Final Project Report Submisssion

Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 2015 Course
A Project Stage-I Report on
Peltier Module Based Mini Refrigerator

By
Mr. Dharmadhikari Shubham Mahesh Exam. Seat No. 71911516H

Mr. Viraat Narayan Agrawal Exam. Seat No. 71912016M
Mr. Wagh Vishal Ramesh Exam. Seat No. 72002818D
Mr. Wankhede Kushal Dilip Exam. Seat No. 72002819B
Guide
Prof. D.V.Burande
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s
Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering
[2021-22]
Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering
CERTIFICATE
This is to certify that Mr. Dharmadhikari Shubham Mahesh Exam. Seat No. 71911516H
Mr. Viraat Narayan Agrawal Exam. Seat No. 71912016M

Mr. Wagh Vishal Ramesh Exam. Seat No. 72002818D
Mr. Wankhede Kushal Dilip Exam. Seat No. 72002819B
have successfully completed the Project Stage – I entitled “Peltier Module Based Mini
Refrigerator” under my supervision, in the partial fulfillment of Bachelor of Engineering -
Mechanical Engineering of Savitribai Phule Pune University.
Date: -
Seal
Place: - Pune
Prof. D.V.Burande Prof…………….

Guide External Examiner
Prof. T. S. Sargar Dr. A.V. Deshpande

Head of Department Principal

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed to the successful completion of
this Project Stage -1 work. I would like to express my sincere thanks to my guide Prof.
D.V.Burande who has encouraged me to work on this topic and provided valuable guidance
wherever required. I also extend my gratitude to Prof. T. S. Sargar (H.O.D Mechanical
Department) who has provided facilities to explore the subject with more enthusiasm.
I express my immense pleasure and thankfulness to all the teachers and staff of the Department
of Mechanical Engineering of Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering for their
cooperation and support.
Mr. Dharmadhikari Shubham Mahesh Sign.……………….

Mr. Viraat Narayan Agrawal Sign.……………….
Mr. Wagh Vishal Ramesh Sign.……………….
Mr. Wankhede Kushal Dilip Sign.……………….

Contents
Topic No. Name of Topic Page No.
1 Introduction 1
2
1.1 Problem statement
1.2 Objectives and Scope 3
1.3 Methodology 5
2 7
Literature Review
3 Design of proposed work 11
3.1. Study of Alternative Mechanisms for Product and

Selecting proper Mechanism
3.2. Individual components Descriptions
Thermo Peltier Module
Water Cooling Block
Temperature controller
Switching mode power supply(SMPS)
DC Motor Pump
Radiator
Fan
3.3 Construction and Working

4 Simulation work (Analytical/ Numerical/FEM/CFD) 31
4.1 Trial on Thermo Peltier Module.
4.2 Evaluating coefficient of performance of TEC based

refrigerator
5 Conclusion 45
6 Future Scope 46
References 47

List of Figures: -
Figure 1-Thermoelectric Module ............................................................

Figure 2- Structure and Function of Thermoelectric Cooler...................
Figure 3- Water Cooling Block ...............................................................
Figure 4 Water cooling block (Model) ....................................................
Figure 5. Temperature Controller............................................................
Figure 6- Switching mode power supply (SMPS) (Model) .....................
Figure 7-DC Motor Pump........................................................................
Figure 8-Radiator.....................................................................................
Figure 9- FANS........................................................................................
Figure 10-Temperature Controller ..........................................................
Figure 11- Switch-Mode Power Supply .................................................
Figure 12- Radiator ..................................................................................
Figure 13- Exhaust Fan ............................................................................

Abstract
This project created a versatile thermoelectric refrigerator that can be used via a wall outlet.
The product is durable and effective. The refrigerator is functional in any ambient temperature,
and uses thermoelectric cooling, and works from a standard 120V power outlet. By
understanding existing products’ limitations and strengths, this project produced a product that
outperforms what’s currently on the market. Many of the existing products’ operating
temperature is dependent on the ambient temperature of the surroundings, which is a large
drawback. Additionally, most of them take a long time to reach their lowest temperature,
around 3 hours. One team member discovered that when Peltier’s are thermally in series they
can create a much larger temperature difference. A Peltier is a thermoelectric cooling device,
therefore satisfying the design requirement. Key design challenges included the following: heat
transfer through the insulation, power draw, thermodynamic efficiency, structure strength,
intuitive interface, along with other crucial factors. Following design, the refrigerator was built,
tested, and the preliminary analysis was validated against the test results. There are plenty of
existing patents regarding thermoelectric cooling, but only a few like what this project
achieved.

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Problem statement
In this study, a mini thermoelectric refrigerator was fabricated by using the Peltier
module. The Peltier module generates hot side and cold side after applying electrical
current to it. The main problem is the hot side of the Peltier module. This is because
the hot side of the Peltier module generally applies the thermal equilibrium principle
with the cold side of the Peltier module, thus affecting the cooling temperature of
the mini refrigerator. The hot side of the Peltier module becomes very hot after a
few minutes of running. Instead, the hot side is connected to the heat sink by
dissipating the heat to the surrounding. However, the cooling temperature of the
refrigerator using the Peltier module is relatively low. Therefore, in order to
increase the cooling temperature of a mini refrigerator, the effect of the ambient
temperature, insulation material, design of the heat sink, Phase Change Material
PCM, the direction of the fan air flow and quantity of electric current have to be
studied
1.2 Objectives and Scope
The overall short-term aim was to develop a small, inexpensive and compact
refrigerator using a TEC heat Exchanger. As has already been explained in the
section above an important design parameter should be the ability to function under
variable input power conditions.
1. To make use of an environmentally friendly refrigeration system.
2. To investigate the cost and effectiveness of the design or TE module.
3. To identify the improvements on the experiment.
4. To study the results coming out from this project.
5. To compare results with theoretical results.
6. To look at commercially available 12VDC cooler boxes.
7. To construct a test on the behaviour and specifications of a TEC heat exchanger
operating in a refrigerator
1.3 Methodology
This study involved modelling, constructing and testing of a Peltier thermoelectric

cooler. A mini thermoelectric cooler body was constructed with Wooden box. The
Peltier thermoelectric module consisted of a Peltier thermoelectric cell (TEC);

Water cooling block located at the centre of the upper side of the cooler box. The
installation started with the thermoelectric module followed with the installation of
a water-cooling block. Water cooling block causes the cooling of the box by
absorbing the heat from the hotter side of the Peltier. Coolant is circulated through
the water-cooling box which absorbs the heat from Peltier. The coolant is now
circulated through a radiator which rejects the heat to the atmosphere and coolant
is circulated back and in this way the cycle continues. The module was prepared so
that the TEC was in the middle and parallel to the wall and the external water-
cooling block was exposed to the surroundings. The slotted area (the box wall
opening area) should be perfectly fit with the shape of the Peltier without any gap.
Some heat loss may occur during the cooling process due to the unfitted condition
of the slotted area with the assembly of cooling parts. Therefore, the slotted area
has been attached with a heavy-duty tape to prevent the cooling parts from moving
and for the gap insulation. The installation then continued with the wiring circuit to
the power source The system was powered by a power adapter of 12V and 6A. After
the power adapter switched on, the temperatures of internal space, Tint, and the
TEC surface temperatures, Th and Tc were measured. Since the experiment was
conducted in an open environment, the temperature of the ambient was also
recorded. The temperature measurements for both data were logged for every 20
minutes. To get a stable temperature reduction in the internal cooler box, the
experiment was conducted for four hours long.

