Thermodynamic formulation of temperature–entropy diagram for the transient operation of a pulsed thermoelectric cooler

A general thermodynamic formulation for the operation of a pulsed thermoelectric cooler is presented using the Gibbs law and simple energy balance method. An expression for the entropy flux (W/m2 K) is expressed in terms of the key parameters employed for the thermoelectric operation. Following the classical temperature–entropy (T–s) methodology, which has all the virtues of energy flow identification, the processes along the p–n legs of thermoelectrics, contributing to both useful and dissipative losses, are clearly mapped for the transient operation.