In e na ional Jou nal o Eme ging T ends in Enginee ing and De elopmen Issue 15, Vol.6, 2025
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17714012
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E alua ion o he TEC1-12706 de ice’s pe o mance o he
de elopmen o a po able Pel ie he moelec ic coole box.
Collins E. Ouse igha, Godwin E. Ogobi i and Ayo o Ebimobowei Lucky
Depa men o Physics, Nige Del a Uni e si y, Wilbe o ce Island, Bayelsa S a e, Nige ia.
[email p o ec ed]g
INTRODUCTION
The g owing demand o e ec i e, en i onmen ally iendly, and po able cooling solu ions in a
a ie y o indus ies, including medical, ood p ese a ion, and leisu e, has uelled ex ensi e
esea ch in o he moelec ic cooling (TEC) echnologies [1, 2]. TEC de ices, which ope a e on he
Pel ie e ec , p o ide nume ous ad an ages o e con en ional comp esso -based sys ems,
including silen ope a ion (due o hei solid-s a e na u e), compac size, he absence o e ige an s
(which a e ha m ul o he en i onmen ), p ecise empe a u e con ol, and minimal main enance
In e na ional Jou nal o Eme ging T ends in
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ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
©2025 RS Publica ion
Pape ID: IJETED-
691F61A95F98C
Recei ed: 2025-10-26
Published: 2025-11-25
DOI:
h ps://dx.doi.o g/1
0.5281/zenodo.177140
12
Page No: 93-105
This s udy examines he ope a ing pe o mance o a The moelec ic Coole (TEC) de ice by
analysing c i ical ela ionships, including cu en , cooling powe , coe icien o pe o mance,
and he mal managemen . Expe imen al da a highligh majo ade-o s associa ed wi h TEC
echnology. The Coe icien o Pe o mance (COP) has a as , in e se ela ionship wi h cu en ,
dec easing om i s peak (o e 2.1) a low cu en s (≈ 1.0 A) due o he quad a ic dominance
o Joule hea ing in he inpu powe . While cooling powe (Q
C
) g ows wi h cu en , he a e o
inc ease slows, indica ing ha Q
C
is app oaching i s maximum capaci y as he linea Pel ie
e ec is p og essi ely nega ed by nonlinea esis i e losses. To achie e he maximum
empe a u e di e ence (ΔT = 40 °C), a la ge inc ease in cu en lowed h ough he de ice, as
well as obus ho -side he mal managemen , as indica ed by he ise in T
H
co esponding o a
lowe T
C
. This de ice can be u ilised in a po able coole box o solid s a e e ige a ion due
o i s high empe a u e di e ence and cold side empe a u e being below ze o deg ees.
Keywo ds: The moelec ic coole (TEC), cooling powe , Pel ie e ec , coe icien o
pe o mance (COP), LiFePO
4
.
Ci e This Pape : Collins Ebiyibo Ouse igha, Godwin E. Ogobi i and Ayo o Ebimobowei Lucky
(2025). "E alua ion o he TEC1-12706 de ice’s pe o mance o he de elopmen o a
po able Pel ie he moelec ic coole box.". INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EMERGING
TRENDS IN ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT (IJETED), ol. 15, no. 6, 2025, pp. 93-105. DOI:
h ps://dx.doi.o g/10.5281/zenodo.17714012
In e na ional Jou nal o Eme ging T ends in Enginee ing and De elopmen Issue 15, Vol.6, 2025
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DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17714012
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equi emen s [3, 4]. These quali ies make hem ideal o building po able coole boxes ha can
be powe ed by common low- ol age DC sou ces, such as hose ound in ca s [5].
The The moelec ic Coole (TEC) module is an impo an componen in such coole boxes, as i s
pe o mance de e mines he o e all e iciency and cooling capaci y o he sys em [6]. Among he
exis ing he moelec ic modules, he TEC1-12706 de ice has ecei ed ex ensi e a en ion because
o i s low cos , dependabili y, and ease o in eg a ion in o small-scale cooling sys ems [7].
