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but basically it is two flat pieces of different metals that extract heat from one side to the other when a voltage is applied, It doesnt take much voltage either, so a car battery would do just fine. I know that there are some solar powered coolers that implement them, but I dont think the solar panel technology has gotten to the point where they are cost effective.
but from what I see, 12v should be enough to wire them in series and place them hot side out on the bottom of a cooler... it wouldnt be a completely battery powered cooler, but it would drop the temperature 30-40 degrees (F) relative to the ambient temperature. which would be enough to make a few bags of ice last considerably longer... maybe even an entire weekend.
these peltier junctions work the opposite way as well, if you add heat to one side, it will produce voltage. I wonder if painting one side black could somehow turn it into a fake solar panel. because they are incredibly cheaper than solar panels, and it would be awesome to power fans this way.
anyone know more about peltier junctions that could verify or debunk my ideas on this?
Do you want to use this to cool your tent or keep ice in your cooler?
Either way you need to apply energy of equal or greater value to keep or maintain what ever you want to do. So to "overcome" the energy of the heat (sun, temperature and humidity) you would need quite a few peltier junctions !!!
my idea is more for coolers than A/C. While there are coolers out there that already do this, they are way too expensive for the size, and i have some ideas for modifications that i think would make it more efficient. right now on ebay i can buy 100 peltier junctions already soldered, with heat sinks applied for $179. more than enough. I am well aware of entropy, and even though i posted that video with "free energy" in the title, I am not that naive. I believe a car battery would do just fine for even a 100 gallon cooler.
my idea is that by cutting into the insulation at the bottom of the cooler and placing the cold side up, withthe heat sinks sticking out slightly further than the pre-existing bottom of the cooler, i could add a very shallow basin underneath that can either use the melted ice from the cooler itself, or add some. if the heat sinks are just barely touching this shallow basin of water it makes their heat dispersion exponentially more efficient.
now you might think that it all seems like way more trouble than it is worth... maybe so, but I honestly believe that with a 12v battery and the right amount of peltier junctions, i could make the ice in a 150 quart cooler last all weekend.
I applaud your thinking and wanting to experiment with cooling... but for $5-$10 per day you can buy ice. In the past we have purchased two bags a day to maintain our cooler. What was Ice last year? $4 per bag?
With your invention you are over $400...and a 150 quart cooler is huge and expensive !! Then you have the battery...
