Peltier effect: cooling engine

Principle

In this experiment, the shown effect in experiment 7.1 is inverted. Instead of converting heat into electric energy with the help of the thermo generator, we prove here the Peltier effect. The effect is that the current flowing through the Peltier element heats one plate up and cools down the other. The higher the current, the faster the plates will heat up or cool down.

A beaker with water is situated on the Peltier element of the thermo generator. If someone lets current flow in this Peltier element while it is set at the correct polarity, the upper plate of the Peltier element cools the water down.

Benefits

• Experiment is part of a complete solution set with a total of 17 experiments for Renewable Energy Basics and Heat energy
• Direct protection of the thermocouple against overheating due to fixed aluminum plates
• Additional aluminum block for storage of heat energy

Tasks

1. Is it possible to cool down a beaker filled with water using a Peltier element?

Learning objectives

• Peltier effect
• Thermogenerator