Howe e , he mal managemen wi hin a limi ed olume, hea dissipa ion op imisa ion, and
de e mining he sys em's ac ual cooling-down capabili ies unde eal-wo ld condi ions con inue o
be c i ical a eas o esea ch o any speci ic coole design [8, 9].
This s udy conduc s an expe imen al in es iga ion in o he pe o mance o he TEC1-12706
module. The module can be powe ed by a 12 V DC powe sou ce and can include op imised hea
dissipa ion mechanisms, such as in- ype hea sinks, o imp o e he mal managemen . P e ious
esea ch shows ha he cooling e ec i eness o hese sys ems is highly dependen on inpu
ol age, hea sink layou , and ambien condi ions [10]. This s udy aims o assess he ac ual
pe o mance cha ac e is ics o a single s age design se up as well as he easibili y o deploying
TEC-based coole boxes in eal-wo ld scena ios such as medical anspo , ou doo ec ea ion, and
o -g id e ige a ion by sys ema ically analysing empe a u e g adien s, cooling capaci y, and
coe icien o pe o mance (COP). The indings will help o expand he p ac ical knowledge basis
o c ea ing and op imising small, TEC-based he mal sys ems. Addi ionally, hey gi e a cos -
e ec i e op ion o cooling accines and be e ages in loca ions wi hou a e ige a ion acili y [11,
12].
LITERATURE REVIEW
The need o po able cooling solu ions has sky ocke ed, hanks o ou doo lo e s, campe s,
picnicke s, and people who equi e mobile empe a u e con ol o a ious p oduc s. While
adi ional comp esso -based e ige a o s a e unc ional, hey equen ly p esen issues in e ms
o size, weigh , noise, and powe consump ion in po able applica ions. Because o hei small size,
solid-s a e ope a ion, and low powe consump ion, he moelec ic coole s (TECs), pa icula ly
hose ha use he Pel ie e ec , a e an appealing al e na i e [13, 14]. This a icle del es in o he
basic design and pe o mance analysis o he well-known TEC1-12706 gadge . This de ice could
be used in a po able Pel ie -based he moelec ic coole box wi h a capaci y o 10 li es.
The Pel ie e ec is a he moelec ic phenomenon in which hea is abso bed o emi ed when an
elec ic cu en a els ia a junc ion be ween wo dis inc conduc o s. Pel ie modules, o
he moelec ic coole modules, ake ad an age o his e ec . They a e made up o se e al P- ype
and N- ype semiconduc o pelle s placed be ween wo ce amic pla es. When a DC cu en is
supplied, one side o he module ge s cold (abso bing hea om he su ounding en i onmen )
while he o he side becomes ho (dispe sed hea ). The TEC1-12706 is a popula Pel ie module
In e na ional Jou nal o Eme ging T ends in Enginee ing and De elopmen Issue 15, Vol.6, 2025
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wi h a 12V wo king ol age and a maximum cu en demand o a ound 6 amps, allowing o a
subs an ial empe a u e di e en ial [15, 16, 17].
METHODOLOGY
The pu pose o his esea ch is o measu e some pe o mance pa ame e s o he TEC1-12706
Pel ie module, de e mine i s sui abili y o a he moelec ic coole box, and es i s use ulness as
a cooling sys em. The expe imen al in es iga ion was designed o sys ema ically assess he he mal
and elec ical pe o mance o he TEC1-12706 Pel ie module. The p ocess includes designing and
building a single s age cooling sys em, selec ing ins umen s, and conduc ing expe imen al
measu emen s o da a collec ion.
Inkscape, a compu e -aided design (CAD) so wa e, was used o d aw he sys em's design
con igu a ion, as illus a ed in igu es 1a and 1b [18]. Figu e 1a displays he con igu a ion o ans
and aluminium hea sinks connec ed o he he moelec ic coole module's cold and ho sides. The
cold side o he TEC is connec ed o an ex ac ion an and a inned aluminium hea sink om he
op, while he ho side ( om he bo om) is connec ed o a inned aluminium hea sink and a cooling
an. Figu e 1b depic s a CAD model o he coole box wi h he TEC module se up indica ed in
Figu e 1a moun ed on wo sides ( on and back) and a 12 V ba e y connec ed.