2. Literature Review
● Georges Engelmann, Michael Laymen, Karl Oberdieck, Rik W. De Doncker of

Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives RWTH Aachen University
Aachen, Germany, wrote a research paper on “Peltier Module based Temperature
Control System for Power Semiconductor Characterization.”
In which they described that in the design or simulation phase of a power electronics converter,
it is, among others, necessary to have accurate power semiconductor loss models. Such models
can be extracted from datasheet values, but they do quite often not cover a wide variety of
parameters such as dc-link voltage, temperature or even gate resistance. Some parameters, such
as temperature or gate resistance, require additional hardware compared to setting a voltage or
current level. This work will present a temperature control system installed in the
aforementioned test bench which enables automated temperature adjustment of the device
under test (D.U.T.) by avoiding liquid-based cooling setups. Positive as well as negative
temperatures in the range of −40 ◦C to 200 ◦C are implemented.
A modular temperature control system based on Peltier modules for the temperature
control system of power semiconductor devices is presented in their work. This system can be
integrated into several types of existing test benches. In this work, the concept was validated
in a double pulse test bench for power semiconductor characterization. The design as well as
technical details have been presented and the concept was validated with experimental results.
The goal of achieving a temperature range of −40 ◦C to 200 ◦C could be verified.
● Hasan Çimen,Abdullah Cem Ağaçayak,Süleyman Neşeli,Gökhan Yalçın of

University of Selçuk Konya, Turkey in their paper did a Comparison of Two Different
Peltiers Running as Thermoelectric Generator at Different Temperatures
Nowadays the peltier is used to cool the small device cooler when we apply DC voltage to its
terminals. Instead of applying a DC voltage to the terminals, the peltier runs as a thermoelectric
generator and we get DC voltages at its terminals, which create a temperature difference
between the two surfaces of the ceramic. In this way, electricity can be obtained directly from
the heat flow by utilizing the waste heat of the resources we use that are stored around. In this
study, copper material with high conduction of heat is preferred and two different
thermoelectric modules are placed between the two plates which we traverse hot and cold
water. These thermoelectric modules run as thermoelectric generators to compare current,
voltage and power generation with different temperatures.
When we look at the performance characteristics of TEMs, it is seen that TEC1-12710 TEM
has more work current and power.There is a 1 W difference between the two modules at the
end of the experiment. For the purpose of the experiment, a great majority of the geothermal
energy source temperatures in Turkey is below 100 0C. The TEC1-12706 TEMs which we
have used in the experiment have been found suitable for use in geothermal sources with

temperatures in the range of 50-70 0C and below in Turkey. TEC1-12710 Thermoelectric

modules have been found to be more efficient when these temperatures are exceeded.
● Toshio Kawahara, Tomohiro Fujii, Masahiko Emoto and their team

Conducted research on the topic “Double Peltier Current Lead for Heat Leak
Reduction at the Terminals for Superconducting Direct Current Applications”.
For superconducting direct current applications, heat leak reduction at the terminal is a key
issue for high performance systems and especially for small ones such as the distribution in
internet data centers.They proposed a double Peltier current lead(PCL), where the suitable
combination of two Peltier modules can enhance the performance of PCL. Using the model
parameters of actual thermoelectric materials, they estimated the heat leak on PCL using a
thermal balance equation. At the double PCL, the large temperature difference on the current
lead can be split to two thermoelectric materials and then the performance of PCL can be
enhanced.As each of the thermoelectric materials has better working temperature range, an
optimized combination of shape factors can be used for the high performance current lead at
the terminals for superconducting application systems.using the best combination of
thermoelectric materials can be marginally useful in the minimization of heat leak. This
approach can also be used with high performance superconducting systems given the heat leak
reduction at the terminals.
● Swarrnna K Parthasarathy, Khondker Z Ahmed, Borislav Alexandrov, Satish

Kumar of Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA in their paper analyse
an Energy Efficient Active Cooling of Integrated Circuits Using Autonomous Peltier.
Their paper presents a closed loop control system that dynamically switches a TE module
between Peltier and Seebeck modes depending on chip temperature. The autonomous system
harvests energy during regular operation and uses the harvested energy to cool during high
power operation. The system is demonstrated using a commercial thin-film TE device, an
integrated boost regulator and few off chip components. The feasibility of the integration of
the TEM and the automated mode switching within the microprocessor package is also
evaluated.The control principle is verified experimentally using an external TEM module and
through simulation considering a super-lattice TEC integrated inside a package. The analysis
shows that the proposed automated mode switching can help reduce the total cooling energy
for a target regulation period. The potential of self-sustained cooling, i.e., regulation of the
temperature with zero additional cooling energy is demonstrated.
● Philip Yu. Takhistov of Foundation “FRETE”, St. Petersburg, Russia

in his paper analysed the Use of Thermoelectric Modules for Heat Exchange
Intensification.
Thermoelectric modules (TEM) are widely used for cooling of different electronic devices, i.
e. computer processors. Application of thermoelectric modules allows us to obtain additional
drop of object temperature. Effectiveness of the computer processor cooling system with Peltier

modules depends on various factors - heat released by the processor, type of thermoelectric
module, thermal resistance of the cooler, power supply parameters and so on. Regarding these
factors recommendations on choosing and applying modules for Computer processor cooling
are given.Heat exchange intensification regime regarding computer processor cooling is
characterized by higher values of COP compared to COP of usual thermoelectric cooling
systems.
● Borislav Alexandrov, Khondker Z. Ahmed, and Saibal Mukhopadhyay of Georgia

Institute of Technology Atlanta, GA USA have presented a methodology for An On-
Chip Autonomous Thermoelectric Energy Management System for Energy-Efficient
Active Cooling in their research paper.
Embedding a TE module (TEM) within the package has shown potential for on-demand
cooling of integrated circuits (ICs); however, the additional cooling energy limits the
effectiveness of TE coolers (TEC). The proposed on-chip system monitors the IC temperature
and provides cooling during critical thermal events by operating the TEM in the Peltier mode.
During normal operation, the TEM is operated in the Seebeck mode to harvest the otherwise
wasted heat energy generated by the IC and reduce the net cooling energy. A boost regulator
harvests energy in an output capacitor and a programmable current source controls the cooling.
The design is implemented in a 130nm CMOS test-chip, and tested with an external
thermoelectric device.They have presented the design of an autonomous system that is able to
use a single TEM for cooling as well as harvesting energy.Their system is able to harvest
energy and store it in an output capacitor, and when cooling is required draw energy from the
output capacitor.The integration of the proposed system in microprocessor packages with
embedded thermoelectric modules can improve the energy-efficiency of on-demand active
cooling.
● Pavel Kubina, Marek Penhaker VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, FE! Ostrava,

Czech Republic wrote a research paper on “Thermal Management with Peltier Module”
The paper describes the theoretical and practical information of the thermoelectric Peltier
modules. The aim of this work is to design a thermoelectric cooling unit. Mobile cooling unit
is intended to transport blood and blood platelets. Both materials have different storage
temperatures. A Mobile cooling unit ensures the constant temperature by way of a
thermoelectric module in case the power supply is available. Temperature is not kept but only
checked and displayed in case of unplug power supply presented. Thermoelectric refrigeration
is a highly reliable and practical cooling when the heat loads are less then 25 W. Described
thermoelectric system is intended for temperature controlled transport box with capacity 18 I.
TE system is able to cool the interior in 20 minutes up to +2 °C at ambient temperature of
environment 20 °C. The isolation quality of portable box significantly affects the cooling rate.
Using isolation with the lowest thermal coefficient minimizes thermal leakage through the
box's wall. It is essential to find an optimum between used TE modules and heats sinks during
the design. Efficiency of the heatsink significantly influences the achievable temperature

differential across the thermoelectric heat pump. Liquid cooled heat exchangers are more
difficult to implement, but provide the greatest efficiency for the heat dissipation.
● K. Domke & P. Skrzypczak Poznań University of Technology, Institute of Electrical

