A long car trip requires you to take food with you on the road. In order to prevent their damage in the heat and protect yourself from unpleasant consequences in the form of poisoning, you need to put everything you need in an auto-refrigerator. This technique is classified into three varieties. Car refrigerators are absorption, compressor and thermoelectric. The latter option, as a rule, is a portable type refrigerator. Thermoelectric refrigerators have many advantages over other models. Their main purpose is the temporary storage of products. Consider the principle of operation of such devices and the most common models.
Advantages of car refrigerators
A big plus of thermoelectric refrigerators is a low noise level during operation. This is due to the lack of moving and shaking elements. Due to this feature, they are used not only for cars. Sometimes their installation is appropriate in an apartment, in the country, in a hospital ward. Compared to compressor and absorption devices, thermoelectric options consume much less electricity. Moreover, they rarely fail and are highly reliable, which means that you can avoid the additional cost of repairing them. Thermoelectric refrigerators are not afraid of shaking and vibration, which is why they are often used in cars.
Principle of operation
The principle of operation of devices of this type consists in pumping out thermal energy from a refrigerating chamber isolated from the external environment in order to lower the temperature in it. The process is based on the Peltier effect (pumping heat by electricity from a cooling device). The effect got its name thanks to the French scientist who made this discovery back in the 19th century. In devices of this type, modules are provided that consist of miniature metal cubes. The latter are interconnected by electricity and stored together on a physical level.
At the time the electric current passes through the cubes, heat is transferred from the source material to the new one. The solid state of the thermoelectric modules of the device is capable of transferring heat in a significant amount.
Temperature mode
The principle of operation of thermoelectric refrigerators is based on the fact that the absorption of heat from the products placed in it occurs due to a large cold plate. Thermoelectric modules move it into a heat-dissipating stabilizer. This component of the refrigerator is located under the control panel. In this area, a small fan dissipates heat from the cooling unit through the air.
The constant temperature of the refrigerator in hot weather ranges from 10 ° C. When heated, the temperature rises to + 54-70 ° C. After disconnecting from the mains, the temperature in the chamber may remain the same for 8-10 hours.
Usage Tips
The efficiency of such cooling is 16-17%, so thermoelectric refrigerators are not able to cool the products placed in them in a fast mode. The main function of this type of device is to keep food cool, rather than contribute to their cooling. If we compare them with isothermal containers, then the storage time of products in them is unlimited, since the device is continuously fed.
Before you start operating a thermoelectric refrigerator, you must first cool everything that will be stored in it. It is also necessary to allow the empty chamber to cool. Some models of car refrigerators have two operating modes. They can heat and cool foods. Due to the heating function, this refrigerator is the leader among compressor and absorption ones. If you know the device of thermoelectric refrigerators well, you can choose the most suitable model with a set of certain technical parameters.
When choosing an auto-refrigerator, you need to determine its location in the car and only then make a purchase. It is necessary to position the device in the car in such a way that direct sunlight does not fall on it. Since the thermoelectric refrigerator is slowly gaining temperature, it should be turned on before traveling in advance. You can go the other way - to cool the camera using cold accumulators. For this purpose, it is forbidden to use ice, because melt water will cause corrosion on the metal elements of the car refrigerator.
How to choose
As a rule, thermoelectric refrigerators for home and car cannot boast of a large capacity. Their volume is 0.5-50 liters. Budget models are able to function in cooling mode and exclusively from the on-board network. In expensive devices, a heating function and the ability to connect to a household network are provided.
When choosing a thermoelectric type refrigerator, it is important to determine the following parameters:
- Volume. An auto-refrigerator with a capacity of up to 5 liters is ideal for motorists who travel on their own. Such a device can accommodate a small number of products and bottles of drinks. If you intend to travel with the whole family or a large company, it is advisable to prefer a thermoelectric refrigerator, the volume of which will be 30-40 liters.
- Duration of travel. If the unit is needed for trips to the countryside or for movement at minimum distances, the best solution is to purchase an insulated bag or container.
- Temperature Range. If the refrigerator is to be operated in hot conditions and the temperature difference is significant, a freezer may be needed .
Reviews
If you refer to reviews of thermoelectric refrigerators, then the owners of such devices recommend that you follow these rules when choosing:
- To purchase a model with a protective device that will control the maximum permissible discharge of the vehicle’s battery.
- Give preference to refrigerators with a sufficient cord length (at least 2 m).
- Choose a device with a secure lid.