Semiconductor refrigerator

Article By:

Heremans, Joseph Delphi Research Labs, Shelby Township, Michigan.

Last reviewed:2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.YB031545

Solid-state cooling modules based on the thermoelectric Peltier effect are used in some very small scale specialized applications such as cooling microprocessors, equipment in space satellites, or medical supplies in remote parts of the world. The cooling is produced at a junction of dissimilar conducting materials through which an electric current is passed, and as there are no moving parts the devices are vibration-free and reliable. Unfortunately, these modules are not nearly as efficient as vapor compression-expansion refrigerators, which are therefore preferred for nearly all cooling applications from domestic refrigerators and freezers to very large air-conditioning systems. New advanced materials having nanometer-scale internal structure may well improve Peltier modules and open the door to the universal use of thermoelectric cooling, free from gases which enhance the greenhouse effect if released into the atmosphere.

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