Investigations of the use of Peltier Elements for Energy-Efficient Seat Climatization in Automotive Applications

Authors

Patrick Manns, M. Sc.; Carsten Wulff, M. Sc.; Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Pischinger, Institute for Combustion Engines (VKA), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany;
Dr.-Ing. David Hemkemeyer, Simon Schilling, M. Sc., FEV Europe GmbH, Aachen, Germany

Summary

Thermal management plays an essential role in reducing the energy demand of electric vehicles. In particular, the conditioning of the vehicle cabin has a considerable influence on energy consumption and range. In this article, technology for conditioning vehicle seats using Peltier elements is presented. The design of a prototype system and first investigations are described. 
With the presented system, an increase in the coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 3.3 could be achieved for heating operations. This corresponds to a significant increase in efficiency compared to conventional seat heating systems, whose COP is limited to a maximum of 1. Besides, the system is also capable of cooling the vehicle seats. Additional energy-saving potential lies in the further optimization of the prototype

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