Features of thermoelectric coolers
In some thermal control processes that only involve low or medium heat transfer but require complex temperature control, thermoelectric coolers can provide a great help, and in some specific situations it is the only choice. Although no cooling method is omnipotent, thermoelectric coolers cannot be used in all fields, but compared with other refrigeration equipment, thermoelectric coolers have many advantages. These include:
No moving parts: Thermoelectric coolers only use electricity when working, and there will be no moving parts. In this way, they basically don't need maintenance.
Small size and weight: The size and weight of a thermoelectric refrigeration system is much smaller than the corresponding mechanical refrigeration system. In addition, for various strict application requirements, there are various standard or special sizes and layouts to choose from.
Can be cooled below the ambient temperature: The traditional radiator needs to be raised above the ambient temperature before it can be used. The difference is that the thermoelectric cooler has the ability to lower the temperature of the object below the ambient temperature.
The same device can meet the requirements of heating and cooling: the thermoelectric cooler can adjust the cooling or heating mode by adjusting the direction of the loaded DC current. The application of this feature eliminates the need to add another independent heating or cooling function element in a given system.
Precise temperature control: Because the thermoelectric cooler has a closed-circuit temperature control cycle, it can accurately control the temperature within 0.1 ℃.
High reliability: The thermoelectric cooler is highly reliable due to its solid-state base structure. Although to some extent related to the application conditions, the life of a typical thermoelectric cooler can generally reach more than 200,000 hours.
Electronic mute: Unlike traditional mechanical refrigeration devices, thermoelectric coolers basically do not generate any electronic interference signals during operation. It can be connected with sensitive electronic sensors and will not interfere with its work. In addition, it will not produce any noise during operation.
Can work at any angle: The thermoelectric cooler can work at any angle and under zero gravity. Therefore, it is widely used in aerospace equipment.
Simple and convenient energy supply: The thermoelectric cooler can directly use the DC power supply, and the voltage and current of the loaded power supply can be changed in a wide range. Under many conditions, pulse width modulation can also be used.
Point refrigeration: The application of thermoelectric coolers can cool a single unit or a small area, so it can avoid the energy waste that may be caused when the entire packaged device or shell is cooled.
Power generation: By loading the temperature difference on the thermoelectric cooler to use its "reverse process", it can be turned into a small DC generator.
Environmentally friendly: Traditional mechanical refrigeration systems inevitably need to use Freon or other chemical substances when working, which are very harmful to the environment. The thermoelectric devices will not involve these chemicals, and will not produce any harmful gases during the working process.