At present

only a few studies on multi-stage thermoelectric coolers are available

and reports on the cooling performance of such coolers are not consistent. To study the performance of multi-stage thermoelectric coolers

a multi-physics simulation model of single-stage to six-stage thermoelectric coolers is developed based on the physical parameters of commercial-grade thermoelectric materials in this study

and the accuracy of the model is verified experimentally. In terms of the design of the multi-stage thermoelectric cooler

the influences of the external drive circuit and internal structural parameters on its cooling performance are studied. The results show that when the hot end is 27 °C

the six-stage thermoelectric cooler can obtain the maximum cooling temperature difference of 113.32 °C

71.84 °C

and 129.78 °C using the electrical series

electrical parallel

and independent power drive circuits

respectively. The optimal applications of different driving circuits are further explored

and the causes for the differences in the cooling performance of the multi-stage thermoelectric coolers under different driving circuits are analyzed. A six-stage thermoelectric cooler is taken as an example

and the influence of the thermoelectric leg height of each stage is explored. The results show that the leg height of the highest stage is the most important factor.