Electronics cooling

Besides passive heat conduction, active cooling consuming electricity can be achieved through the thermoelectric coolers.

A temperature gradient will be finally built up to balance the driven force of electrical field.

[6] Although, Peltier coolers are generally only around 10-15% as efficient as a reversed Carnot cycle, or as 40–60% efficient as a vapor-compression cycle, it may be the only choice for applications in some special scenarios, including electronics on satellites, in submarines, and at an extremely compact space, due to their solid state nature, low maintenance need, compact size and noise-free operation.

[7] Multiple Peltier junctions, taking care of each specific temperature window, can usually be stacked to further enhance the overall performance on electronics cooling.

As active heat pumps which consume power, thermoelectric coolers can produce temperatures below ambient, which is impossible with passive heatsinks, radiator-cooled liquid cooling, or heatpipe HSFs.