Guess there should be a TEC thread in this forum as well.

Basically it's a heat pump (transfers heat from one place to another) by using an electrical process called the 'Peltier Effect' (discovered by the physicist Jean Peltier in 1834), without the need for any moving parts (ie sold-state). Sometimes the thermoelectric (TE) modules themselves are refered to as TECs or Peltiers.

A TEC module is normally a small white square of two ceramic plates with an array of small Bismuth Telluride cubes ("couples") sandwiched inbetween. When you apply a current over the that array, heat is pumped from one side to the other by electrons. Thus one side of the module gets very cold, the other very hot. You can use the cold side to cool the processor, but you must also cool the hot side with something, to keep the module from overheating..an air heatsink or waterblock from a watercooling system for example. If you reversed the current though, you could use a TEC as a heater too.

One of the big advantages using a TEC to cool a processor is, you can cool the processor below the local ambient temp (ie room or case temp), something that is impossible with normal aircooled systems (fan cooled heatsink, watercooling with a fan cooled radiator, etc). If you use a much more powerful TEC than the processor's heat output, you can even achieve sub-zero temps. Since current electronics work faster at lower temps, this is a good way to allow a processor to overclock more.


A TEC come in different wattage ratings (eg 220W). This is their heat pump rating, of how much heat they can cool from the cold side. However, the voltage it runs at will mean it could end up running less than 220W. If it's 220W at 15V and you run it from the PSU at 12V, it isn't going to be running at 220W, but infact lower. The TEC heat pump rating at worst has to equal the maximum wattage the processor will produce. So no good using a 72W TEC on a processor producing 100W of heat.

Also, the cooling system that is cooling the hot side of the TEC, has to cool the combined heat wattage produced by BOTH the processor and TEC. TECs are generally only 60% efficient, thus while a 220W TEC might be able to cool up to 220W of heat at it's max voltage, it produces/uses say 360W to achieve that cooling. So you'll have to cool the 360W of the TEC added to whatever the processor produces as well (since the TEC is pumping the processor heat to the side being cooled). Therefore most of the time, watercooling is required when using a TEC.

Plus to power 360W for the TEC, will mean it will require it's own PSU. With a lower wattage TEC, you might get away with a very powerful system PSU though.


TEC maths is complicated, so here are some good sites:

<a href='http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/pelt-technology_explained_-ric.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/pe...ined_-ric.shtml</a>
<a href='http://www.dansdata.com/pelt.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.dansdata.com/pelt.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.dansdata.com/peltprac.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.dansdata.com/peltprac.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.heatsink-guide.com/applying-peltiers/' target='_blank'>http://www.heatsink-guide.com/applying-peltiers/</a>
<a href='http://www.gideontech.com/guides/peltier/' target='_blank'>http://www.gideontech.com/guides/peltier/</a>
<a href='http://www.electronics-cooling.com/Resources/EC_Articles/SEP96/sep96_04.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.electronics-cooling.com/Resourc...96/sep96_04.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.tellurex.com/resource/intro.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.tellurex.com/resource/intro.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.cheese83.freeserve.co.uk/comp/software.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.cheese83.freeserve.co.uk/comp/software.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.kryotherm.spb.ru/soft.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.kryotherm.spb.ru/soft.htm</a>
<a href='http://www.overclockers.com/topiclist/index21.asp#PELTIERS' target='_blank'>http://www.overclockers.com/topiclist/inde...21.asp#PELTIERS</a>
<a href='http://www.overclockers.com/tips45/' target='_blank'>http://www.overclockers.com/tips45/</a>
<a href='http://www.overclockers.com/tips40/' target='_blank'>http://www.overclockers.com/tips40/</a>

Of course with sub-ambient temps, condensation will become an issue, therefore insulation will probably be required:

<a href='http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/chems_of_oc_n_and_super_coolin.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/ch...er_coolin.shtml</a>
<a href='http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/mounting_and_sealing_the_water.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/mo...the_water.shtml</a>
<a href='http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/super_cooling_and_insulation_-.shtml' target='_blank'>http://www.procooling.com/articles/html/su...ulation_-.shtml</a>
<a href='http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=articles/socket_condensation/intro.html' target='_blank'>http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=ar...tion/intro.html</a>
<a href='http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=articles/condensation/howto.html' target='_blank'>http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=ar...tion/howto.html</a>
<a href='http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=articles/howto2/howto2.html' target='_blank'>http://www.octools.com/index.cgi?caller=ar...to2/howto2.html</a>

also found this example:

this will be help in my evil plan to make a silent PC, and no one can stop me MUAHAHAHA!!!!

Another article about using TECs/peliters with watercooling:

<a href='http://www.pureoc.com/eXtremeCPUOC_1.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.pureoc.com/eXtremeCPUOC_1.asp</a>

So is there any power supply that you would recommend for this that will allow the TEC to run at it's maximum efficency?

Really I'm starting to wonder if a standard PC power supply would cut it at all.

GJ

The effieciency of the TEC is not related to the quality of power supply, unless the power supply were particularly bad I guess... Any transfer of energy from one form to another is going to have efficiency problems. I would recommend getting a dedicated PSU for the TEC just in case there are problems, it won't effect you're PC (except the temps).

The main advantage of the kits you get is that there are control circuits which will automatically increase/decrease peltier power according to CPU power output (well, CPU temp actually). It would be a pretty simple circuit as far as I can see, the bulk of it is from the power transistors.

nightstorm it would be nice if your links were working I am also looking at a TEC but I still need more info befor I am happy although you have already answered alot I am still not 100% convinced. <_<
like do these things ever give problem like melting your heat sink?

Give him a break. Look at how long ago the links were posted.

ok sorry I am just looking for as much data as possible on Tecs. Peace :rock:
I am looking at running a sub zero system I have pulled my water system off my pc and am experimenting to see how safe useing a TEC would be I am also trying water mixes and other things like industrial alcohol but I will post that in the other forum.

Most people use Meanwell Industrial Grade Power Supplys particulary when you are running large TECs (226w) or a couple of TECs. The Meanwell Industrial Grade Power Supplys are not cheap however, usually around £120. Although they can be picked up from eBay.

Failing that a branded high quality PSU that puts out a lot of amps is the other option however a good quality PSU capable of this is also going to be fairly expensive.

Craig

hi there i've been reading around alot and for my second custom pc and gonna put together a p4 3 or 3.2 gz, with an WaterChill KT12A-L30 Antarctica water kit. I have a masive server chieftec case and two 360watt psu's that im gonna link up to provide the juice. along wiv aload of other bits but now on to my question i was at work and saw a cheap little beer fridge for £26 and thus an idea was born so i've got it home and taken it to bits its got an AC 220v converter pcb which is nice and small and a pelter which is about 4x4cm's the bacl of the fridge says it draws 64w off the mains is this the figure mentioned in the top of this thread? or somthing different? now im gonna use this to cool the cpu by direct contact wiv the cpu and cpu water block or by cooling the radiator at the top of the case. Which is best?

Many thanks all advice welcome :blink:

Probably not powerful enough to be used directly on the 3GHz processor, but might be ok on the radiator.

i found this very helpful the chipset peltier was hard, i cant do the cpu yet as i dont have it, but my pc is going to own when its up!

can u gimme a link to a place to buy a peltier block? cant find 1 myself preferably an english 1 ty

thanx man