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Unread 09-20-2003, 02:18 PM   #33
murray13
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Omaha, NE USA
Posts: 216
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By all means, yes.

All I was saying was that a PWM MOTOR controller (edit:w/AC input) is not designed for controlling power to a pelt.

From TE's website:
Quote:
10. What is the best way to power a thermoelectric cooler?

a) Ideally, thermoelectric coolers should operate on purely direct current for the best performance. However, a ripple factor of 10% will only result in 1% degradation in temperature difference. Most power supplies have better filtering than that, so ripple is not likely to be a concern.

b) Care should be taken not to overpower the cooler. Overpowering the cooler could lead to inadvertently exceeding the temperature ratings and causing damage to the cooler.

c) The input power for maximum efficiency of a cooler does not correspond to its maximum operating voltage and current for (Vmax and Imax). When maximum efficiency is desired, the applied power is typically 1/3 to 2/3 of its true maximum power rating.

d) If a temperature controller is used, it should be of the linear type or the pulse-width-modulated (frequency at least 400 Hz) type to minimize any detrimental effects of temperature cycling.
So the manuf. says all of what everyone has said basically.
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