Figu e 1 (a): Connec ion se up o he The moelec ic coole module wi h he hea sinks and ans.
In e na ional Jou nal o Eme ging T ends in Enginee ing and De elopmen Issue 15, Vol.6, 2025
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Figu e 1 (b): Model o he he moelec ic coole box.
Figu e 2a illus a es how he TEC1-12706 module was a ached. The "cold" side o he module is
up, and he "ho " side is down. The ho side o he TEC module c ea es a la ge quan i y o hea
ha was e icien ly dispe sed in o he ambien ai u ilising he hea sink and cooling an. Failu e o
do so would esul in a signi ican loss in cooling pe o mance and e en damage o he TEC
module. To inc ease he su ace a ea o hea exchange wi h he ai , a huge aluminium hea sink
wi h many ins was connec ed o he ho side (see igu e 2a). An ac i e cooling an (a 12V DC
an) was hen u ilised o d i e ai h ough he hea sink ends, g ea ly inc easing hea dissipa ion.
The an size (70 x 70 x 20) and ai low capaci y ma ched he TEC's hea ou pu . The cold side o
he TEC module is equipped wi h a small an o ci cula e cold ai . The mal pas e was pu be ween
he con ac su aces o inc ease he mal conduc i i y.
The TEC1-12706 wo ks bes a 12V DC. The powe sou ce mus be capable o supplying a leas
6A (p e e ably a li le mo e o head oom and an ope a ion), o a o al o 72W o 80W. A 12 V
echa geable Li hium I on Phospha e (LiFePO4) ba e y wi h a capaci y o 100 Ah was u ilised as
he powe supply, wi h cu en and ol age measu ed wi h a digi al mul ime e . LiFePO4 ba e ies
a e an ideal choice because o hei long cycle li e, sa e y, s eady ol age ou pu , and ligh weigh
when compa ed o lead-acid ba e ies. A 100Ah ba e y p o ided enough powe o ope a e he TEC
module and ans. The ba e y is cha ged ex e nally using a sola panel o an AC-DC adap o . Fo
empe a u e measu emen s, a K- ype he mocouple p obe was u ilised, and a digi al mul ime e
was used o measu e cu en and ol age (see igu e 2b). Figu e 2c depic s he ull module
a angemen , which was moun ed on a 10-li e coole box.
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Figu e 2 (a): The connec ed TEC module wi h aluminum hea sink and ans be o e moun ed on
he coole box.
Figu e 2 (b): K- ype he mocouple (LANDTEK En i onmen al es e ).
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Figu e 2 (c): A 10-li e coole box wi h he TEC module se up ins alled.
RESULTS
We es ed he pe o mance o he TEC1-12706 module o de e mine i s use ulness as a cooling
de ice. The de ice was se up as shown in Figu e 2a, and a ied cu en s we e passed h ough i .
Then, cu en and empe a u e measu emen s we e collec ed a a cons an supply ol age o 12 V,
and o he pa ame e s such as inpu powe , hea abso bed (Q
C
), and coe icien o pe o mance
(COP) we e calcula ed and plo ed e sus cu en . Figu es 3–7 depic hese plo s.
