Ok, so “cryo cooler” is a bit of a stretch, but these enhanced Cascade Series Thermoelectric Assemblies (TEAs) from Laird Technologies are way cool. Literally. Boasting nearly double the cooling capacity versus single-stage Thermoelectric Modules (TEMs), these TEAs may eliminate the need for more exotic and potentially unreliable cooling solutions such as compressors. Designed for medical applications to keep samples cool and for analytical instruments requiring cooling below 0 °C, the devices are small and can be mounted directly to hot electronics such as CCDs in high-precision imaging systems.
Multistage TEMs achieve a very high temperature differential from ambient, providing up to 40 percent higher cooling capacity at cold temperatures. They’re solid state and their size may allow them to be integrated into a final assembly in either of two common configurations: Air-Air (AA) or Direct Air (DA). AA uses convection cooling where heat is absorbed and dissipated by high-density heat exchangers and ducted outward via shrouds and fans. In DA, conduction cooling is used through a cold plate and then air is moved across the cold plate similar to AA. At temperatures greater than +30 °C from ambient, Laird claims their products achieve almost 60 percent of maximum cooling, versus only 30 percent of other products. The company doesn’t offer much detail about their secret sauce, so we have to take their word for it.
