Design And Fabrication Of A Thermoelectric Refrigerating System

Abstract

Thermoelectric refrigeration has long been explored, but previous attempts to develop practical refrigerators were hindered by the lack of suitable thermocouple materials. In this project, semiconductor based thermoelectric modules are proposed, with selection criteria based on high mean atomic weights and thermoelectric power between 200 and 300 μV/°C. Advancements in thermoelectric technologies have led to the development of systems capable of both heating and cooling, with one prominent application being the portable preservation of insulin. In such systems, thermoelectric modules replace traditional compressors, enhancing portability while ensuring effective thermal regulation based on the Peltier effect, which generates both hot and cold sides. The developed thermoelectric refrigerator prototype utilizes commercially available components and offers several advantages: compact design, no moving parts, and absence of CFCs, silent operation, and minimal maintenance. A performance evaluation was conducted by cooling 500 mL of water from 30°C to 13.5°C within 12 minutes, achieving an experimental Coefficient of Performance (COP) of 0.27. In addition, a no-load test conducted over 9 minutes resulted in a COP of 0.004, demonstrating the impact of thermal mass on system performance. These findings demonstrate the practical viability of thermoelectric refrigeration for small-scale and portable cooling applications, with room for performance improvements through optimization of design and material properties.