Single High Power TEC vs. Multiple Lower Power?

[XyBeRz]

I have a quick question for anyone that might be able to help me answer.

Let me post what my theory is about what I'm wondering about:

When using peltiers on a heatsink, I think that using multiple pelts with lower power that equals the same amount of power as a single unit to cool the heatsink down works better.

Sounds kinda confusing but I seems to me at least, correct.

Assuming that the heatsink is the same size that is.

For example:

Using 4-50W pelts on a heatsink 4"x4" would cool better than using
1-200W pelt on the same size heatsink.

Also there would be no heat load besides the ambient air on the heatsink that would be attached to the cold side of the peltiers, so I'm not sure if that makes a difference.

Is this theory correct or is there something else that I would have to consider?

[greenmaji]

stacking pelts is dangerious if you dont know what your doing..


And you might be better off looking into phase-change.. The power consumption is less and the performance knocks the socks off TEC's.

[XyBeRz]

That's true. BTW my plan wasn't to stack the pelts, but to lay them side by side. I'll probably try to make my own phase change system for a water cooler as buying one is really expensive and I have a small fridge that works great now.

[greenmaji]

check the junk yard for a deep freeze that looks pretty nice and yank the compressor out of it ;)

the refigeratiors compressor doesnt have the HP (or the vacume) needed to get the best results even if its charged correctly..

and youll want denatured acholol rather then water in a chiller loop (Im taliking -30C here ;) )

the little fridges have TEC's in them sometimes.. that of corse wouldnt help at all..

xtreamsystems.com has a chiller and vapor phase change area that has some serious projects (this isnt the board I post on just the one that has the most info.. that or teampuss but its not as active)

[XyBeRz]

Thanks greenmaji!
Also just wanted to let ya know, my small fridge isn't the kind with pelts. It has a compressor and everything in the back.
I did want to ask though, even if I do use the compressor with the fridge I have now, I mean the small one that you buy from Wal-Mart, that's where I got mine, how cool could it get? I know most likely that it's not even a 1/4HP compressor, but just curious on what it possibly could do.