TEC1-12706 Thermoelectric Peltier Cooling Device

Operates at 12V @ 6A

Description

The TEC1-12706 operates at 12V @ 6A and is used in thermoelectric cooling devices.

PACKAGE INCLUDES:

• TEC1-12706 Peltier Device

KEY FEATURES OF TEC1-12706 THERMOELECTRIC COOLING DEVICE:

• Provides compact cooling form-factor
• 12V @ 6A operation

Thermoelectric Peltier cooler modules are solid-state heat pumps that use DC current flow to transfer heat from one side of the device (cold side) to the other side of the device (hot side).

These devices are used in small cooling applications such as insulated coolers, small wine cooler cabinets and to cool CPUs in computers. This technology is even used in space craft to move heat from the hot sunlit side of the space craft to the cold side of the space craft.

The TEC1-12706 is the most commonly used of these devices.

Once assembled into a complete module, the hot side of the device typically mounts to a large aluminum heat sink with a large cooling fan to pull the heat away from the device. The cold side may include a smaller aluminum heat sink which acts as a cold radiator. In addition a small fan may be used to help distribute the cold if desired for the application. This will also raise the surface temperature of the heat sink and prevent frost formation, though it may cause condensation to form depending on humidity levels.

One of the pics shows the device installed in a complete system and running cold enough for ice to form.  For more information on how to use these devices or for a complete solution, check out our complete kit below.

Note:  It is important to not fully power this device unless the hot side heat sink and fan are in place or damage to the device can quickly result.

Module Power

The TEC module operated from a 12V power supply which needs to be able to supply up to 6A of continuous current.  After an initial inrush surge, the module generally settles down and draws about 50-60W of power.  One of our 12V 75W Meanwell power supplies is a good fit for powering this module.

Note that the operating voltage can be increased to over 14V so it is possible to run these off a car battery.  If you want less cooling for a particular application, the operating voltage can be lowered to something 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.

APPLICATION NOTES:

Peltier devices in general don’t like a lot of thermal cycling as it will tend to lead to mechanical failure over time due to the continual thermal expansion and contraction. As a general rule, it is better to either operate it continually or in long cycles rather than continually cycling it on and off.

Depending on the application, it can be coupled with our W1209 or XH-W1219 temperature controller modules which can monitor the temperature and control power to the power supply used to power the TEC device.  When used in this mode, it is best to allow for some temperature hysteresis on the control side to reduce the  thermal cycling.  The W1209 and XH-W1219 devices allow this hysteresis to be programmed.

It is also possible to drive the device at a lower voltage which produces less cooling.  To this end, some controllers drive the device with PWM which is OK if it is operating at a 10hz or higher rate but that approach is less energy efficient that operating at a lower DC voltage to produce less drive. If the PWM waveform is smoothed to create a lower DC voltage, it should have less than 10% ripple and 5% is preferred for best efficiency.

OUR EVALUATION RESULTS:

These are interesting devices to work with.  They do not have the cooling capacity or efficiency of large Freon based cooling systems like you find in a normal fridge, but they can be handy for small cooling tasks and are mainly designed to cool relatively small insulated spaces such as you might find with a styrofoam cooler box or to chill a metal plate such as to cool a beverage that is set on it.  With some tubing and creativity, it is possible to use it to cool circulating water which can then be used to cool a CPU or a race driving suit or something similar.

BEFORE THEY ARE SHIPPED, THESE MODULES ARE:

• Inspected
• Tested for basic operation

Notes: 

1. None

Technical Specifications

FURTHER READING

Wikipedia has a good overview of the technology.