US 11,993,132 B2
Thermoelectric conditioning system and methods
Chad Vincent Pacilli, Windsor (CA); Masahiko Inaba, Chino Hills, CA (US); Rodolfo Ernesto Uribe Palafox, Novi, MI (US); Daniel Charles Guerithault, Ann Arbor, MI (US); Kenneth Turner, Novi, MI (US); Amey Pise, Farmington Hills, MI (US); and Scott Wolas, Pasadena, CA (US)
Appl. No. 17/309,456
Filed by GENTHERM INCORPORATED, Northville, MI (US)
PCT Filed Nov. 26, 2019, PCT No. PCT/US2019/063445
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 27, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/112902, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 4, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/773,961, filed on Nov. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0370746 A1, Dec. 2, 2021
Int. Cl. B60H 1/22 (2006.01); B60H 1/00 (2006.01)
CPC B60H 1/2225 (2013.01) [B60H 1/00428 (2013.01); B60H 1/00485 (2013.01); B60H 1/00785 (2013.01); B60H 1/00807 (2013.01); B60H 1/00828 (2013.01); B60H 1/00285 (2013.01); B60H 1/00478 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for thermally conditioning and moving a fluid, comprising:
a thermoelectric device configured to convert electrical energy into thermal energy producing a temperature change in response to an electrical current being applied thereto, the thermoelectric device having a main side and a waste side;
a fluid moving device configured to produce a fluid flow that is in thermal communication with the thermoelectric device so that the thermal energy generated by the thermoelectric device is transferred to the fluid flow; and
a flow control valve positioned along a fluid flow path for the fluid flow, the flow control valve configured to divide the fluid flow path into a main-side fluid flow path along the main side of the thermoelectric device and a waste-side fluid flow path along the waste side of the thermoelectric device, to fully close the waste-side fluid flow path and direct the fluid flow along the main-side fluid flow path, and to fully close the main-side fluid flow path and direct the fluid flow along the waste-side fluid flow path.