Use of Peltier Cells in the Cooling Process
Abstract
Peltier cells represent an interesting alternative to conventional cooling methods and are currently being used in areas where conventional cooling methods are not suitable. They can produce heat and cold when supplied with electricity. The article discusses the possibilities of using Peltier cell technology in the cooling processes of electronic components in an environment where it is not possible to use conventional cooling methods due to their size or the inappropriateness of the given type of cooling. It compares cooling options and describes basic power calculation procedures to cover cooling power needs. Thermoelectric cooling has several advantages, including the absence of a cooling medium, the possibility of precise temperature regulation, small dimensions and a relatively long service life.
Keywords
Download Options
Introduction
With the development of science, technology and the use of advanced technologies, new software applications are constantly created with increasing requirements for hardware, and the associated constant increase in computer performance. As power increases, so does the thermal power produced by electronic components, whether in computers or mobile devices, which must be removed from the device to ensure the required power. To prevent the system from malfunctioning, it is necessary to improve the heat dissipation. The need for heat dissipation adjustments arises due to the increasing performance of cooled parts of the computer and other semiconductor components. While in the past only one fan, usually located in the power source, or passive coolers placed on the surface of the most heated elements was sufficient to cool the computer, nowadays most components are supplemented with a cooler and often this cooler is also supplemented with an active part, a fan or water cooling and a heat exchanger , through which the heat accumulated in the coolant is removed to the surroundings.
Radiant heat is generated on the surface of the printed circuit board fitted with semiconductor components and power components, the effects of which on the power components and individual processors of desktop computers and mobile devices affect their proper work. These semiconductor power components produce radiant heat during their operation, so we can consider them as heat sources. Effective cooling makes it possible to use the maximum power of the transistor, processor and thus also the performance of the given components. Performance growth also results in an increase in processor temperature ratios and the related need for better heat dissipation. In addition to the standard method of cooling processors, which is soon a thing of the past, new cooling methods with new cooling elements and technologies are coming to the fore. The use of the Peltier cell in the field of computer technology and primarily mobile technology brings the advantage of the compactness of the cooling device, but at the cost of additional energy consumption compared to passive heat removal systems. The most interesting nowadays is the use of small Peltier cells in the cooling of powerful mobile devices, where there is no possibility of water cooling and air cooling is not a sufficiently efficient way of cooling due to the poor transfer of heat from the core of the device through the plastic protective covers. In such a case, direct contact of the cold side of the Peltier cell provides a better cooling method, while only a passive heat exchanger or a small fan is sufficient to cool the heated side.
Conclusion
The heated water itself simulates the temperature of the processor working in the given conditions. In fact, the more the processor is loaded, the more it heats up, which means it produces more heat into the computer environment, which must be perfectly dissipated. Imperfect removal of heat from the surface of the processor leads to a decrease in performance, frequency speed and, in case of long-lasting high temperature, to its destruction and deterioration. Therefore, the combination of cooling, which was discussed in the article, is the suitable alternative to the possible cooling used in the process of cooling semiconductor components with a Peltier cell. With its properties, the Peltier cell absorbs the heat of the heated water in the steel cylinder (or the processor), thereby cooling it (or the processor). The heat generated on the other side of the Peltier cell is removed by the cooler, i.e. heat is transferred between the warm side of the Peltier cell and the cold surface of the cooler. The heat dissipation is enhanced by the used fan for perfect heat dissipation from the cooler and into the surroundings. This method of combining cooling with subsequent heat removal makes it possible to use the processor at higher frequency speeds.
Cooling with Peltier cells represents a progressive way of implementing a cooling system. It is a suitable alternative wherever it is necessary to extract a large heat flow from a small area or where emphasis is placed on the small dimensions of the cooling system. Peltier cells also play an important role in temperature regulation.