Does anybody around here have any experience with Peltier coolers?

Very simplified...The Peltier cooler essentially is a semiconductor heat pump. By applying voltage to the module, one side of the module heats up while the other side cools down. If you reverse the polarity, the sides switch. You can literally heat and cool with the same system.

I've seen new cars with "drink coolers" that I'm assuming are powered by these remarkable devices. My only real question: Is keeping are drinks cool the limit of these things??

From what I've researched, dissapating heat from the hot side is the biggest issue to overcome. Creative ideas may be needed to combat this, but other than that...

What would you cool/warm using these things? Seat coolers/warmers?? Fuel cooling?? Engine oil tempreture control?? Keeping a car in the sun at reasonable temps when coupled with solar cell?? Freeze your intake/intercooler while staging??

The other aspect would be how to pump the heat to a place in the car that it can be dispersed. A heatsink is pretty common, but I'm thinking more distance...a couple feet or more. Probably pump it to outside the vehicle. A cold drink is great, but not when the carpet underneath the cup holder catches fire.

I think the ultimate goal would be climate control...and replace the freon system with a liquid cooling system to remove heat from the module. That'll require a pretty good sized module, though, and plenty of juice. However, switch the polarity, and you have the heater as well. No more coolant on the floor!

 

Peltier coolers are horrendously inefficient compared to compression cycle cooling systems. Something like 5% for a peltier and 50% for a compresor system. Small size and lack of moving parts is the only advantage to them.

 

Really? Only ~5%? Well, until this gets developed into a more efficent technology(if possible), I guess I'm SOL. Nuts.

Got any sites that go into more detail on this tech? I've used google, but the only sites I get are people selling them or for custom manufaturing. I just want to learn more about them.

 

Try a search for "Peltier effect" or "thermoelectric cooling".