What is the peltier cell and how does it work

The Peltier cell is widely used in different sectors of the industry for refrigeration work, as it is a system that has several advantages compared to more traditional cooling systems. In this article we explain what a Peliter cell is and how it works.

What is a Peltier cell

A Peltier thermoelectric cooler, heater, or heat pump is a solid-state active heat pump that transfers heat from one side of the device to the other, using electrical energy, depending on the direction of the current. Such an instrument is also called a Peltier cell, Peltier heat pump, solid state cooler, or thermoelectric cooler (TEC). A Peltier cell can be used for heating or cooling, although in practice the main application is cooling. It can also be used as a temperature controller that heats or cools.

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Thermoelectric cooling uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux between the junction of two different types of materials. This technology is much less applied to refrigeration than vapor compression refrigeration. The main advantages of a Peltier cell compared to a vapor compression refrigerator are its lack of moving parts or circulating liquid, a very long service life, invulnerability to leaks, a small size and a flexible shape. Its main disadvantages are high cost and poor energy efficiency. Many researchers and companies are trying to develop Peltier refrigerators that are cheap and efficient.

A Peltier cooler can also be used as a thermoelectric generator. When operating as a cooler, a voltage is applied across the device, and as a result, a temperature difference will be generated between the two sides. When operating as a generator, one side of the device is heated to a higher temperature than the other, and as a result, a difference in voltage will be generated between the two sides (the Seebeck effect). However, a well-designed Peltier cooler will be a mediocre thermoelectric generator and vice versa, due to different design and packaging requirements.

How the Peltier cell works and what advantages it has

Thermoelectric coolers operate by the Peltier effect (which is also known by the more widely-known thermoelectric effect). The device has two sides, and when a DC electric current flows through the device, it carries heat from one side to the other, so that one side cools while the other heats up. The "hot" side is attached to a heat sink so that it remains at room temperature, while the cold side drops below room temperature. In some applications, multiple coolers can be cascaded to lower the temperature.

Two unique semiconductors are used to manufacture them , one of type n and one of p, because they need to have different electron densities. The semiconductors are placed thermally in parallel with each other and electrically in series, and then attached with a thermal conductive plate on each side. When a voltage is applied to the free ends of the two semiconductors, there is a direct current flow through the junction of the semiconductors that causes a temperature difference. The side with the cooling plate absorbs the heat which is then moved to the other side of the device where the heat sink is located. Thermoelectric coolers are usually connected next to each other between two ceramic plates. The cooling capacity of the total unit is proportional to the number of TECs in it. A single stage TEC will typically produce a maximum temperature difference of 70 ° C between its hot and cold sides. The more heat you move with a TEC, the less efficient it becomes, as you need to dissipate both the heat that moves and the heat it generates from your own power consumption. The amount of heat that can be absorbed is proportional to the current and time.

Some benefits of using a TEC are:

• No moving parts, so less frequent maintenance is required. No chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Temperature control can be maintained within fractions of a degree. Flexible shape (form factor); In particular, they can be very small in size. Can be used in smaller or more severe environments than conventional refrigeration. Long life, with Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) exceeding 100, 000 hours. Controllable by changing input voltage / stream

Some disadvantages of using a TEC are:

• Only a limited amount of heat flux can be dissipated. Returned to low heat flux applications. Not as efficient, in terms of coefficient of performance, as steam compression systems (see below)

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This ends our article on what the Peliter Cell is and how it works, remember that you can share it on social networks so that it can help more users who need it.