Path: utzoo!utgpu!cunews!spock!grayt
From: grayt@spock (Tom Gray)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Re: Thermoelectric coolers - how do they work - in English please
Message-ID: <4508@halligan>
Date: 20 Sep 90 12:07:45 GMT
References: <4486@optilink.UUCP>
Reply-To: grayt@halligan (Tom Gray)
Organization: Mitel. Kanata (Ontario). Canada.
Lines: 17

In article <4486@optilink.UUCP> manley@optilink.UUCP (Dave Manley) writes:
>What is the physical mechanism whereby a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) 
>cools?  I been told it has to do with the Peltier effect.  
>
>(TEC's along with precision thermistors are used in diode lasers.)
>
>-
>Dave Manley      Optilink Corporation     (707) 795-9444
>{uunet, pyramid}!optilink!manley


Its the same effect as the heat temperature driven potentials derived
in a thermocouple only in reverse. A current passed through dissimilar
materials will pump heat from one side of the junction to the other.

A physics text book should give a good explanation of the Peltier
effect - much better than any handwaving I could do.