Engineering and Electronics, Poland wrote a research paper on “Peltier modules in
cooling systems for electronic components”
Currently used electronic components (LED, processors, CCD matrices) are distinct for their
increasingly dense packing of active elements and, consequently, higher heat loss power per a
single element. The arising thermal barrier restricts the functionality and further development
of components in their present-day form. Cooling systems (natural or forced types, including
water cooling systems) sometimes fail to come up to the required standard. The paper discusses
a concept whereby the operation of standard cooling systems is supported by incorporation of
Peltier elements. A heat flow analysis is presented for systems containing: an electronic
element – Peltier element – radiator, complete with a study of cooling efficiency and elements
facilitating the process of design of such combined systems. Also, experimental data from tests
examining the process of cooling in sample systems will be provided.Results obtained in the
study show that Peltier modules can be successfully applied in cooling systems of selected
electronic components. Particularly suited are LEDs whose operating parameters deteriorate
along with rising temperatures. Both simulations and experimental tests have demonstrated that
Peltier module parameters for cooling systems require precise adjustment. An appropriate
selection of parameters can produce a substantial reduction of temperature of the electronic
element. In contrast, incorrectly selected parameters result in impaired heat dissipation and,
consequently, increase the temperature of the electronic element. To ensure optimum selection,
geometrical dimensions of the Peltier module should also be adjusted to the dimensions of the
cooled element (LED), while the module’s maximum refrigeration power and operating point
must be appropriate for the thermal power carried away from the element, with due account
taken of the potential for heat dissipation into the environment by the radiator. A comparison
of the results of simulations and measurements performed in a test stand confirms that the
assumed thermal model of the system is correct and, therefore, can be used as an alternative to
the actual test stand for the determination of cooling system parameters.
● Kaloyan Ivanov, Ivaylo Belovski, Anatoliy Aleksandrov Department of Electronics

and Electrical Engineering Prof. Assen Zlatarov University wrote a research paper on
“Research and Analysis of the Electromotive Voltage Generated by Seebeck and Peltier
Modules”
Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) can certainly be classified as sources of green energy.

Thermoelectric generation utilizing thermal energy from various natural and industrial sources
can supply power to low consumption devices and almost fully replace batteries as energy
source. The aim of the present work is to investigate and compare the output characteristics of
Seebeck and Peltier modules through the utilization of comparatively low temperatures up to
100 °C. It can be concluded from the experimental results that this particular Peltier module
generates two times higher electric power than the Seebeck module which is due to the bigger

cross-section area of the thermocouple branches from which it is built. At relatively lower
temperatures around 100 °C, it is economically more profitable to use Peltier modules as
generators. If temperature higher than the allowable one is applied then the solders between
thermocouple branches liquefy which damages the module. It can be concluded from the
experimental studies also that modules with greater number of thermocouples generate higher
output voltage and smaller output current. Vice versa, modules with a smaller number of
thermocouples but with a higher branch cross-section generate higher output current.
Therefore, what is of crucial importance for the manufacturing of a thermoelectric generator
for a particular purpose is the ratio between the density and the cross-section of the
semiconductor thermocouples from which the generator is composed.
● Kamil Bojdo,piotr WALĄG University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza Av.

21, 31-120 Krakow, Poland, wrote a research paper on “Efficiency of A Microcooler
Prototype Based on Peltier Module”
The aim of the research in this paper is to analyse how to achieve the highest possible COP by
using a Peltier module. In order to optimize the performance of the cooling system, reference
was made to COP values having qualitative characteristics, hence this coefficient is the main
criterion for determining performance levels in cooling systems. The operating parameters
which influence the COP of a cooling system are mainly the power (voltage and current)
consumed by the Peltier element and the fans, and the ambient temperature. On the basis of the
analysis of the results from the conducted research, it is justified to state that in the Peltier
module there is a significant heating of all heat dissipating components in the flat heat sink
system (these are the limited possibilities of this type of cell cooling design). Therefore, in
order to achieve the highest possible coefficient of cooling efficiency (COP) of the system,
other solutions of heat extraction from Peltier modules should be tested and heat losses
connected with the insulation of the cooling chamber should be reduced. On the other hand,
since the research carried out has shown that the Peltier modules achieve the best cooling
capacity for low operating parameters, it is recommended to oversize the cooling unit. In order
to achieve the highest possible coefficient of cooling capacity of the system, it would be
necessary to study other solutions for the collection of heat from the Peltier Modules, as well
as to reduce the heat loss associated with the insulation of the cold room. However, the tests
carried out have shown that the Peltier modules achieve the best cooling capacity for low
operating parameters (current:0.5 A, voltage:5.7 V), hence it is recommended to oversize the
cooling unit. A limitation in continuing to lower the temperature was the formation of frost on
the surface of the heat sinks inside the cooler. In order to achieve lower temperatures, a control
system should be used that allows frosting by changing the polarity of the power source.
● Mr. Ayush Singh1 , Dr. Anshuman Tyagi2 , Brijesh Kumar Dubey, Department of
Electrical and Electronics Engineering, PSIT, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh wrote a research
paper on “Air Conditioner using Peltier Module”
To achieve the desired amount of cooling, an air conditioner using Peltier modules is designed.
The appearance of this thermoelectric type of air conditioner is the same as conventional
window air conditioner. This brings simplicity in construction. The air conditioner is intended
to take up the cooling load in volume of space as in conventional automobiles like cars. If we
use a conventional vapour compression type of air conditioner which is currently used in
vehicles and is replaced with this one with an arrangement for its placement, it would reduce
the total weight of the vehicle which makes the fuel economical.conceptual design Peltier
module, a semiconductor based refrigerator resembling flat square plate, where heat is
absorbed from one side (cold side) and dissipated on the opposite side (hot side), with
consumption of electricity. This cooling is a solid state method of heat transfer generated using
P-type and N-type semiconductor, usually bismuth telluride. Peltier module consists of a
number of thermocouples sandwiched between two layers of ceramic substrates.
Thermocouples (thermoelectric legs/pellets) are electrically connected in series but thermally
in parallel. A single thermocouple consists of one n and one p- type semiconductor material
and is known as a thermo-element. One Peltier module consists of a number of such thermo
elements. Conceptual design and a different kind of construction of environment friendly,
portable Peltier air conditioners are elaborated. An arrangement for fresh air entry could be
made by providing another inlet communicating outside the atmosphere to the air duct with
adjustable dampers to control the required amount of fresh air. This whole unit with casing
could be installed on a window with a hot side facing outside of room for heat dissipation. This
unit could be attached on a wall with some arrangement of heat dissipation to the outside of
the room. This air conditioner could be coupled (provided the required electric power) with
solar photoelectric panels, generating electricity from solar energy.
● Sumit Kumar and Dhaneshwar Mahto wrote a research paper on “Thermal Analysis
and Performance Evaluation of Peltier Module”
Air condition industry affects the environment by using different refrigerants. It affects the
ozone layer. Refrigerants' effects on the environment are unpredictable. So, scientists and
researchers are looking for an environmentally friendly air conditioning system. In the concern
of environment cooling using Peltier effect are viable. The Peltier element directly produced a
cooling effect by using electrical energy. This system does not use any refrigerant so it is an
eco-friendly system. Advantages of thermoelectric cooling systems are, compact in size,
requiring less space, less weight, high reliability, the absence of moving parts and no working
fluids are required. It also possesses the advantage that it can be run by Direct Current (DC)
which can be run by solar energy (Photovoltaic cells). In the present scenario, thermoelectric
technology is utilized in the spaces which require a precise temperature control. Despite many
advantages, the Peltier element has only a very small market share in the field of refrigeration
because of low efficiency and high material cost. In the present work thermal and performance
evaluation of 191 W Peltier modules has been carried out. It is found that at a certain current
strength the cooling capacity stops increasing and decreases instead. Also, heating output
increases parabolically and never reaches zero for the positive value of ‘I’ In the present work
Peltier element module of 191 W capacities is experimentally investigated and found the
followings: • Cooling capacity decreases after reaching threshold voltage. • COP is 0.32 at the
threshold voltage of 13 V. • The Peltier element gives high performance at low voltage.

