Peltier Cooling
The basics of thermoelectric cooling or Peltier cooling were discovered in 1834 by a French watchmaker by the name of Jean C.A. Peltier. He found that by passing an electric current through a block made from two dissimilar materials a change in temperature occurred with one side becoming cooler and the other becoming warmer. While he may have discovered this phenomenon he did not really grasp the scientific concept. It was not until 1838 that Emil Lenz was able to clarify the process and demonstrate that he could use the effect to freeze water on a block of bismuth and antimony when a current was applied. At the same time as he was able to demonstrate the Peltier cooling effect he also showed that by reversing the flow of current he could create enough heat to melt the ice that he had just created.
A scientist by the name of Altenkirch went on to create the theory of thermoelectrics in the years 1909 through 1911. He stated that in order to perform properly thermoelectric components had to have certain properties. They had to have high Seebeck co efficiency ratings, relatively high conductivity in order for the current to flow with creating too much heat and the junction must have high conductivity. Now that we have a basic understanding of the how the theory of Peltier cooling works we can take a look at what a thermoelectric cooler is and how it works. The thermoelectric cooler or TEC used in modern commercial applications consists of a series of positive and negative semiconductor couples which are electrically connected together in series while being thermally connect in parallel. What this really means is that they are a series of plates layered together and wired in a chain so that the current can flow through them creating the desired cooling effect. With all of this in mind there are several places where you might find the Peltier cooling effect being put to good use. The most common description of the perfect job for this type of cooling is where something has to be cooled to a point that is below ambient temperature and must be maintained at a constant temperature no matter what the ambient temperature does.
Because the TEC has no moving parts it operates silently making it the perfect cooler for a variety of sophisticated electronic components. The military makes good use of hundreds of them as they have to keep all of their electronics equipment cool in the desert heat in Iraq and Afghanistan. Many computer enthusiasts who like to push their computers by overclocking them like to use the Peltier cooling effect of a TEC to cool their processors down. If you or your company are in need of a custom TEC for one of your products contact Custom Thermoelectric for expert advice. With their years of experience and sophisticated manufacturing facilities they can help with every style of TEC you could ever need and build it for you on site.
|
