US 12,459,335 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)
Filed by GENTHERM INCORPORATED, Northville, MI (US)
Filed on Mar. 28, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/620,713.
Application 18/620,713 is a continuation of application No. 17/309,456, granted, now 11,993,132, previously published as PCT/US2019/063445, filed on Nov. 26, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/773,961, filed on Nov. 30, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2024/0239154 A1, Jul. 18, 2024
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)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for thermally conditioning and moving a fluid, comprising:
a housing comprising:
an inlet of a fluid flow path;
a central wall configured to divide the fluid flow path into a main-side fluid flow path and a waste-side fluid flow path;
an outlet of the main-side fluid flow path; and
an exhaust of the waste-side fluid flow path;
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 positioned between the main-side fluid flow path and the waste-side fluid flow path and downstream of the central wall, the thermoelectric device having a main side aligned with the main-side fluid flow path and a waste side aligned with the waste-side fluid flow path;
a fluid moving device configured to produce a fluid flow along the fluid flow path 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 upstream of the thermoelectric device along the fluid flow path and positioned adjacent to the central wall, the flow control valve configured to direct the fluid flow path into the main-side fluid flow path along the main side of the thermoelectric device and the waste-side fluid flow path along the waste side of the thermoelectric device, to at least partially close the waste-side fluid flow path and to at least partially close the main-side fluid flow path.