● Cassandra Beck Joshua DiMaggio Ryan Gelinas Zachary Wilson wrote a research
paper on “ Portable Thermoelectric Refrigerator”
This project created a versatile thermoelectric refrigerator that can be used via a wall outlet.
The product is durable and effective. The refrigerator is functional in any ambient temperature,
and uses thermoelectric cooling, and works from a standard 120V power outlet. By
understanding existing products’ limitations and strengths, this project produced a product that
outperforms what’s currently on the market. Many of the existing products’ operating
temperature is dependent on the ambient temperature of the surroundings, which is a large
drawback. Additionally, most of them take a long time to reach their lowest temperature,
around 3 hours. One team member, Josh DiMaggio, did research with the Cal Poly Physics
department over the Summer of 2017 on the effectiveness of Peltier devices in refrigeration.
Josh discovered that when Peltiers are thermally in series they can create a much larger
temperature difference. A Peltier is a thermoelectric cooling device, therefore satisfying the
design requirement. Key design challenges included the following: heat transfer through the
insulation, power draw, thermodynamic efficiency, structure strength, intuitive interface, along
with other crucial factors. Following design, the refrigerator was built, tested, and the
preliminary analysis was validated against the test results. There are plenty of existing patents
regarding thermoelectric cooling, but only a few like what this project achieved. The final
design is presented in this document. The purpose of this document is to outline the work done
to create a versatile thermoelectric refrigerator. By disassembling and working to understand
the limitations of existing products, a more robust and reliable product was designed. The final
product reached freezing temperatures after approximately an hour, outperforming all of the
tested competition. Research on existing patents utilizing Peltier devices has given us valuable
insight on what is currently possible utilizing these devices. Based on research and
communication with the customer, a list of customer needs and engineering specifications was
developed. The chosen design is explained in the above text and was presented to peers in a
Final Design Review presentation.
● Marc Hodes received the M.S. degree in mechanical engineering from the University
of Minnesota, Minneapolis , wrote a research paper on “Optimal Design of
Thermoelectric Refrigerators Embedded in a Thermal Resistance Network”
Thermoelectric refrigeration offers advantages (e.g., no moving parts) over other refrigeration
technologies. However, because maximum performance (i.e., heat load for a specified
temperature drop below ambient temperature or vice versa) and efficiency (i.e., coefficient of
performance) are relatively low, it is important to realize them. It is shown that the cross-
sectional area of the semiconductor pellets in a thermoelectric module (TEM) operating in
refrigeration mode does not affect its performance or efficiency, but may be sized to tune its
operating current and voltage. Then, a procedure is provided to determine the height of the
pellets which maximizes performance. Next, it is shown that a range of pellet heights
accommodates a specified performance below the maximum one and a procedure is provided
to compute that corresponding to maximum efficiency. A thermal resistance boundary

condition is applied between the interface in a TEM where Peltier cooling occurs and the
control point where it maintains the temperature of a component or medium below ambient
temperature. Thermal resistance boundary conditions are also applied between the control point
and its local ambient and the interface in a TEM where Peltier heating occurs and its local
ambient. The analysis is generalized by using flux-based quantities where applicable and it
accounts for the electrical contact resistance at the interconnects in a TEM. Implementation of
the optimization procedures are illustrated and the ramifications of the results are discussed.
Basing the analysis on a flux rather than rate basis with respect to key parameters generalizes
the results. A means to compute the value of the thermal resistance between the interface in a
TEM where Peltier heating occurs and the ambient for a specified electrical contact resistance
at TEM interconnects beyond which diminishing increases in performance or efficiency are
exhibited has been provided.
● John C. Bass, Daniel T. Allen, Saeid Ghamaty, and Norbert B. Elsner Hi-Z
Technology wrote a research paper on “New Technology for Thermoelectric Cooling”
Thermoelectric coolers in use today have a coefficient of performance (COP) of only about
0.5. This compares to COPs of larger scale machines, such as air conditioners and refrigerators
at levels of 3.0 to 5.0. For electronic component cooling there is a new thermoelectric
technology emerging for improved efficiency. This paper discusses this new technology which
is multi-layer quantum well (MLQW) thermoelectrics, that should increase by four or five
times the COP of present thermoelectric coolers used in electronic cooling applications. It also
details and updates the experimental work in MLQW thermoelectric materials and will detail
the supporting analysis of the predicted higher performance cooling. A specific example of an
electronic cooling module configuration is presented For electronics cooling, which is the
subject of this paper, the application is usually more of heat pumping duty, rather than cooling
below ambient. The objective is to keep the electronic component at or below a limiting
temperature, which is usually above standard ambient, and which can be as high as 100°C for
some components. The heat is then “pumped’ to a higher temperature and rejected. MLQW
coolers, which are currently in the development stage, present the possibility of actually cooling
the electronic component to a temperature below ambient that can result in increased CPU
speed
● Tatsuya Kobari a , Junnosuke Okajima b , Atsuki Komiya b , Shigenao Maruyama

b wrote a research paper on “Development of guarded hot plate apparatus utilizing
Peltier module for precise thermal conductivity measurement of insulation materials”
In this paper, a guarded hot plate (GHP) apparatus utilizing a Peltier module is proposed and
developed to precisely measure the thermal conductivity of insulation material. The Peltier
module is used to detect a temperature difference with high sensitivity and to precisely measure
heat flux. To develop the GHP apparatus, a two-dimensional axisymmetric heat conduction
analysis and calibration experiments of thermistors and Peltier module were conducted. In
addition, to assess the reliability of the developed apparatus, thermal conductivity
measurements for a high-density glass wool and vacuum insulation panel (VIP) were
conducted. Based on the results, the expanded uncertainties of the measurements were

estimated. Therefore, the apparatus was found to be reliable for conducting precise thermal
conductivity measurements not only for conventional insulation materials but also for a VIP.
In this study, a GHP apparatus that used a Peltier module was proposed for the purpose of
precisely measuring the thermal conductivity of insulation materials. A 2-D axisymmetric heat
conduction analysis and calibration experiment for a thermistor and Peltier module were
conducted to develop the apparatus. To assess the reliability of the apparatus, the thermal
conductivities of a high-density glass wool as a reference insulation material and a VIP as a
current high-performance insulation material were measured. The expanded uncertainties were
estimated to discuss the precision. Based on the results, the following conclusions were
obtained.
(1) The Peltier module was sensitive enough to measure the temperature difference and
eliminate the heat loss between the main plate and guard plate. The use of the Peltier module
achieved a temperature difference at 0 K with the uncertainty of ±20 lK.
(2) The precision of the measurements by the apparatus was estimated. The expanded
uncertainty of the thermal conductivity measurements was less than 4.79%. In particular, the
expanded uncertainty for the thermal resistance measurement was 0.54%.
(3) The present GHP apparatus is available for the precise thermal conductivity measurement
of a VIP. In addition, the apparatus makes it possible to observe the temperature dependence
of the thermal conductivity of a VIP in detail.
(4) The contributions of the heat conduction and radiative heat transfer in the VIP were
quantitatively estimated. For example, the solid thermal conductivity and radiative thermal
conductivity respectively accounted for 78% and 22% of the effective thermal conductivity of
the VIP at 20C

