The image on the left shows the exposed surface of a peltier heat pump which normaly sits under a well insulated containter with a metal base. A selection of peltier heat pumps are stacked on a large heatsink (with fan) and surrounded by insulating material, except for the cold face. Using the thermoelectric effect of the Peltier elements, heat can be rapidly drawn away from this surface, but only as long as the heatsink is able to dissipate into she surrounding air. A large heatsink and fan can be found in computer shops as they are necessary for keeping your computers processor cool.
Simply sticking a component to the surface of the heat pump will provide quite effective cooling, but only if there is a large amount of contacting surface area. For more rounded or uneven shaped components, such as laser diodes, it is possible to use a very cold liquid to surround the device. This liquid must be able to withstand very low temperatures without freezing, and be highly volatile (evaporates easily). Something like liquid Nitrogen or Helium would be great, but that's not something you can just pick up from your local hardware store. This projects uses 'Freezer Spray' which can usually be found in shops selling plumbing accessories. This spray evaporates rapidly on contact with room temperature objects drawing the heat way from it. By slowly spraying the Freezer Spray into a small container such as its lid, it is possible to collect it as a liquid. The liquid can be put in a small metal container which sits on the surface of the cold heat pump. This metal container is also surrounded in insulating material such as polystyrene. When the heat pumps and fan are active it should be possible to prevent the liquid from evaporating, allowing components to be submerged for cooling. Most peltier heat pumps / thermoelectric modules require some odd non standard DC voltage (8.4 for example). While such a device would work fine on a lower voltage you would not be getting the full cooling potential of the peltier element. A good way to power these devices is by using pulse width modulation so that you can adjust precisly the average power flowing through the device. Our power pulse modulator makes an ideal power supply for peltier modules.A DIY SuperCooler
The aim of this project was to create a simple device capable of keeping components as cool as possible using common parts and materials. The device shown here is capable of maintaining a temperature of approximately -50° C.
The information provided here can not be guaranteed as accurate or correct. Always check with an alternate source before following any suggestions made here.
Level 1, 9 peltier heat pumps bonded to a big slab of copper or aluminium, ideally water cooled. Aim to keep the hot side at no more than 20 C (Cold side approx -35)
Level 2, 3 heat pumps, with a hot side at -35 ought to be able to produce a cold side of around -80 to -90 ASSUMING the junctions keep working at cold temps
Level 3, with a hot side of -85 should go very nicely below -100 on the cold side.
You will also need a car battery or two ready to provide enough DC - or a mighty powerful PSU.
I am guessing you could add a new level of 27 modules under the 9 of you had the cash to do it (and the need).
The important point here is that you need three modules to handle the output from 1 above it.
Would you be able to provide a more precice diagram because the pic does not give me enough info
P.S What size peltier module i.e. 70W, 100W ect and how many
thanks
The insulation can just be cut from foam or a block of polystyrene and go right to the edge of the peltier module. If a metal container (or container with a metal base) is placed onto the top of the peltier module, the heat within it will be drawn out. You will probably also need to make a nice insulated lid too.
Is there any way that you reccomend to build the Super coolers box/frame out of to provide maximum cooling inside the compartment
Thanks you're the best RMC. I'll reccomend you to everyone i know
thanks
It may also help to have foil layers on each of the sides of the foam, but you will need to make sure that you don't use too much, or you could end up making a path for the heat to be conducted in from the outside.
If you can find some of that plastic based foil used in survival kits, helium baloons, or for marathon runners, this would be better.
The foil is used to reflect Infrared heat, while the foam is a barrier for heat conduction and convection.
"If you put a heatsink on the cold side of the peltier module to give off more heat"
Is that a question? If it is, I guess you are asking how adding a heatsink to the cold side will effect things. If you are cooling a container of fluid(liquid or gas), then the cold heatsink will allow the heat to be drawn out of the fluid much faster because of its increased surface area. If the cold heatsink is exposed to the environment (moving air, light etc) then it will continuously absorb heat and therfore have a higher temperature overall.
Sometimes I Get mixed up
If u connect the hot site of the peltier to the foil thats on the outside of the box would it help cool the peltier
Thanks RMC
It may help to spread the heat away from the heatsink, but I think this benefit would be cancelled out by the foil radiating infrared heat back into your box.
what else could cool the hot side of the peltier quickly
Thanks
Thanks
Power (wattage), current and voltage are all related. You usually determine one from two others. Check out the info on Ohms Law to see how to calculate the values. I highly reccomend you learn the info in the electronics section. It's not much to read and things will become much clearer when you can see how these things relate to eachother.
How would you set them out eg. back to back, 1 to 2 or a diagram
Absolute zero (0K) is -273 Celcius
Liquid nitrogen is -196 Celcius
..no you couldn't get to -196 this way either
so theres no way to get it to absolute 0
Peltiers are very inefficient anyway. For serious cooling liquid nitrogen or helium is used. As it evaporates, energy is removed from the system. The expanded gas then goes back to a compressor where it is squeezed back into liquid form.
To go even colder than this, sophisticated laser systems are used to move and cool individual atoms or small groups of atoms in a vacuum. The lasers are tuned to the natural resonant frequency of the atoms so that they can interact with it and cancel out its vibrations.
I am looking to generate electric with the Peltier's modules to use for LED rope lights and other AC equipment while camping, nothing with big draw. I was going to use a inverter to convert the DC voltage to AC voltage. I need at least 12-14VDC to run through the inverter. Can you please help me in accomplishing this task aka tell me what I need and what to do...
Thank you, Ron
P.S. I attached a drawing to maybe undo the confusion