides of the cooler. The bolt holes should be in the same plane line as
the heat sink fins to minimize any bowing that might occur. |
|
The recommended hardware that should be used are 4-40"
or similar screws, not more. Bellville or split lock type washers as well
as a fiber insulated washer must be applied to insulate the screw head from heat
exchange. |
|
Clean and prepare mounting surfaces, with
ethanol, acetone or general use solvents. Remove all burrs. |
|
Apply a thin 0.05mm layer thermal grease to the hot side
of the TEC. |
|
Place the TEC on the heat sink and rotate the TEC back
and forth, squeezing out the excess thermal grease until resistance is
felt. |
|
Repeat two previous steps (if cold side mounting
is also mechanical) and rotate cold exchanger back and forth, squeezing out the
thermal grease excess. |
|
Torque screws. Be careful to apply torque by small
increments, alternating between screws. |