3. Design of Proposed Work

3.1. Study of Alternative Mechanisms for Product and Selecting proper
Mechanism
1) After Researching and Brainstorming various sorting principles we ended up selecting the
most feasible, simple and best among all.
2) So, we decide to do our project on Mini Refrigerator based on Peltier module.
3) with help of Peltier module, it will be easy to carry on road trip and also it can be use by
student in their hostel
4) but issue of pettier is that there should be proper cooling to make the cooling efficient for
the we have use radiator with coolant flowing through it and other mechanisms to maintain the
temperature

3.2. Individual components Descriptions
Thermo Peltier Module
In 1834, thermoelectric based on Peltier Effect was discovered by Jean Peltier, in which the
direct current (DC current) applied across two dissimilar materials causes a temperature
difference. It is found that when current flows across the intersection between two different
wires, heat must be consistently added or subtracted to maintain the temperature. Peltier Effect
is one of three effects that are categorized in the thermoelectric system, where are Seedback
Effect and Thomson Effect.
Thermoelectric modules use the variations in the energy levels of electrons to provide heat
transfer. The energy is carried by the current between low energy level P-type semiconductors
and high energy level N-type semiconductors from the cold surface to the hot surface. The
Peltier model is made of a serial connection of P-type and N-type elements. The Peltier effect
is produced when electric current flows through two different types of semiconductor metals.
The current starts to transfer heat from one side to another. The cold side of the Peltier module
can be used as a cooler while the other side will continuously heat [2]. It is essential to cool the
hot side to avoid the risk of damaging itself. Therefore, the Peltier must be combined with a
cooler such as heat sink or water cooling to dissipate the heat of the hot side for effective
operation. Figure 1 shows an example of a Peltier thermoelectric cell that consists of ceramic
plates (cold and hot side) and the inner components such as P-type and N-type Peltier
thermoelement.

Figure 1 Peltier Module
Figure 2 demonstrates the heat that has been absorbed from the cold side and rejected to the
hot side of the thermoelectric cooler is connected to a power source.

There is numerous equipment utilizing thermoelectric coolers that require heat removal from
milliwatts to kilowatts. As the thermoelectric module is small and lightweight, the
thermoelectric cooler also has been applied as part of outdoors, portable coolers, and cooling
electronic components. The thermoelectric cooler also has been widely used with the increasing
demand for computer components, mobile components, refrigeration and cooling systems. The
thermoelectric coolers likewise can cool computer systems to maintain their permissible
temperature limit. There were several cooling systems developed to cool computer components
such as CPU, chipset and other parts in order to shield them from overheating [4].
Thermoelectric cooling has been used due to its specialised; very light and minimal size, quiet
and vibration free operation, without long-term maintenance and operation with DC current.
Indeed, thermoelectric modules have been available for many years and their cost has
decreased over time. Moreover, thermoelectric cooling could provide efficient heat transfer
and dissipation with better temperature control capacity for electronic devices.
A thermoelectric cooler (TECs) can pump heat from a low-temperature heat source to a high
temperature using the Peltier Effect. Therefore, the TECs have been utilized for temperature
controlling, cooling, and refrigeration purposes [5].
Furthermore, the Peltier cooler was used as a passive component for a cooling plate. For
example, the Peltier device was used to heat and cool an alumina block which has high thermal
conductivity and low electrical conductivity. Therefore, the presence of the Peltier device helps
them in controlling the high-performance capillary electrophoresis (HPCE) in dissipating the
heat produced. The heat dissipation characteristics then compared with natural convection and
fan cooling forced convection [1]. The thermoelectric device function was to minimize the
change in column resistance with the applied electric field by minimizing any change in the
outside capillary wall temperature. The generated heat must be removed rapidly from the
outside surface of the capillary. Ohm's law relationship is used to describe the distinctive
techniques for cooling by examining the reliance of current on the connected field.
The Peltier cell can also control the temperature of passive components by exchanging heat
from a cooling plate to the flowing air. The passive components including capacitors,

transformer and coils generate heat and are cooled with a forced circulation cooling system.
The cooling liquid collects heat from the components and transfers to an aluminium cooling
plate. The Peltier cell fixed to the cold plate surface will remove the heat to the incoming
flowing air [6].
The performance of the Photovoltaic system was proven to be improved by using the
thermoelectric cell (TEC) [7]. The TEC cooler was integrated to form a PV-TEC hybrid
system. TEC played a leading role in the PV-TEC system by reducing PV cell temperature,
increasing system productivity, boosting power capacity and prolonging life. The technical
efficacy of a hybrid PV-TEC solution existed when the power output from the system with the
TEC was observed to be higher than the power output without the TEC system. Therefore, it
was concluded that the efficiency of the PV system can be enhanced by inserting the TEC
device at the back of the PV module, thereby reducing the PV cell temperature thus increasing
the efficiency and power capacity of the overall PV system.
The thermoelectric refrigerator could also be integrated to cool a building space. It can be an
alternative choice for conventional vapour compression (CVC) cooling systems, as it does not
use any coolant, silent and compact tools. A modified pulse operation of the TEC was designed
to cool the building space. In the cooler pulse operation, a single pulse was given as an input,
but in a modified pulse operation, the thermal side heat transfer coefficient also pulsed along
with the current pulse [9]. In the automotive industry, one of the key targets is to provide
comfortable cabins by providing occupants with direct transmission of airflow control.
Researchers had discussed the optimum design for thermoelectric car seat temperature control
system (CSCC) to achieve better system efficiency [10]. The configuration of an air-to-air heat
exchanger was taken into account for investigating CSCC's optimum design. This CSCC
cooling system had shown a reduction in fuel consumption by about 0.5%. The Peltier effect
creates a temperature difference between the two TEC surfaces by flowing electricity inside
the cell. This produces cooling and heating modes on their surfaces. These modes can be
changed by reversing the current direction used. The TEC surfaces have both high temperature
and low temperature and can transform the device to function as a cooler in the summer and a
heater in the winter.

TEC1-12706 is a common thermoelectric cooler chip available. TEC1-12706, the letter C after
TE indicates ‘standard size,’ and 1 indicates ‘one-stage’ TEC. Right next comes a dash. After
the dash, the first three digits indicate the number of thermocouples inside the TEC. Here, it
has 127 couples. Next two numbers indicate the operating current rating for the Peltier. So, 06
denotes ‘6 amperes. ‘A Peltier cooler is a cooler engine comprising a Peltier element
(TEC chip). When a direct current is passed through a TEC chip, the low-temperature
side absorbs heat and the high-temperature side emits heat, creating a temperature
difference across the two surfaces. However, since the heat emitted is more reactive to
the amount of electricity input into the module than the heat absorbed, if a direct current
is continuously passed through the chip the emitted heat exceeds the absorbed heat and
both sides of the unit become hot. Because of this, it is crucial to connect the TEC chip
to a radiator such as aluminium fins or water-cooling block to efficiently disperse the
emitted heat.

Water Cooling Block
A water block is the water-cooling equivalent of a heatsink. It is a type of plate heat exchanger.
It consists of at least two main parts; the "base”, which is the area that makes contact with the
device being cooled and is usually manufactured from metals with high thermal conductivity
such as aluminium or copper. The second part, the "top" ensures the water is contained safely
inside the water block and has connections that allow housing to connect it with the water-
cooling loop. The top can be made of the same metal as the base, transparent Perspex, Delrin,
Nylon, or HDPE. Newer high-end water blocks also contain mid-plates which serve to add jet
tubes, nozzles, and other flow altering devices. The base, top, and mid-plate(s) are sealed
together to form a "block" with some sort of path for water to flow through. The ends of the
path have inlet/outlet connectors for the tubing that connects it to the rest of the water-cooling
system. Early designs included spiral, zig-zag pattern or heatsink like fins to allow the largest
possible surface area for heat to transfer from the device being cooled to the water. These
designs generally were used because the conjecture was that maximum flow was required for
high performance. Trial and error and the evolution of water block design has shown that
trading flow for turbulence can often improve performance. The Storm series of water blocks
is an example of this. Its jet tube mid plate and cupped base design makes it more restrictive to
the flow of water than early maze designs but the increased turbulence results in a large increase
in performance. Newer designs include "pin" style blocks, "jet cup" blocks, further refined
maze designs, micro-fin designs, and variations on these designs.

