Why aren't we using Peltier modules?

[mort]

Originally Posted by ConnClark

Just remember that the heat is going to be dumped on the other side of the Peltier and its going to be about ten times as much as you remove from the cool side.

It's not quite that bad. Commercial Peltier coolers have a COP of about 1.25, so to cool your seat by removing 125 watts requires 100 watts from the battery and you'll need to dump 225 watts - you dump 1.8 times as much as you cool.
-mort

[California98Civic]

There are several threads on this topic, but I'll update this "somewhat-less-old" one. Two interesting videos of applications of this concept.

(1) A 10 grade girl who won second prize in a science fair with a "hollow flashlight" charged by her hand (I think she claimed 50% efficiency):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRdeFcIK8QM

(2) A guy charging a 12v deep cycle battery with TEGs and a biomass heat source (what's important is that he is doing it DIY):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxyFTIZ8jJE

I could see tackling some version of these with my 11 year old engineering-interested daughter in a couple years. I plan for the "Black & Green" Civic to still be around too, so why not?

-james

[UltArc]

This is cool stuff. Clearly there are weaknesses to the technology at this point, but cool nonetheless.

So who took first if that only got her second? Lol

[California98Civic]

Originally Posted by UltArc

This is cool stuff. Clearly there are weaknesses to the technology at this point, but cool nonetheless.

So who took first if that only got her second? Lol

I don't know what first place was. Sorry.

Talked over these tiles and applications with my daughter, teaching her how they work using these videos. She wants to try and build stuff. We're going to try making a version of the LED flashlight first. We'll adapt the design for a different heat source and with extended wiring to power--get this--little doll house lamps. She is almost 11 and she spends lots of time making realistic little furniture and food items for her doll house. We figure some working lamps, powered by some heat source (hot water bottle?) would be a great way to get a first lesson in the technicals and materials.

Found a list of tiles:
Standard TEC's : Sorted by Imax : CustomThermoelectric.com

Thought I'd share (for the hell of it).

[JETZcorp]

That's the most adorable science project ever.

[LioNiNoiL]

I have a dozen old 40mm square Peltier cooling/heating units (see photo) from 12-volt heater/coolers, and no additional specifications. They are yours with which to experiment for $4 each (with free shipping), $26 for all twelve (also free shipping), or any other amount n for $4n^(3/4) to the nearest quarter-dollar, with free shipping and a moneyback guarantee, and a one-dollar penalty for mis-calculating the cost.

[teoman]

https://youtu.be/xaT2hqHgLdY

Seems like he is getting approx 10w out of 10 modules.

The modules are now about 2usd each. So that makes it 2$/W.

The problem is you need 200 of them for anything usefull.


That is 4x4x200 cm^2

I am thinking one could make a warm air intake with them, make the engine scution cool the peltiers that are surrounded with a water jacket from the radiator (or engine oil if it is hotter)

If you build a box type of intake, with 2 on each side, that woould be 8 modules in the circumference. The length would be 1meter. A little bit long but achievable.