Thor Forums

[Thehobe1]

Just a note that there is also refrigeration that uses Peltier cells that are semiconductor, solid state devices that while they are not effcient, they can be of great convenience for cooling down a few cans or bottles of refreshment. A unit that will hold 6 12 oz cans will run around 4 A at 12V input. These units can be plugged into the cigarette lighter outlet in the dash but are also slow to cool like the absorption style refrigerator. They take a lot of power for what they do but can be purchased for around $50 - $80. Larger cooler size units are available as well.

The Peltier cell is a very interesting device and can be used for cooling or for heating. Many individual semiconductor junctions are tied between two flat ceramic/aluminum sheets. When current is passed through the junctions one side of the structure gets hot and the other side turns cold. If the polarity of the DC wiring is reversed, the opposite sides heat/cool. A single polarity switch is normally provided to cool or heat the beverage(s). A fan is normally used on each side of the structure to extract heat from the hot side (and keep the Peltier cell cool) and spread the cooling on the other.