Solid-state, Conformal Laser Enclosure Cooling System

The Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) are solid-state devices with no moving parts that provide reliable cooling power compared to traditional cooling systems such as vacuum compressors. However, their relatively high cost and low coefficient of performance (~ 0.5) have relegated them to niche applications such as small-scale portable coolers and, have yet, to be competitive from an efficiency standpoint with large-volume conventional cooling technologies. Recent improvements in TE device performance along with novel architectures in the form of a large-area, conformal TEC provide a means to manufacture larger-size spread coolers that can transfer significantly more heat (~ kW) with higher efficiency (COP~2.0) at a reduced cost compared to the tiling of rigid, ceramic-plate TECs. The novel TEC design can cool 2 kW of heat from a laser enclosure and permit the laser head temperature to be maintained at 10C and an enclosure temperature at 25C. Large-area conformal, solid-state TEC devices will be more reliable and consistent compared to conventional cooling systems such as vacuum compressors and Rankine coolers.