Testing the "240 W" Peltier cooler refrigeration plate
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video, I dissect a "240 W" Peltier cooler refrigeration plate. I carefully test it, then disassemble it to see which Peltier coolers are used in it. Then I propose some improvement ideas.
Join my channel membership: / @curiousscientist
Check my blog article for more resources:
curiousscienti...
Get the relevant parts and tools using my affiliate links:
curiousscienti...
This reminds me of the systems used to cool telephone/internet exchange boxes on streets, I believe they also use peltier coolers to reduce the internal temperature.
It could be! Sometimes, they are used to cool electronics, too.
@@CuriousScientist16,2V×5,3A×4=343,44W!
What are those numbers?
@@CuriousScientist 34:42
@@johnflower8384 Yeah, so you just calculated the total electrical consumption when the device is running at its maximum rated parameters. So, it is almost certain that they don't advertise the 240 W as the consumption of it, but it should be the cooling power. However, that would only be valid with the TEC12706 cooler modules.
I saw a video that showed increasing the air flow doesn't make a hige difference to the cooling of the hot side, but surface area of the heat sink does.
Yes, I agree, and that's what the conclusion of the test is, too. Even with the super strong fans, I could not push the temperature down, and then I said that the bottleneck is the heatsink.
@@CuriousScientistwater cooling the hot side could work well.
Yeah, but then there's no reason to buy this specific device. The just buy everything separately and assemble them into a new unit. I did like that when I built my big cloud chamber.
32:06 awww haha, I found the sound relaxing 😂
I wanted to save the ears of my viewers, so I decreased the volume level. Sorry! 😄
2 things that will affect the temperature is having the hot side down with a small space between the fan inlet and the surface it is sitting on. Flip the assembly over and see if the "cold" side drops below 0.
There's enough space between the fan and the surface of the table, I even mentioned it in the video. The airflow is good. The problem is the undersized heatsink.
Hi , the first thing that I remarked at the very start of the video was that you turned the device upside down , so the fans was directly on the table surface , and it was obvious that the air flow for the heat sink will be useless . cause the ( propellers ) are sealed by the sides . It`s for this reason that the heat sink failed .They are not pulling any air as they sit directly on the table.
This is not a bad critic but a useful one . Lifting the device up about 5 Cms above the table will give a better result as it is .
Sorry but wrong. I even mentioned in the video that there's enough gap between the fans and the surface of the table. I know my stuff, don't worry. 😉
@@CuriousScientist Stop trying to escape what you did wrong , the may be space between the fan and the heat sink , but not between the table and the fan .
You know what ? If you don`t like that others give you any tips , then say it so that everyone just applause and say great .
I did also a test with Peltier unit and know how hot it is and also know how to cool it down to it`s max . I am only trying to help you .
I watched your video with the water cooling ant it is the best way to make it , but even on that water cooling there are ways to get less heat and less POWER and stuffs to cool it in a cheaper way .
But as you seem not loving usful comments , then continue with what you can manage on your own .
I am kicking off the subscription that I did on your channel. Good luck .
I try not to be very sad about you leaving my channel. Might take a few days to digest it.
I am really experienced with Peltier coolers, and I know what I am doing. I also knew about the possible issues with the lack of airflow, and trust me, there was enough space between the fan and the table. I was there, I saw it myself. The fans were sitting on a 10 cm wide heatsink, so the gap was 10 cm.
I don't mind helpful comments, but you came here trying to lecture me without knowing all the details of my setup.
@@CuriousScientist Amen
Look closely at around 10:18 where you can see the whole block is lifted up.
CONGRATULATIONS FOR THE WORK, FORCED WATER COOLING FOR HOT PARTS WILL GIVE YOU SURPRISING RESULTS
Thanks! I know, I would not be surprised, but I wanted to test the product here.
test without those screws and a weight ontop. Are they titanium or at least stainless? Cant remember if nylons has a lower thermal conductivity but either way those plastic spacers are not going to provide sufficient barrier in that application.
Hi! I don't think that they would use titanium screws in such a simple and relatively cheap device. Also, they are attracted to the magnetic end of the screwdriver. It must be some sort of steel. It is shiny, but I am not sure if it is stainless too. I don't think that the screws cause the limit with the cold side temperature. I am pretty sure that it is the heatsinks that cannot deal with the heat generated by the Peltier coolers. I will soon receive some new CPU coolers that I will use for the cold plate instead of these weak heatsinks.
I've made cooling devixe for dogs in car with two peltier modules 6w and i used coolers from server case. Its perfect for that reason. I done many tests before and resolution ist that best coolersbare thwy with many thin plates and fan than bigger thick aluminium coolers.
Yes, the "many thin plates" (fins) provide a larger surface area, therefore better dissipation of heat. Big thick coolers are good in absorbing heat (larger (thermal) mass), but if there are just a few fins, then they cannot get rid of the heat well.
Hi, I live in an environment that has an Air Temperature of 32C on the agverage.
