Solar refrigeration using the Peltier Effect

Abstract

In order to design a coolerbox, utilising Thermo-electric technology as a heat pump, it was necessary to determine if this type of technology would be suitable for a coolerbox heat pump application. A detailed TEC (Thermo Electric Cooler) sizing estimation was done, using formulas supplied by the manufacturer, and using thermo-electric themy formulas to calculate the absolute theoretical performance parameters for a suitable TEe The correct heat pumping capability is important since.it is possible to obtain TEes with different input currents, voltages and heat pumping capabilities. Using the TEC as a heat pump, it was decided to use water cooling due to the extremely high cost of a suitable air cooled heatsink. It should be noted that to cool the hot side of theTEe a vel}' efficient heat exchanger should be used. A simulator was constructed to simulate, under variable operating temperatures and input powers, the cooling capacity of the TEC heat exchanger. The cooling characteristics were then used to determine if the theol}' and manufacturers claims correspond with the cooling characteristics of the coolerbox. It might be possible that the performance of the TEC would be drastically influenced, since installation con~itions may not be ideal when installed; and, that the manufacturers performance claims are done when the TEC is operated under ideal conditions. This would ensure optimum results because, should an under sized TEC be used, the result would be poor cooling characteristics; or, if the TEC is over sized, the coolerbox would consume too much power, resulting in an inefficient system.