Figure 4 Water cooling block (Model)
A water block is better at dissipating heat than an air-cooled heatsink due to water's higher
specific heat capacity and thermal conductivity. They are often 4-5 times more efficient
compared to a standard air-cooled heat sink and fan. The principle is simple: you provide a
source of cool liquid (typically water, or ethylene glycol/water, or Fluor inert) to the inlet of
the water block. The liquid travels back and forth through the various chambers of the water
block thereby absorbing the heat from the TECs. The warmer liquid then exits the water block.
The water is usually pumped through to a radiator which allows a fan pushing air through it to
take the heat created from the device and expel it into the air.

Temperature controller
A temperature controller is a device that is used to control temperature. It does this by first
measuring the temperature (process variable), it then compares it to the desired value (set
value). The difference between these values is known as the error (Deviation). Temperature
controllers use this error to decide how much heating or cooling is required to bring the process
temperature back to the desired value. Once this calculation is complete the controller will
produce an output signal that affects the change required. This output signal is known as the
(manipulated value) and is connected to a TECs which actually removes heat from the process.
The role of the temperature controller is to measure the temperature on the thermocouple,
compare it to the set point and to calculate the amount of time the thermo Peltier should remain
switched on to maintain a constant temperature.
Many factors change the amount of time that the Peltier needs to be on, to maintain the process
temperature. For example, the size of the Peltier, the size of the refrigerator box, the amount of
insulation surrounding the refrigerator box and the ambient temperature will all change the rate
at which the refrigerator box will heat up or cool down. Other factors such as the circulation of
air within the refrigerator box, the humidity of the air. The mass of product being placed inside
the refrigerator box and many more.
Figure 5. Temperature Controller

Switching mode power supply (SMPS)
SMPS is the abbreviation of switching mode power supply, a kind of high-frequency power
conversion device and a power supply device. Its function is to convert a level of voltage to the
voltage or current required by the client through different forms of architecture. The input of
switching power supply is mostly AC power supply or DC power supply, while the output is
mostly equipment that needs DC power supplies, and switching power supply is used to convert
voltage and current between them. The main circuit of switch mode power supply is composed
of input EMI filter, rectifier filter circuit, power conversion circuit and PWM controller circuit,
output rectifier filter circuit. The auxiliary circuits include the input & output undervoltage
protection circuit, the output overcurrent protection circuit, the output short circuit protection
circuit and so on.
Unlike a linear power supply, the pass transistor of a switching-mode supply continually
switches between low-dissipation, full-on and full-off states, and spends very little time in the
high dissipation transitions, which minimizes wasted energy. A hypothetical ideal switched-
mode power supply dissipates no power. Voltage regulation is achieved by varying the ratio of
on-to-off time (also known as duty cycles). In contrast, a linear power supply regulates the
output voltage by continually dissipating power in the pass transistor. This higher power
conversion efficiency is an important advantage of a switched-mode power supply.

Switched-mode power supplies can also be substantially smaller and lighter than a linear supply
because the transformer can be much smaller. This is because it operates on the switching
frequency which ranges from several hundred kHz to several MHz in contrast to the 50-60Hz
which is typical for the mains AC frequency. Despite the reduction in size, the power supply
topology itself and the requirement for electromagnetic interference (EMI) suppression in
commercial designs result in a usually much greater component count and corresponding
circuit complexity.
Switching regulators are used as replacements for linear regulators when higher efficiency,
smaller size or lighter weight are required. They are, however, more complicated; switching
currents can cause electrical noise problems if not carefully suppressed, and simple designs
may have a poor power factor.
The assembled cooler engine (thermoelectric cooler chip, water cooling block, motor and
cooling fan, all assembled) can be powered from a 12V, 6A+ switch-mode power supply
(SMPS) unit/module.
Figure 6. Switching mode power supply(SMPS) (Model)

DC Motor Pump
DC Powered Pumps use direct current from motor or solar power to move fluid in a variety of
ways. Motorized pumps operate on 6, 12, 24, or 32 volts of DC power and use hand-operated,
electric, pneumatic, or hydraulic motors. Solar-powered DC pumps use photovoltaic (PV)
panels with solar cells that produce direct current when exposed to sunlight. Many DC powered
pumps use centrifugal force or positive displacement to move fluids. Centrifugal pumps apply
centrifugal force to generate velocity, use rotating impellers to increase velocity, and push
fluids through an outlet valve. Positive displacement pumps use rollers, gears, or impellers to
move fluid into a fixed cavity so that when liquid exists, the vacuum that is created draws in
more fluid. Diaphragm pumps are the most commonly used positive displacement pumps .
Figure 7. DC Motor Pump

Radiator
Radiators are heat exchangers used to transfer thermal energy from one medium to another for
the purpose of cooling and heating. Despite the name, most radiators transfer the bulk of their
heat via convection. The coolant is passed through the water block, where it absorbs heat from
the Peltier. The hot coolant is then fed into the inlet tank of the radiator (located either on the
top of the radiator, or along one side), from which it is distributed across the radiator core
through tubes to another tank on the opposite end of the radiator. As the coolant passes through
the radiator tubes on its way to the opposite tank, it transfers much of its heat to the tubes
which, in turn, transfer the heat to the fins that are lodged between each row of tubes. The fins
then release the heat to the ambient air. Fins are used to greatly increase the contact surface of
the tubes to the air, thus increasing the exchange efficiency. The cooled liquid is fed back to
the water block and the cycle repeats.
Figure 8 Radiator
Fans

An Exhaust fan is used to increase heat loss from coolant passing through radiator to
atmosphere thereby it increases efficiency A fan consists of a rotating arrangement of vanes or
blades, generally made of plastic which act on the air. The rotating assembly of blades and hub
is known as an impeller, rotor, or runner. Usually, it is contained within some form of housing,
or case. This may direct the airflow, or increase safety by preventing objects from contacting
the fan blades. Fans are powered by an electric motor which is powered by SMPS.
Figure 9. FANS

3.3. Components
FABRICATION:
Components used in fabrication of this project are:
Peltier Module.
Water cooling Block.
Pipes for coolant circulation.
Radiator
Cooling fans.
SMPS.
Aluminium sheet.
Dc motor.
Arduino board.
Connecting wires.
Ice box.
Thermal paste.
● An ice box of inner cabin volume of 12*9*8-inch cube, is slotted on the bottom face
with the reference of the measurement of Peltier modules(40*80mm).
● The bottom surface of the cabin is insulated completely using aluminium sheets
(0.1mm) so as to isolate the cooling cabin from the atmosphere.
● The thermo Peltier module is sandwiched between the aluminium sheet and water-
cooling block using thermal paste to set a single unit. Thermal paste plays a vital role
in conduction of heat from the Peltier module to the aluminium heatsinks. Silicone
sealant is applied on the edges of the aluminium plate to prevent heat losses.
● On the back side of the box a radiator is fitted and over the radiator three cooling fans
are placed, in radiator coolant is circulated which cools down the hot side of the Peltier.
And to further aid that process cooling fans are placed over the radiator.
● On the right side of the box a Peltier motor pump and an Arduino uno board is placed,
sumps supply power to Peltier, motor Arduino, cooling fans. Arduino helps to control
the running of the Peltier to save energy. Motor pump helps to circulate the coolant
throughout the system.
● The box opens on the top side.

