Thermoelectric coolers (TECs) use the Peltier effect for thermal management of electronic devices. They offer high reliability and low noise operation but limited in use due to low performance. In the present work, through the use of a genetic algorithm (GA), two single-objective optimizations associated with two separate objectives are carried out, aiming maximization of cooling capacity and maximization of the coefficient of performance (COP) of TEC with space restrictions. Interfacial

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... resistance and electrical contact resistance are taken into consideration to obtain a more realistic model. This paper presents a new approach to finding appropriate solutions by optimally arranging the length of n-type and p-type thermoelectric (TE) elements, the cross-sectional area of TE elements, and input electric current. To validate the GA predictions, three-dimensional steady-state TEC models are prepared, and finiteelement simulations are carried out using ANSYS ® . Close agreement between the GA and ANSYS ® has been observed. This study provides a new mathematical optimization model that is more realistic and is quite close to the physical construction of TEC modules manufactured by industry.