I wish to build a tomato growing chamber for testing and I need to keep the temperature at at range of 24 (best) to 27C..
I am thinking of building the grow chamber of 100% BLUE FOAM. My grow lights will be shining down from the top with an ACRYLIC plate - which isolates the heat from the outside.
I was thinking that having a fridge Peltier chiller with a fan just attached to the grow chamber will be very inefficient -- not sure -
So I was thinking of chilling a water bath in a form box and using an ultrasonic mister (at intervals )to send a chilled fog into the grow chamber , that would allow the chilled fog at say 25C to collide with the leaves and then the overflow of water flows back out via a drainage back to the chill reservoir.
What do you think? How would you build it so that it does not cost a lot of energy?
Hi! A small, well insulated grow chamber can be kept at the described 24-27°C temperature range with this unit. It should not be a problem. But I would buy another type of cooler that has a large heatsink on the hot side and a small on the cold side. Check the "Dual heatsink Peltier cooler kit" on my website under the Parts & Tools subpage. The mist maker might be a good idea but in my opinion it adds unnecessary complexity. Regarding the energy consumption, there is no solution, it will require a few hundred watts because Peltier coolers are not very efficient. But probably it wont' require a lot of power once you have a stable internal temperature.
@@CuriousScientist Thanks for replying: Learning some tips from you.. I was thinking of using the peltier as a CAR COOLANT CHILLER (glycerin) and then using a pump to pump this green car coolant into the chamber..
So I have a FOAM Box of Car coolant chilled to say 23 C by a peltier cooler using a beer chilling coil..
Then using a radiator with a brushless fan and small brushless pump , to maintain the temp in the blue foam grow chamber...
I think this will use much less energy as we have a reservoir of well chilled coolant.. once the grow chamber is in "maintainence mode"
Am I missing something here?
Why would you use a nasty chemical? Car coolant is not glycerin but glycol-based... and it is quite toxic. Regarding consumption, you still need to cool down the large amount of liquid first, which will still take a lot of energy. Maintaining it might take less energy, yes, but that's exactly what I proposed in my previous comment.
@@CuriousScientist sorry I thought Glycol retains heat better but it is only antifreeze property: so I will be using only 5 liters of water that will be contained inside the sealed chamber. This water is cooled by an external peltier chiller via thick silicone tubes through holes. So 5 liters chill very fast.
My thermostat will control a pump to pump up this chilled water into a radiator inside this chamber.
I think this could work.. but I don't have scientific knowledge to figure out if this is unnecessarily complex for no gain..
Maybe I am better off with the Peltier Fridge Module with the Large outer heatpipe heatsink and and small heat sink on the cold side.. ?
Thanks for your advice.
Thanks for the video very informative, I just bought the same refrigeration plate and I have a couple of questions. The characteristics of the plate I bought are the following (which I assume are the same as yours):
voltage: 12v
max power: 220W @ 15,4v
Max Current: 30A
Stable Current: 14A
Can I run this plate with a 12v, Max current 18A power supply? or I need a power supply with Max current 30A?
Can a 12v, max current 30A Dimmer be placed between transformer/power supply and the refrigeration plate to control temperature and fan speed?
Thanks in advance!
G.
Hi! Have you checked my website? I put a very detailed calculation and explanation there.
At 12 V, and let's say dT = 40, each device will take up around 5 A and provide 30 W cooling power. So a 18 A power supply will be too little. Use a proper 12 V, 30 A power supply. Don't use dimmer to regulate the power. Use a DC-DC converter as I do in many of my Peltier videos.
@@CuriousScientist Thank you very much, I will check your website!
How did you run wires for the fans to come on with peltier
They were simply connected together in parallel and then powered by a bench power supply.
Hello ! Great video ! Since you are making a better version next , do you think it is possible to have a device where the source can adapt to the temperature of the cold plate ? Like if your hand touch the plate , it will give more power on that region to make it colder and keep the avg temperature of the plate the same.
Hi and thanks!
Yes, it would be possible. But then each Peltier cooler would need its own temperature sensor and then its own power supply, too. So when a sensor sees a deviation, it will start adjusting the power supply to bring the temperature back to the target temperature. But it is a rather complex undertaking because due to the fact that everything is thermally coupled by the aluminum plate, probably all four Peltier coolers need to work together to get everything to the correct temperature. I could definitely do this (I mean, I have the skills), but it needs a lot of time and parts.
I can see that cold surface is covered with blue plastic, and that plastic is thermal isolation mean, temperature measurement using temperature sensor is made over that thermal isolator and temperature in display could be a warmer indication than under blue plastic. I could suggest that take that blue plastic off before making temperature measurements. The direction of the air flow of the fans was well outwards, as it was initially, to extract the heat outwards, but personally, I would direct the air flow of the fan not downwards, but upwards or directed laterally (taking advantage of the direction of convection), since the direction of heat goes upwards.
