Cooling

Many people use thermoelectric modules, commonly called Peltier modules, to make small things colder.

(Compressor-based air conditioners and refrigerators and freezers are often more practical for cooling larger things).

Both radio and optical astronomy seems to work better when the receiver is cold.

  
 * "Open Source Thermal Cycler" Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) uses the Peltier for both heating *and* cooling.
 * "Smart Dew-Point Water Harvester".

 
 * Open Source Peltier Fridge Project: ; ; ;.
 * Another Peltier fridge project: "How to build your own dirt cheap fridge" ("My most important consideration is that it can be service-able by me")


 * "Open source DIY Thermoelectric cooler and Fan controller"


 * "DIY PROGRAMABLE WATER BATH"

When a Peltier element is attached to a voltage source, it pumps heat energy from one side to the other, making one side colder and one side hotter. In principle you could use a Peltier element just for heating ( see )


 * "Arduino Controlled Cooling/Heating System for Beer Fermentation"
 * "BrewPi"


 * "How to use a Peltier with Arduino"
 * "Make Your Own Temperature Controller with an Arduino"

Typically Peltier projects use a 1-wire digital thermometer or a thermistor to measure the temperature at the important parts, and

FIXME: maybe say a few more words about heatsinks, such as the (open-source?) PowerPeg Thermal Management System ?


 * Yang Zhang and James Ashe. Analog Devices. "Designing a High Performance TEC Controller".
 * Maxim. "APPLICATION NOTE 3318: How to Control and Compensate a Thermoelectric Cooler (TEC)".
 * "Peltier" questions.
 * "cooling" questions.
 * Jim Williams. "Application Note 89: A Thermoelectric Cooler Temperature Controller for Fiber Optic Lasers Climatic Pampering for Temperamental Lasers".
 * "The big TEC driver thread!".
 * "W's simple high power PWM TEC controller".