Powering a 180w TEC

[Eclecticos]

I just got this 180w TEC.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8485/p2530528zz2.jpg

I've been searching the net and can't figure out how to power it.
Does anyone know?

[Eclecticos]

Well I got it working but no Ice Pelt.

I hooked it up to 12v and the whole thing just got Hot.

Here are the Specs:

40mm x 40mm x 3.3mm
180 Watts of cooling power
Operates from 0-15 volts DC and 0-10 amps
Operates from -60 deg C to +180 deg C
Each device is fully inspected and tested
Fitted with 6-inch insulated leads
Perimeter sealed for moisture protection

[rendermandan]

maybe its shot. where did you get it? have you tried calling them? As far as I know, you just hook it up to a power source. One side gets hot, the other gets cold. You then have to put a water block on the hot side etc. But I'm sure you already know that. :)

[Eclecticos]

I got it off ebay. It was Cheap so If it turns out something is wrong with it I'll just order another.
It getting Cold. .but nowhere near what I expected.

Works with 5v

Here is the Setup and some Temp readings.
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1250/p2530529jj2.jpg
http://img233.imageshack.us/img233/5476/p2530531ry3.jpg

74.1° F
Not Ideal to say the least.

Down to 59.7° F after 20 Minutes.
I guess I will have to locate my regulated power supply.

[Outlaw]

Being that it's that powerful, put a decent sized heatsink on the hot side. The heat needs to be pulled away from the cold side otherwise they are just fighting each other. I can't see the pics from work, so I can't see what you are using for anything. Turning it on without a heatsink will make the whole thing hot.

**ADDED**
Just thought it might be useful. I was using a 75W(I believe) TEC on one of my P4 2.0Ghz processors with the retail HSF and was reading 27C under load(not to heavy a load).


When I wen't to remove the TEC there was condensation. oops. lol Nothing was damaged, but it definately could've been worse. So, depending on where your using it, be careful.

[Eclecticos]

Yea. . I have it on a Socket 775 stock HSF.
How many watts did you run to it?

Correction its a 158w Peltier.
I could swear I ordered the 180w.

I planned to use it in a reservoir to cool the water.
So much for that Idea. . I may need a Larger one.

Down to 43° F and Steady.

[Outlaw]

I'm not sure how many exactly, I would assume close to the 75W as it was running on a 12v rail. It was on it's own dedicated PSU. Unfortunately with my stuborness and unwilling to leave something alone, I broke it when removing it.

[Eclecticos]

Well I tried it with 7v same result. You think the Heatsink may be to big?
The ad said Ice in 60 seconds. . Yea Right. Cold in a Half hour maybee. LoL

[jdbnsn]

Crimson raised this condensation point a while ago also, I hadn't thought about it but if you drop the water below ambient room temp (at all) you will get condensation on your blocks. I don't know if you have thought about it already or not but it's something to consider.

[Eclecticos]

I remember. . I just figured Id try it out on a old computer to see how low I could get the temps regardless
. .if the end result was water droplets shorting it out. Though I had planned on using Fluid XP non-conductive fluid.

[jdbnsn]

If you could find a way to control the temp changes you could use it to cool the water down to near room temp with benefit and no condensation. But you would need a room thermometer and one in the water.

[Outlaw]

If you could find a way to control the temp changes you could use it to cool the water down to near room temp with benefit and no condensation. But you would need a romm thermometer and one in the water.


Like this (http://www.overclockers.com/tips603/)?

or

this (http://www.overclockers.com/articles424/)

The first one, he swapped the direction of the fan to push warm air back over the pelt to get rid of the condesation, and the second one is a unit that basically changes the voltage constantly to keep the pelt at a certain temp.



Well I tried it with 7v same result. You think the Heatsink may be to big?
The ad said Ice in 60 seconds. . Yea Right. Cold in a Half hour maybee. LoL

The bigger the better is usually how it works, if you turn the pelt on without a hs/f, do both sides go straight to hot? I remember when I did that with mine, one side got pretty cold then hot. Like you said before, the TEC just might not be working properly. Can you post a link(product page, not imageshack or personal) to the hs/f you are using on it. I am just curious to see what it is?

[Bucko]

That heatsink fan in the pictures is a standard Intel one. It comes with the retail versions of the processors.

[Outlaw]

Thanks Bucko, from here I can't see the pics. They come up as X's. The retail was adequate for my 75W+P4 2Ghz, but you are more then doubling the heat that just the tec is putting out, I would get a bigger hs/f and then check the tec (just put the bigger hs/f on the tec and check the cold side, it should get cold pretty fast with a bigger hs/f). You should see a significant difference. You have to remember that you have to add the output wattage of the tec + the wattage of the CPU to figure out a good hs/f. Most people would recommend a water cooling setup, but if you can get away with air cooling, I say go for it, just watch out for condensation.