An air conditioner used to cool electronic equipment that works by sending current through two dissimilar conductors and offers superior efficiency over conventional refrigeration systems.
Thermoelectric air conditioners (TACs) employ the Peltier principle: when a current flows through two dissimilar conductors, one side provides a cooling effect while the opposite side produces heat. This is a solid-state refrigeration that is durable and compact, serving the refrigeration needs of equipment electrical cabinets.
Often, compressed air-powered vortex tubes or compressor-driven refrigeration systems are used to provide cabinet or panel cooling. Vortex tubes are inefficient; a vortex tube capable of removing 1,500 Btu/hour of generated heat requires about 22 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) of 100 pounds per square inch gauge (psig) compressed air, with 4.2 kW of power needed to produce this airflow (36,800 kWh/year). While widely used, vortex tubes operate at only 10% of the efficiency of a compressor-driven system. The energy required to operate a TAC is 50% to 80% less than for compressor-driven units.
TAC units are available in modular sizes to dissipate heat loads of 200,400, 800, 1500, or 2,500 Btu/hour, suitable for many of today's commercial and industrial cabinet cooling requirements. They are ideal replacements for vortex tubes or Freon-based refrigeration units employed in cabinet cooling applications. TACs can cool to a temperature differential 10 to 30 degrees F below ambient and “pump" heat from an enclosure without exposing sensitive electronics to outside air and contamination. They provide temperature control for the electronics and prevent the introduction of contaminates or formation of condensation. At a food-processing plant, 53 vortex tubes were replaced with thermoelectric units, which saved approximately 1.8 million kWh/year.
Status:
Baseline Description: compressed air-powered vortex tubes Baseline Energy Use: 36800 kWh per year per unit
The baseline uses about twice the energy of the TAC. A study that looked at replacement of 9 cabinet vortex turbes with water-to-air fan powered heat exchangers produced an energy savings of 19,492 kWh per vortex tube. Vortex tubes are sometimes specified for harsh environments.
"Typical" Savings: 50% Savings Range: From 50% to 80%
The energy savings of TAC's over the baseline, compressed air-powered vortex tubes, is about 50%. Further, one manufacturer's web site, (TECA, ), state their product energy savings are 36% over other TAC equipment on the market.
"Typical" Savings: 50%
Energy Use of an Emerging Technology is based upon the following algorithm. Baseline Energy Use - (Baseline Energy Use * Best Estimate of Energy Savings (either Typical savings OR the high range of savings.))
Simple payback, new construction (years): N/A
Simple payback, retrofit (years): N/A
Cost Effectiveness is calculated using baseline energy use, best estimate of typical energy savings, and first cost. It does not account for factors such as impacts on O&M costs (which could be significant if product life is greatly extended) or savings of non-electric fuels such as natural gas. Actual overall cost effectiveness could be significantly different based on these other factors.
Hank Van Ormer, 04/01/2012. Food Industry Factory Saves $154,000 in Annual Energy Costs Compressed Air Best Practices
Hank Van Ormer, 10/01/2012. Food Processor Saves $101,000 Compressed Air Best Practices
G. Scott Mikalauskis, 05/01/2004. Selecting a thermoelectric cooler Electronic Products
Technical Advisory Group: 2013 Information Technology TAG (#8) TAG Ranking: 55 out of 57 Average TAG Rating: 1.62 out of 5 TAG Ranking Date: 10/25/2013 TAG Rating Commentary: Not sure we know enough about this measure I am unfamiliar with this. Is it viable? This is an ET.