Working
● After the construction is completed, the system is supplied with power from a 220v a.m.
source.
● The power is given to sumps from where it is supplied to the dc motor pump, cooling
fan, Arduino board and Peltier module.
● The coolant is circulated. Coolant goes from pump to water cooling block where it
absorbs heat from the hot side of the Peltier module and moves forward to the radiator.
● In radiator coolant is circulated, the radiator has 14 fins in total in which there are two
sections of 7 fins, for first 7 fins coolant flows right to left of fins and then for the last
7 it flows from left to right.
● Three cooling fans are attached over the radiator. The cooling fans aid the cooling of
coolant when it flows through the radiator. The 2 cooling fans are 12v, 0.6amp. And
the middle fan is 12v, 0.7amp. All run at 3000 rpm.
● The Arduino board is coded to save energy, it turns off the power supply to the Peltier
module for 2min. in 5 every 5 min. interval.
● The Peltier module on running creates the cooling effect inside the box and its
efficiency is studied by taking various readings under load and no-load conditions.
● Various coolants are circulated to find out which one works best in the above system.

3.5. Project Model Dimension and Complete Over View
Figure 10

Figure 11
Figure 12

Figure 13
Figure 14

4. Simulation work (Analytical)
Analysis
Part 1
Aim: Trial on Thermo Peltier Module.
Apparatus: 1. Peltier module 12 Volts and 6 Amp
2. SMPS: 12 Volts D.C
3. Water cooling block
4. Heat sink with D.C fan
5. Water pump
6. Water tube
7. Digital thermometer
Procedure: -
1. The Peltier module is connected to the SMPS 12 volts and 6 Amp output.
2. Initially the Peltier module’s hot side is placed on a heat sink and between them a
thermal paste is applied as shown in fig 1.
3. Then we run the system for 10 min and take the first reading, we repeat this procedure
and take simultaneous readings after 10 min. for table no.1.
4. Then we replaced the heat sink with a water-cooling block system. As shown in fig 2
5. After this we run the setup for 10 min and take readings as done above for table no. 2
Observations table:
Table no.1: Only with Heat Sink.

Initial Temperature: 32℃
Supply Time Temperature of cold side
12 Volts and 3 Amp 10 min 10℃
12 Volts and 3 Amp 10 min 9.5℃

Table no.2: With water cooling block System.
Supply Time Temperature of cold side

Conclusion: -
From this experiment we can conclude that the water-cooling block is more efficient in cooling
the hot side of the Peltier as compared to heat sink.
A Temperature difference of 6℃ to 7℃ can be noticed while using a heat sink and water-
cooling block.

Graphs on Heat Sink and Water-Cooling block with Three Different Coolant
Thermoelectric Peltier with Heat Sink

35
32
30
27.2
25
21.5
Temperature
20
16.1
15 12.9
9
10
0
0 2 4
MIn 6 8 10
Thermoelectric Peltier with water cooling block

35 32
30
25.6
25
Temperature
19.2
20
13.5
15
10 7.4
5 3
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
Min
temp Linear (temp)

TEMPERATURE COMPARISION OF HEAT SINK AND WATER

COOLING BLOCK
35
32
30
27.2
25.6
25
21.5
TEMPERATURE
19.2
20 HEAT SINK
16.1
13.5 WATER COOLING
15 12.9 BLOCK
Linear (HEAT SINK)
9
10 7.4 Linear (WATER
COOLING BLOCK)
5 3
0
0 2 4 6 8 10
MIN

Part 2
Aim: Evaluating coefficient of performance of TEC based refrigerator
Apparatus: 1. Peltier module 12 Volts and 6 Amp
2. SMPS: 12 Volts D.C
3. Water cooling block
4. Heat sink with D.C fan
5. Water pump
6. Water tube
7. Digital thermometer
Procedure: -
1. The assembly is made
2. Individual trials are conducted, by using 3 different coolants and their results are
recorded.
3. We calculated theoretical cop each time by running the system under no load condition
for all the coolants separately.
4. And then we calculated the actual cop by observing the temperature drop in 200ml of
water in fixed intervals of time.
Specifications of Peltier Module:
+ Maximum input current (𝐼max) = 6A

+ Maximum DC voltage (𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥) = 12V
+ Capacity of Peltier module (𝑄𝑚𝑎𝑥) = 72W
+ Maximum temperature difference (Δ𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥) = 66 ℃
Calculations:
Case 1: When water is used as a coolant.
(Readings after 15 min. of running)
Theoretical cop:
Cold side temperature of Peltier module (𝑇𝑐) = 5℃ = 278K
Hot side temperature of Peltier module (𝑇ℎ) = 34.6℃ = 307.6K
Room temperature = 32.4℃ = 305.4K

Seedback coefficient (𝛼𝑚) = 𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥/𝑇ℎ = 12/307.6= 0.0390 V/K

Electrical Resistance of Peltier Module(𝑅𝑚)= [(𝑇ℎ− Δ𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥)/𝑇ℎ] ∗(𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥/𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥) =
1.5708 Ω
Thermal conductance of Peltier module(𝐾𝑚) = [(𝑇ℎ− Δ𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥)/2Δ𝑇𝑚𝑎𝑥] ∗ [(𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥

∗𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥)/𝑇h] = 0.4284/K
Net Refrigerating Effect (NRE):

𝑄𝑐= (𝛼𝑚∗𝑇𝑐∗𝐼) −( 1/2∗𝐼2∗𝑅𝑚) − 𝐾𝑚∗(𝑇ℎ−𝑇𝑐)
= (0.0390*278*6)– (0.5*36*1.5708) – 0.4284*(307.6 – 278) = 24.0970 W.
Work Input:
W = 𝛼𝑚∗𝐼∗ (𝑇ℎ− 𝑇𝑐) + 𝐼2𝑅𝑚 = (0.0390*6*29.6) +( 36*1.5708) = 63.4752 W
● Theoretical COP = (Qc/W) = (24.0970/63.4752) = 0.38
Actual cop:
𝑅𝐸= 𝑚𝐶𝑝Δ𝑇/𝑡

Here,
mass(m) = 200 ml of water = 0.0002 m3
Specific heat constant of water (Cp) = 4.187 KJ/Kg-K
It = initial temperature of water
ΔT = (It - Ti+15) = (31.2 – 14.8) ⁰C = 16.4⁰C
Time(t) = 15 minutes
𝑅𝐸 = (0.2 𝑥 4.187 𝑥 16.4) / 15*60 = 0.0152 𝐾𝑊
● Actual COP = 𝑅𝐸/𝑊 = (0.0152*1000)/63.4752 = 0.24
Case 2: When coolant A is used.

Theoretical cop:
Cold side temperature of Peltier module (𝑇𝑐) = 3.5℃ = 276.5K
See beck coefficient (𝛼𝑚) = 𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥/𝑇ℎ = 12/305.6= 0.0392 V/K

1.5680 Ω


∗𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥)/𝑇h] = 0.4246/K

= (0.0392*276.5*6)– (0.5*36*1.5680) – 0.4246*(305.6 – 276.5) = 24.4530 W.
Work Input:
W = 𝛼𝑚∗𝐼∗ (𝑇ℎ− 𝑇𝑐) + 𝐼2𝑅𝑚 = (0.0392*6*29.1) +( 36*1.5680) = 63.2923 W
Actual cop:
Here,
ΔT = (It - Ti+15) = (30 – 13) ⁰C = 17⁰C
𝑅𝐸 = (0.2 𝑥 4.187 𝑥 17) / 15*60 = 0.0158 𝐾𝑊
● Actual COP = 𝑅𝐸/𝑊 = (0.0158*1000)/63.2923 = 0.25
Case 3: When coolant B is used.

