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TEC1-12706 12V 60W Thermoelectric Cooler Peltier Plate Module
Thermoelectric Coolers (TECs), also known as Peltier modules, are solid-state heat pumps that use DC current to transfer heat from the cold side of the device to the other side of the device (hot side). They are typically used in small cooling applications such as insulated coolers, small wine chillers and to cool CPUs in computers. They can also be used in hte opposite configuration in heating applications, such as to provide precise temperature control over biological samples or small incubators.
TECs work very well as long as you remove the heat from the hot side. After turning on the device, the hot side will heat quickly, and the cold side will cool quickly. If you do not remove the heat from the hot side with a heat sink or other cooling device, the Peltier will quickly reach equilibrium and no longer cool. Continued use will quickly overheat and damage the device.
This TEC1-12706 60W 12V Peltier thermoelectric cooler is perfect for applications requiring heating or cooling such as small DIY refrigerators, custom drink heaters/coolers, and electronic component and device chillers or heaters.
WARNING: The hot side of this TEC must be mounted to an air-cooled heat sink or water-cooled plate before use. Do not apply power to it before mounting it to a heatsink. Failure to do so may damage the device and will present a burning hazard (the heating side will get very hot, quickly).
TEC Mounting and Heatsinking
A Thermoelectric (Peltier) cooler is not a heat absorber that magically removes heat. It is a heat pump that moves heat from the “cold” side of the device (the side with the lettering) to the “hot” side (the blank side) when electric power is applied to the module. To complete the thermal system, the hot side of the TEC must be attached to a suitable heat sink that is capable of dissipating both the heat pumped by the module and the heat created as a result of supplying electrical power to the module.
A smaller heatsink can be used on the “cold” side of the TEC to serve as a radiator to help dissipate the cold air.
Heatsink Considerations
Whether you use an air-cooled heatsink or a water-cooled plate, it must be capable of dissipating the power generated by the device. At full power, this can be up to 60 Watts. People often underestimate the size of the heatsink required. for example, below is a photo of a heatsink capable of dissipating several 10s of Watts with strong forced-air cooling:
Mounting the TEC to the Heatsink
There are two methods of mounting thermoelectric modules:
The Compression Method, in which the TEC is sandwiched between an air-cooled heatsink or water-cooled plate and a cold plate using a thermal interface material such as thermal grease or thermal sheets. See the drawing below for an example of a typical compression-style mount.
Adhesive Bonding Method using a thermally conductive adhesive such as thermally-conductive epoxy.
TEC Operating Considerations
Do not apply power to the TEC unless it is mounted to an adequate heatsink!
The TEC1-12706 is operated from a 12V DC power supply capable of supplying up to 6A of current. Typically the modules operate at about 40-60W of power.
The operating voltage can be increased to 14V maximum so it is possible to run these off a car battery, however care must be taken not to over-dissipate and damage the device. If you want less cooling for a particular application, the operating voltage can be lowered to less than 12V.
The printed side of the TEC device is the cold side. To check the TEC module without concerns about damaging the device, you can power it off a lower voltage power supply such as 5V where it will draw about 1.5A and you will feel one side getting colder while the other side gets warmer. Even at these levels, don’t operate it without heatsinking for an extended period.
When first using the device, limit the voltage and/or current while monitoring the TEC’s temperature. If the heatsink gets hot to the touch, or the “cold” side stops cooling and gets hot, immediately reduce the input power, and/or increase the device’s cooling by providing airflow across the heatsink or by using a larger one.
The maximum power (voltage x current) applied to this device must not exceed 60 Watts, and at this power level will require a large air- or water-cooled heatsink capable of dissipating >60W in order to remove the heat from the device.
Using the TEC1-12706 with a W1209 Temperature Controller Module
For some applications, the TEC can be used with our W1209 temperature controller module to monitor the temperature and control power to the power supply used to power the TEC. When using the TEC with a W1209 it is best to increase the W1209’s temperature hysteresis to reduce the thermal cycling. Hysteresis can be programmed in the W1209 by setting its P1 Operating Parameter.
TEC1-12706 Thermoelectric Cooler Specifications
Model: TEC1-12706
Size: 40mm x 40mm x 4mm
Working current: Typically 3-4 A (rated 12V); Imax: 6A
Rated voltage: 12V DC, Vmax: 15V
Operates from 0~15V DC and 0~6A at up to 60W maximum power (requires adequate heatsinking)
Operating Temperature: -30℃ to 70℃
Maximum Power Consumption: 60 Watts
Refrigeration Power Qcmax: ~50W
Fitted with 12-inch (approx.) insulated leads
The side with lettering is the cooling side, and the blank side is the heating side.
References
TEC Installation Instructions: https://www.electracool.com/install.htm
Experiments with a Peltier Cooling Device from DroneBot Workshop on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X123rMAJuM (Go to 14:30 for an example of using the TEC with an air-cooled heatsink)
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