THERMOELECTRIC REFRIGERATION USING PELTIER EFFECT

In the field of military and medical science there are refrigerators used to cool samples or specimens for preservation. They include refrigeration units for storing blood plasma and other blood products, as well as vaccines and other medical or pharmaceutical supplies. They differ from standard refrigerators used in homes or restaurant because they need to be very hygienic and completely reliable. However, in case of transportation of component from one place to another place there is no refrigeration system. Due to such problem, portable refrigeration system is to be used. Thermoelectric refrigeration is new alternative because it can convert waste electricity into useful cooling, is expected to play an important role in meeting today fossil energy challenges. Therefore, thermoelectric refrigeration is greatly needed, particularly for developing countries where long life and low maintenance are needed. Thermoelectric devices are solid state devices. They are reliable energy converters and have no noise or vibration as there are no mechanical moving parts. They have small size and are light in weight. As refrigerators, they are friendly to the environment as CFC gas or any other refrigerant gas is not used. Due to these advantages, the thermoelectric devices have found a large range of applications. In this paper, basic knowledge of the thermoelectric devices and an overview of these applications are given.