Theoretical cop:
Cold side temperature of Peltier module (𝑇𝑐) = 2.9℃ = 275.9K

See beck coefficient (𝛼𝑚) = 𝑉𝑚𝑎𝑥/𝑇ℎ = 12/305.9= 0.0392 V/K

1.5684 Ω

∗𝐼𝑚𝑎𝑥)/𝑇h] = 0.4277/K

= (0.0392*275.9*6)– (0.5*36*1.5684) – 0.4277*(305.9 – 275.9) = 23.8294 W.
Work Input:
W = 𝛼𝑚∗𝐼∗ (𝑇ℎ− 𝑇𝑐) + 𝐼2𝑅𝑚 = (0.0392*6*30) +( 36*1.5684) = 63.5184 W
Actual cop:
Here,


ΔT = (It - Ti+15) = (31.2 – 12) ⁰C = 19.2⁰C
𝑅𝐸 = (0.2 𝑥 4.187 𝑥 19.2) / 15*60 = 0.0178 𝐾𝑊
● Actual COP = 𝑅𝐸/𝑊 = (0.0178*1000)/63.5184 = 0.28
Observations table:
When the system is run at no load condition(15min.)
Coolant Tc (℃) Th (℃) Room temp. (℃)
Water 5 34.6 32.4
Coolant A 3.5 32.6 31.2
Coolant B 2.9 32.9 32.6

When system is run by keeping 200ml of water inside
Coolant It (℃) Ti+15 min. (℃) temperature difference

obtained (℃)
Water 31.2 14.8 16.4
Coolant A 30 13 17
Coolant B 31.2 12 19.2
Theoretical and Actual reading calculated on the basis of above temperature readings
Coolant Theoretical COP Actual COP
1. Water 0.38 0.24
2. Coolant A 0.38 0.25
3. Coolant B .037 0.28
Conclusion: -
From the above calculations we can make the following conclusions
1. The difference between theoretical and actual value of COP represents various losses
such as Conclusion: - losses etc.
2. There is an increase in temperature drop when we use coolant instead of water as a
cooling liquid
3. There’s an increase in actual COP when we use coolant instead of water as a cooling
liquid.
4. On an average we are able to extract 65-70% of the theoretical COP.

Graphs on Temperature of Side of Peltier Module with Three Different Coolant
TEMPERATURE OF COLD SIDE

6
5
5
TEMPERATURE
4 3.5
2.9
3
0
Water PURE GO MECHANIC WATER PLUS GO MECHANIC
WITH RATIO OF 1/3
COOLANT
TEMPERATURE OF HOT SIDE

35
34.6
34.5
34
33.5
TEMPERATURE
33 32.9
32.6
32.5
32
31.5
31
WITH RATIO OF 1/3
COOLANT

COLD SIDE AND HOT SIDE TEMP COMPARISSION

40
34.6
35 32.6 32.9
30
TEMPERATURE
25
20
15
10
5
5 3.5 2.9
0
Water PURE GO MECHANIC WATER PLUS GO MECHANIC WITH
RATIO OF 1/3
COOLANT
Cold Side T(℃) Hot Side T(℃) Linear (Cold Side T(℃))

Graphs on COMPARISSION Between Coolant
WHEN 200ML WATER PLACED
TEMP AFTER 15 min.(℃)

16 14.8
14 13
12
12
TEMPERATURE
10
0
WITH RATIO OF 1/3
COOLANT
COP COMPARISSION
0.4 0.38 0.38 0.37
0.35
0.3 0.28
0.25
COP
0.24
0.25
0.2
0.15
0.1
0.05
0
WITH RATIO OF 1/3
COOLANT
Theoretical COP Actual COP Linear ( Actual COP)

5. CONCLUSION
Thermoelectric refrigerators are greatly needed, particularly for developing countries, where
long life, low maintenance and clean environment are needed. In this aspect thermo electrics
cannot be challenged in spite of the fact that it has some disadvantages like low coefficient of
performance and high cost. These contentious issues are the frontal factors hampering the
large-scale commercialization of thermoelectric cooling devices. The solution to above
problems can only be resolved with the development of new techniques. There is a lot of scope
for developing materials specifically suited for TE cooling purpose and these can greatly
improve the COP of these devices. Development of new methods to improve efficiency
catering to changes in the basic design of the thermoelectric set up like better heat transfer,
miniaturization etc. can give very effective enhancement in the overall performance of
thermoelectric refrigerators

6. FUTURE PLANS
This system can be further improved by installing thermo sensor which can be programmed
using Arduino board, to vary the power supply within specified range of temperature. Solar
power can be used as power source to the system as it is a renewable source of energy. This
immensely decreases the working cost of the refrigerator and burden on the earth.

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[10] Riley Hilliker, Jalen Mano, Isaac Blundell and Eltahry Elghandour, Design optimization of
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8749721d3480&acdnat=1520553729_6f55024b408845a812bf549799cbbfd8.
[14] “Types of Insulation.” Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy,
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polystyren-ethermal-conductivity

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Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune 2015 Course

A Project Stage-I Report on

Peltier Module Based Mini Refrigerator

Mr. Dharmadhikari Shubham Mahesh Exam. Seat No. 71911516H

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Sinhgad Technical Education Society’s

Mr. Viraat Narayan Agrawal Exam. Seat No. 71912016M

Prof. D.V.Burande Prof…………….

Prof. T. S. Sargar Dr. A.V. Deshpande

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Mr. Dharmadhikari Shubham Mahesh Sign.……………….

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

1.2 Objectives and Scope 3

3 Design of proposed work 11

3.1. Study of Alternative Mechanisms for Product and

3.2. Individual components Descriptions

Thermo Peltier Module

Water Cooling Block

Switching mode power supply(SMPS)

3.3 Construction and Working

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

4 Simulation work (Analytical/ Numerical/FEM/CFD) 31

4.1 Trial on Thermo Peltier Module.

4.2 Evaluating coefficient of performance of TEC based

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Figure 1-Thermoelectric Module ............................................................

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

1.1 Problem statement

1.2 Objectives and Scope

This study involved modelling, constructing and testing of a Peltier thermoelectric

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

● Georges Engelmann, Michael Laymen, Karl Oberdieck, Rik W. De Doncker of

● Hasan Çimen,Abdullah Cem Ağaçayak,Süleyman Neşeli,Gökhan Yalçın of

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

temperatures in the range of 50-70 0C and below in Turkey. TEC1-12710 Thermoelectric

● Toshio Kawahara, Tomohiro Fujii, Masahiko Emoto and their team

● Swarrnna K Parthasarathy, Khondker Z Ahmed, Borislav Alexandrov, Satish

● Philip Yu. Takhistov of Foundation “FRETE”, St. Petersburg, Russia

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

● Borislav Alexandrov, Khondker Z. Ahmed, and Saibal Mukhopadhyay of Georgia

● Pavel Kubina, Marek Penhaker VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, FE! Ostrava,

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

● K. Domke & P. Skrzypczak Poznań University of Technology, Institute of Electrical

● Kaloyan Ivanov, Ivaylo Belovski, Anatoliy Aleksandrov Department of Electronics

Thermoelectric modules (TEMs) can certainly be classified as sources of green energy.

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

● Kamil Bojdo,piotr WALĄG University of Agriculture in Krakow, Mickiewicza Av.

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

● Tatsuya Kobari a , Junnosuke Okajima b , Atsuki Komiya b , Shigenao Maruyama

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

3. Design of Proposed Work

Smt. Kashibai Navale College of Engineering, Pune B.E. (Mechanical Engineering)

3.1. Study of Alternative Mechanisms for Product and Selecting proper

most feasible, simple and best among all.