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Mk
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I have a peltier junction rated at 12V and when ran both sides become hot, what's wrong?
You need to strap a heat sink to it, otherwise there is nowhere for the heat on the hot side to go except over to the cold side. I bought one a couple of months ago to play with and I got two heat sinks with fans and rubber banded them together with the peltier in the middle.Mk said:I have a peltier junction rated at 12V and when ran both sides become hot, what's wrong?
Without a heat-sink, you'll need to be touching both sides the moment the power is applied to tell the difference. But it should work (with a heatsink) at 5V - I used a computer power supply to run mine for testing.Mk said:If I turn down the voltage, can I feel the coolness of one side?
Unless its marked, you have to turn it on to find out - and trust me, you'll know. It takes less than a second for it to cool 50+ degrees.How can you tell which side will be hot, and which will be cold?
Mk said:Is there a maximum heat output? Can I turn the voltage up past 12V?
A Peltier Junction is a small device that uses the Peltier effect to transfer heat from one side to another when an electric current is applied. It consists of two dissimilar conductors joined together, creating a thermoelectric circuit.
The Peltier effect occurs when an electric current is passed through two different conductors that are connected. This causes one side to become hot and the other to become cold, creating a temperature difference between the two sides.
A Peltier Junction can both heat and cool, but the direction of heat transfer depends on the direction of the electric current. When the current is reversed, the hot and cold sides of the junction switch places, causing it to cool instead of heat.
Peltier Junctions are commonly used in refrigeration and cooling systems, such as mini-fridges and wine coolers. They are also used in temperature control for electronic devices, medical equipment, and scientific instruments.
One drawback of Peltier Junctions is their low efficiency compared to other cooling methods. They also require a significant amount of power to operate, which can be a concern for portable devices. Additionally, they may be prone to failure over time due to the constant heating and cooling cycles.