Date 02/07/2016

All you need to know about a Thermoelectric cooler

A Thermoelectric cooler which is commonly called as a thermoelectric module or Peltier cooler, is actually
a semiconductor based electronic device that works as a small heat pump. In this particular device, if a low
voltage DC power is applied then the heat will move through from one side of the device to another. Then,
one side of the module will remain heated and the other side will cool down. A thermoelectric cooler may
also be used both for heating and cooling and henceforth is has been recognized as the most suitable and
preferred temperature control application.

The working of a Thermoelectric cooler is not really very complex as rocket science. It is quite simple and
a little bit of orientation will help everyone to control this device. A single- stage thermoelectric cooler is
placed on a heat sink which is maintained at the room temperature. The module, after that is simply
connected to a battery or some other DC power source. Immediately the temperature of the cold part of the
module will go down below the freezing point that is around-40C. Here, the module will pump no heat as it
has reached its maximum rated DeltaT. Only if heat is slowly and steadily added to the modules cooler
side, the temperature rises till the time it reaches the equal proportion of the heat sink value. This is the
point, where a thermoelectric cooler reaches its maximum heat pumping capacity.

In a mechanical refrigeration unit, an entire compressor raises the pressure of a liquid and circulates the
refrigerant through the system. In the evaporator and freezer area the refrigerant boils and it absorbs heat
causing the freezer to become cold. In a thermoelectric cooling equipment a doped semiconductor material
fundamentally takes the place of the liquid refrigerant, then the condenser is substituted by a heat sink and
the compressor is replaced by a DC power source. The application of this power to the thermoelectric cooler
causes electrons to move through the semiconductor.

A little bit of old story which is described as history is also important for introducing a thermoelectric cooler.
Back at, 1821 a German scientist, Thomas Seebeck got an idea that an electronic current would flow
endlessly in a closed circuit made up of two dissimilar metals only if the junctions of those metals were
maintained at two variable temperatures. Again after few years French watch maker and a part time
physicist Jean Peltier, in the course of investigating the Seeback effect, observed that there was absolutely
a different phenomenon, where the thermal energy could be absorbed at one dissimilar metal junction and
gets discharged at the other, when an electric current flowed within the closed circuit.

Now,
used:

there

are

certain

industrial

platforms

where

thermoelectric

Industrial electronics and Telecommunication

Thermoelectric cooling conditioners and assemblies with different functions
Thermoelectric cooling devices
Temperature control of various systems
Heat flow analyses
Production of semiconductor assimilated microchips
Laser equipment
Equipment for medicine
Transport industry
Food
Special equipment for various industries.

Contact Us
Ferrotec Europe GmbH
Seerosenstr. 1
72669 Unterensingen Germany

+49 7022 9270 0

cooler

is

info@de.ferrotec.com
Russia, Moscow, 109383, Peschany Carier 3
+7 (499) 356-53-89 fax +7 (495) 348-07-00