Seat Heat/Cool Ventilation Module

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 GMC Sierra, 2010 GMC Cab & Chassis Sierra, 2010 Chevrolet Silverado, and 2010 Chevrolet Cab & Chassis Silverado. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Each heated/cool seat has 2 ventilation modules, one located under the seat cushion and one located in the seat back. These modules are controlled by the climate control seat module (CCSM). Each ventilation module contains a thermo-electric device (TED), a temperature sensor, and a blower motor. The TED and temperature sensor are mounted downstream of the blower motor. Each TED consists of a circuit of positive and negative connections sandwiched between 2 ceramic plates. Each ceramic plate is equipped with copper fins for heat exchange. The air flowing past these fins is either directed as conditioned air into the seat cushion and seat back, or directed into the cabin as waste air.

TED is essentially a solid state heat pump that is used to heat or cool the air supply to the seat cushion and seat back. When voltage is applied to a TED, one side releases energy as heat, while the opposite side absorbs energy and gets cold. When the polarity of the current flow to the TEDs is switched, the hot and cool sides of the TED reverse.

During the following climate control seat system description and operation, the TEDs, blower motors, and temperature sensors will be referenced independently even though they are all packaged together as a module.