- Sep 28, 2005
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okey im starting this post because im honestly tired of people saying TEC air cooling will dominate all forms of cooling.
This is a COMPLETE NOOB STATEMENT. Please get your information right b4 you actually tell a noob to go out and buy a TEC and slap that sucker on. IT WONT WORK.
My Proof?? A sticky at XS FORUMS. These guys are hardcore on all forms of cooling. Straight up, there the guru's of xtreme cooling. Learn from there stickies! Thats why there posted!
From XS forums about TEC's
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- TEC? -
When a low voltage DC current is applied to a thermoelectric module, heat can be moved through the TEC from one side to the other. One side is therefore cooled [cold-side] while the opposite side is simultaneously heated [hot-side]. The temperature differences can be upwards 50C in real world application. TECs help enhance your cooling ability by creating a temperature differential that can be more easily moved out of the system. Water-cooling systems can only cool an object to ambient temperatures (room temp), but they still have excess cooling capacity (provided they have sufficient flow-rate and a capable radiator). TECs allow more of the cooling capacity to be utilized and therefore achieve lesser-than-ambient temperatures.
- So Show Me -
Here are a few examples with difference watt TECs cooling a modern processor which usually generate around 60+ watts of heat. Practice the formula on at least one of these examples before calculating Delta T for your own project!
*) A 40watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = -34C (negative 34C). Thatâ??s an INCREASE in temperature on the cold side, so the processor would have been warmer than before! Using an under powered TEC can destroy the processor. Cooking your CPU with your TEC is NOT a good thing, avoid this common mistake.
*) A 60-watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = 0 (no change in temp). Congratulations, youâ??ve accomplished nothing!
*) A 176-watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = 46C. Thatâ??s a decrease in temperature on the cold side, making the cold-side 46C cooler than the hot-side. Not bad.
*) A 226-watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = 51C. Thatâ??s a decrease in temperature on the cold-side, making the cold-side 50C colder than the warm-side. Even better, but it took a lot more energy from the TEC (28% increase from 176-watt TEC) to get an additional 5C (only 11% increase in Delta T).
Conclusions from the Examples
The larger the wattage of the TEC in proportion to the watts of heat generated by the heat load (CPU) the closer delta T approaches the theoretical limit of 69C. But, the closer you get to the theoretical limit (in this case 69C) the more and more watts it takes for the TEC to achieve it. Thus the less efficient it becomes. Fortunately itâ??s not like TECs were the kings of efficiency to begin with.
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So far we can see how the TEC works, If you still think its possible to cool on AIR please read on.
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- The Critical Element: Controlling the Temperature of the Hot-Side -
As we have seen from the example above, you must control the hot-sideâ??s temperature to achieve a given temperature on the cold-side. This, however, can be more difficult than it seems.
Letâ??s say Bob wants to cool his XP 2000+ which generates 60-watts of heat. Bob just so happens to have a â??Magic Heatsinkâ?? that magically cools a heat load of 60-watts to room temperature (in this case room temp is 25C, remember that). Not a bad heatsink (must be a Thermalright). So Bob figures, â??If I attach this bad boy to the hot-side of my 226-watt TEC then I can maintain room temperature on the hot-side of 25C, then the cold-side will be -26C assuming a Delta T = 51C.â?? Bob is about to get a rude awaking.
Whatâ??s Bobâ??s problem? The heat load generated on the hot-side of the 226-watt TEC is not just 60-watts anymore (the original heat output of his CPU). It is the original heat output of the CPU (60-watts) plus the Cooling Power of the TEC (226-watts). 60watts+226watts = 286-watts of heat generated on the hot-side of the TEC. Thatâ??s enough watts to heat 1 liter of water by 4.1C in one minute. See Bobâ??s problem? Well, itâ??s about to become yours.
THL = Heat Load + Max Cooling Power
-THL (Total Heat Load) = The heat load generated on the hot-side of the TEC in watts.
-Heat Load = The heat generated (in this case) by the processor measured in watts.
-Max Cooling Power = Maximum TEC rating in watts. (e.g. a 226-watt TEC)
So even with the TEC, your back to playing the same cooling game as you had been before. Except this time you have a few more watts of heat to deal with. Remember, you can get much better results using a TEC with good water cooling than you could with good water cooling alone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOW after reading this, i hope you guys learned exactly what a TEC is, and PLEASE stop telling people that they ROCK. THEY DONT, TEC's should only be a second upgrade to people who been playing with water. So LEAVE the tec's to Water.
