Thermoelectric cooling for microwave transmitters located at remote sites

Abstract

An investigation into the use of thermoelectric cooling energised by photovoltaic (PV) panels for removing sensible heat from electronic telecommunications equipment. The thermoelectric cooler consists of a solid-state heat pump which operates on the principle of the Peltier effect. The thermoelectric device transfers heat through a cold sink to ambient outside air via a hot sink. A major prerequisite was that the system should be selfsufficient in terms of power because the sites for the microwave transmitters are often remote. Solar power was the only alternative source of energy and the cooler was designed to accept direct current from PV panels which are usually used to power transmitters on distant locations. The cooling device had to be reliable, virtually maintenance-free and simple to repair.