Figu e 3 depic s he TEC1-12706 he moelec ic coole 's empe a u e di e ence (ΔT) s. inpu
elec ic cu en (I). The g aph indica es a posi i e ela ionship be ween cu en and empe a u e
di e en ial, implying ha inc easing cu en enhances cooling powe , up o he maximum cu en
es ed. As he cu en (I) climbs om 1.0 A o 3.8 A, he empe a u e di e en ial (ΔT) g ows
s eadily, s a ing a ≈21.0
∘
C and eaching ≈37.5
∘
C. The con ex cu e shows a s eepe slope,
indica ing ha he ise in ΔT is mo e no iceable a highe cu en s wi hin he es ed ange. The
g aph shows a ising slope (con ex shape) in he ange o 1.0 A o 3.8A. This indica es ha he
ΔT is s ill p edominan ly in luenced by he linea inc ease in Pel ie cooling. In an ideal case, he
ΔT cu e would con inue o g ow un il i eaches a maximum (ΔT
max
) a he op imal cu en (I
op
),
and hen u n downwa d [1]. The g aph shows no peak, indica ing ha he op imal cu en (I
op
)
o maximum ΔT is mo e han 3.8 A o his TEC de ice and expe imen al se up. I he cu en is
inc eased u he , he quad a ic inc ease in Joule hea ing will inally su pass he linea inc ease in
Pel ie cooling, causing he ΔT o pla eau and d op. The esul demons a es ha he TEC de ice
pe o ms well wi hin he es ed cu en ange, wi h cooling powe con inuously inc easing as
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cu en inc eases. The sys em is cu en ly unc ioning in he egion whe e he bene i s o g ea e
Pel ie pumping ou weigh he nega i e consequences o Joule hea ing, bu he poin o maximum
he mal di e ence has ye o be achie ed.
Figu e 3: Tempe a u e di e ence (ΔT) as a unc ion o inpu elec ic cu en .
The plo in Figu e 4 depic s he ela ionship be ween he Ho Side Tempe a u e (T
H
) and Cold Side
Tempe a u e (T
C
) o he TEC de ice. The da a indica es a s ong nega i e co ela ion: when he
cold side empe a u e (T
C
) dec eases ( he de ice cools mo e e ec i ely), he ho side empe a u e
(T
H
) ises. The ho side empe a u e (T
H
) is de e mined by he ambien empe a u e (T
amb
) as well
as he hea sink's abili y o dissipa e he ejec ed hea . Fu he inc eases in T
H
ha e a di ec and
de imen al impac on he e ec i eness o cooling. This plo clea ly shows ha he e iciency and
cooling capaci y a e basically es ic ed by he ho side hea ejec ion sys em's e icacy. An ideal
cold side empe a u e (T
C
= -2
o
C) can only be sus ained i he ho side hea sink keeps T
H
below
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a c ucial alue (in his case, 36
o
C). I T
H
exceeded a ound 40
o
C ( o he exis ing con igu a ion),
he cold side would be unable o sus ain a nega i e empe a u e.
Figu e 4: Rela ionship be ween he ho side empe a u e (T
H
) and he cold side empe a u e (T
C
).
Figu e 5 depic s he Inpu Powe (in W) agains he Inpu Cu en (I in A) o he TEC de ice. The
plo e eals a clea , mono onic, and almos linea ela ionship be ween inpu powe and cu en
ac oss he measu ed ange (1.0 A o 3.8 A). The da a poin s a e ex emely close o a s aigh line
ha passes nea he o igin. This indica es ha he ela ionship is oughly linea .
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Figu e 5: Inpu powe (W) agains inpu cu en (A) o he TEC 12706 de ice.
The g aph in Figu e 6 plo s he Hea Abso bed (Q
C
) in wa s (W), which ep esen s cooling powe ,
agains he Inpu Cu en (I) in ampe es (A) o a The moelec ic Coole (TEC) de ice. The plo
demons a es a mono onic, non-linea g owing ela ionship: as he cu en g ows, so does he
cooling powe . As he cu en inc eases, so does he Q
C
, which inc eases om 25 o 60 W. I he
cu en was inc eased u he (beyond 3.8 A), he cu e would e en ually pla eau a a peak (Q
max
)
and possibly begin o d op. The sys em is mos e icien (highes COP) a low cu en s (as
con i med by he COP plo in igu e 7), bu i eaches i s maximum cooling powe (Q
C
) nea he
end o he wo king ange, when he linea Pel ie e m is only balanced by non-linea losses.