Link to Original Thread
This is a COMPLETE NOOB STATEMENT. Please get your information right b4 you actually tell a noob to go out and buy a TEC and slap that sucker on. IT WONT WORK.
My Proof?? A sticky at XS FORUMS. These guys are hardcore on all forms of cooling. Straight up, there the guru's of xtreme cooling. Learn from there stickies! Thats why there posted!
From XS forums about TEC's
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- TEC? -
When a low voltage DC current is applied to a thermoelectric module, heat can be moved through the TEC from one side to the other. One side is therefore cooled [cold-side] while the opposite side is simultaneously heated [hot-side]. The temperature differences can be upwards 50C in real world application. TECs help enhance your cooling ability by creating a temperature differential that can be more easily moved out of the system. Water-cooling systems can only cool an object to ambient temperatures (room temp), but they still have excess cooling capacity (provided they have sufficient flow-rate and a capable radiator). TECs allow more of the cooling capacity to be utilized and therefore achieve lesser-than-ambient temperatures.
- So Show Me -
Here are a few examples with difference watt TECs cooling a modern processor which usually generate around 60+ watts of heat. Practice the formula on at least one of these examples before calculating Delta T for your own project!
*) A 40watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = -34C (negative 34C). Thatâ??s an INCREASE in temperature on the cold side, so the processor would have been warmer than before! Using an under powered TEC can destroy the processor. Cooking your CPU with your TEC is NOT a good thing, avoid this common mistake.
*) A 60-watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = 0 (no change in temp). Congratulations, youâ??ve accomplished nothing!
*) A 176-watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = 46C. Thatâ??s a decrease in temperature on the cold side, making the cold-side 46C cooler than the hot-side. Not bad.
*) A 226-watt TEC cooling a modern processor generating 60-watts of heat.
Delta T = 51C. Thatâ??s a decrease in temperature on the cold-side, making the cold-side 50C colder than the warm-side. Even better, but it took a lot more energy from the TEC (28% increase from 176-watt TEC) to get an additional 5C (only 11% increase in Delta T).
Conclusions from the Examples
The larger the wattage of the TEC in proportion to the watts of heat generated by the heat load (CPU) the closer delta T approaches the theoretical limit of 69C. But, the closer you get to the theoretical limit (in this case 69C) the more and more watts it takes for the TEC to achieve it. Thus the less efficient it becomes. Fortunately itâ??s not like TECs were the kings of efficiency to begin with.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
So far we can see how the TEC works, If you still think its possible to cool on AIR please read on.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- The Critical Element: Controlling the Temperature of the Hot-Side -
As we have seen from the example above, you must control the hot-sideâ??s temperature to achieve a given temperature on the cold-side. This, however, can be more difficult than it seems.
Letâ??s say Bob wants to cool his XP 2000+ which generates 60-watts of heat. Bob just so happens to have a â??Magic Heatsinkâ?? that magically cools a heat load of 60-watts to room temperature (in this case room temp is 25C, remember that). Not a bad heatsink (must be a Thermalright). So Bob figures, â??If I attach this bad boy to the hot-side of my 226-watt TEC then I can maintain room temperature on the hot-side of 25C, then the cold-side will be -26C assuming a Delta T = 51C.â?? Bob is about to get a rude awaking.
Whatâ??s Bobâ??s problem? The heat load generated on the hot-side of the 226-watt TEC is not just 60-watts anymore (the original heat output of his CPU). It is the original heat output of the CPU (60-watts) plus the Cooling Power of the TEC (226-watts). 60watts+226watts = 286-watts of heat generated on the hot-side of the TEC. Thatâ??s enough watts to heat 1 liter of water by 4.1C in one minute. See Bobâ??s problem? Well, itâ??s about to become yours.
THL = Heat Load + Max Cooling Power
-THL (Total Heat Load) = The heat load generated on the hot-side of the TEC in watts.
-Heat Load = The heat generated (in this case) by the processor measured in watts.
-Max Cooling Power = Maximum TEC rating in watts. (e.g. a 226-watt TEC)
So even with the TEC, your back to playing the same cooling game as you had been before. Except this time you have a few more watts of heat to deal with. Remember, you can get much better results using a TEC with good water cooling than you could with good water cooling alone.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOW after reading this, i hope you guys learned exactly what a TEC is, and PLEASE stop telling people that they ROCK. THEY DONT, TEC's should only be a second upgrade to people who been playing with water. So LEAVE the tec's to Water.
Link to Original Thread
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