Tzu

iTrader: (1)

Anyone ever done this? i've done a lot with peltiers before like computer coolers and drink coolers, but i dont know where the internal heatsink is or if heatsink gets too hot to even attach it. any ideas?

JohnVroom

I have been planning on using Peltier devices on my amps if I compete this year (special feature). The device would work, it would have a coolness about it (pun intended).

There is no real internal heat sink, the heat produced is typically drawn from the output devices to an aluminum bar to the external heat sink. Using the Peltier inside the case would essentially cause a thermal stress to a few output devices unless you shelved down the Peltier performance and did thermal management theory to practice work. The Peltier would be at some risk since you would need to remove its heat as well (or it will fry). There is also the clearance issue, the inside of the amp is a little tight.
My biggest concern is thermal management, a computer chip draws a lot of current and is given heat from the current (over simplification), and the heat is the enemy. In a transistor based circuit heat is also produced (similar) and from other nearby components too. The big difference is design, in an amplifier heat is not the enemy, it is a co-conspirator. Transistor and tube designs are designed to operate isothermally (single temperature) and at a given high temperature (lets say ~ 115 F), this is where the system is most effective and where the electronics are happiest. By producing a cool spot this equilibrium is disrupted, this will cause a few of the output devices to perform differently than the ones around them, this could lead to poorer Sonics and shortened output device life if done poorly. BUT if done correctly… the devices could produce more current OR the efficiency could be improved.

Disadvantages: have to have a thermostat for turn on/off, it is a PAINFULLY low efficiency, it requires a decent delta T for max performance, you should have a good heat transfer agent (grease), the device will probably look ugly, the device will cause a cool spot on the heat sink (condensation, uneven thermal characteristics inside the amp), attaching it to the amp could be interesting (though there is double sided thermal tape)

I would consider external mounting.

Tzu

iTrader: (1)

intreguing. Dukk, you are basically suggesting water cooling without a typical cooling device eg, a peltier.

maybe just an internal fan would be a better idea...however the heat would be re-directed to the other internals....wow i never new amp cooling was such a problem. oh well. maybe its not worth it unless i am competing.

Haunz

iTrader: (3)

Id stick with fans...

peltiers are only usefull (IMO) if you want to cool something below ambient temperature or if you have a limited amount of surface area to dissipate heat from....

JohnVroom

I thought that was Scott B who was doing that

Vanilla Gorilla

There were these really cool little devices from Princess auto a while back, they worked like these little mini-air conditioning units, whereas you could attach them onto something, and they would literally suck out the heat from them, and draw it to another part of the device to get rid of it, they worked good I hear, and only cost about $8 each, whereas they were small enough to stick them onto everything really (Isn't that neat!).

In Computers, you can buy these mini-air conditioning units, with a compressor, condensor and so on, it'll cost you about $500 for a complete set up, but you can have this mini-air conditioner for an amp also I'm sure. It was designed for these computer geeks that would run TONS of voltage into a little processor, to get it to operate faster, whereas you can get a (for an example) a 2.0ghz chip, to put out 2.6ghz. Problem is, is that it that creates TONS of heat from the chip, and unless the proccessor is properly cooled, you can fry it asap. So normal fan-cooled or non-fan-cooled heatsinks weren't doing a good enough of a job, so they created this air conditioner system.

Now they can lower the processor temp to as low as -55 degrees celcius, so (obviously)no overheating happens. Im sure you can replicate a system like that for car audio too.

If you look around, on Google, I'll bet you can find them. I saw this entire article about that in a magazine called "PC gaming"

Haunz

iTrader: (3)

I have a couple big azz peltiers out of some junk 12v coolers.... I just need to mount a keg in my trunk and Iam good to go for some beach parties... [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

So what was the reasoning behind adding such devices to a amp... I can only assume the amps needed the additional cooling because of modification or so a certain mounting location could be used ???