Hi! It is a very thin layer of plastic, it would not alter the measurements significantly. But of course, it is good to remove it. I needed this plate for another project, but before that project, I wanted to test it, and at the same time keep its surface clean. So, that's why I kept the foil on. Regarding the fans, sorry but I cannot understand what you mean.
I think, they calculated the 240W based on the max electrical input: 4x 12V x 5A.
Hi! That would make sense, yes! But it is very misleading, in my opinion. That would be a valid parameter for a heater, but this is a cooler. 😄
@@CuriousScientist haha, yes, very right! But the number is higher and it might sell better! 😫 Great and very insightful video though!
Hey, I m curious if we can make a de humidifier for a room 10x10x10ft by using these modules?
Probably yes, but they won't be super efficient.
@@CuriousScientist any rough estimate? How inefficient it will be compared to regular compressor based ones, btw thanks for replying
A Peltier cooler is about 5-10x less efficient than a compressor-based cooler.
@@CuriousScientist ohh, thanks for info
Stack the elements 4 high and use a constant current source driver. 1 layer don't work so well.
And what would you achieve? The amount of heat that you can remove from the plate is always limited by the Peltier at the bottom. If you stack them, most of the useful cooling power of the bottom cooler is used to get rid of the Joule heating of the rest of the coolers... Your suggestion makes no sense.
try cooling the hot side with a confined liquid jet impingement methodology
I can't build such a thing at home.
Would have helped to have the fans up off the table so they could properly force air through the heatsinks.
There was enough gap. I even mentioned it in the video.
@@CuriousScientist alright because with PC fans even an inch or two gap, diminishes airflow.
Yes, the concern is valid. But I made sure that there's enough gap to not restrict the airflow. Unfortunately, the main issue is the small surface area (small fins) of the heatsink.
is it gud idea to make both sides water cooled. 1 for making hot water bucket. 1 for making cold water bucket. then pumping the water into 2 radiator. cool radiator blowing at my face. hot radiator blowing at window.
is my design OK.
for cooling side water cooled with radiator is better or air cooled heatsink fins.
Cooling Peltier coolers with water is always a good idea. Your questions are already answered in one of my earlier videos: th-cam.com/video/ZDLN_tMxSQA/w-d-xo.html
Holla,
Nice videos so far. I usually fast-forward videos but with yours, it would mean losing valuable info. You just are too knowledgeable on this topic.
I have an idea that might* pull the job on using peltier for air-conditioning. The pathway is simple and you have all the items needed.
I've actually gotten a few items myself but it would remove the doubts if someone with all the components actually does it.
It involves a few diagrams I will explain by sending you a video of my ideas, sending you a specific TH-cam link and you putting them all together.
What is the best way of passing these all to you.
Wishing you well - Teemy
Hi! You can find a contact page on my website.
"240W" probably the input power lol.
What? 12 V and 4x5 A. That's 240 W.
With fans!
I don't think that the fans are considered in this number.
@@CuriousScientist Why not?
@@johnflower8384 Because I think that if they sell a _cooling device_, they wouldn't advertise the product with its power consumption, but they would rather state the cooling power of it.
I'm really considering using peltiers on my stove and reject the cold into my fridge
You can not really heat with Peltier coolers to that extent to use them as a stove. They don't tolerate high temperatures.
@@CuriousScientist this would be for like tea and pasta. Nothing fancy, not even boiling.
If you can stay below the manufacturer's values, you will be fine. Also, the heating part would be more efficient because not only you are getting heat from the Joule heating, but the heat that you remove from the cold side (which makes the fridge part colder) also ends up at the hot side. But also keep in mind that the maximum temperature difference created by Peltier coolers is a fixed value. Therefore, you'll need to sacrifice on the temperatures and also on the cooling power.
love your videos but dislike you almost never build an actual unit to show us simple folk, if i build this, will it cool my 12x12 room or just me if its super close?
I won't waste my time and money on things that I know that won't work. I specifically said this in the video that no, this is not for cooling rooms. People have a hard time accepting that just because something can get cold, it doesn't mean that it can be built into an AC...
Can you make it for car please 👀👍🏻
It doesn't have enough cooling power. Peltiers are useless in those environments.
So make a ac for car that can run on water radiator water pump andd ice 😉
What?
I mean
Small radiator plus water pump and Water pump pipes and pc fan or last box for cold water 🤨
I still don't understand what you mean.
Very informative, but could easily be only 1/3 as long. Way to much repetition of the same facts, over, and over, again.
Thanks! Which facts are repeated multiple times? What could be improved?
Peltier is nothing more then surface ice maker. So don't waste time with 23% efficacy
I think they are not even as good as 23% efficiency.
I can run 800w worth of Peltiers from two 450w solar panels for a total of 900w but my heat pump AC unit which has a power consumption of 800w can't!
Losses in the charge controller, the inverter for AC supply leaves not enough for the heat pump! The Peltier system doesn't care!
Probably because the compressor needs a bit more power when it starts. On the other hand, you'll see maybe 10-15% of that 800 W as a cooling power. Not a lot...