Thermoelectrics
Concept to Design to Manufacture of Thermoelectric Assemblies
OTE thermoelectric assemblies can be found in most major brand applications globally. There is a reason for this - our products are designed to meet or exceed the demands of the application while meeting critical cost points. The cost for quality is zero; the cost for not meeting quality requirements is painfully expensive. OTE takes quality seriously for every product we build; our thermoelectric assemblies are no exception. We uniquely serial number and barcode every product we build. In addition to our rigorous in-process quality control, the final step in our manufacturing process is our 100% Quality Assurance Manufacturing exit test. Every assembly (or end product) undergoes a series of 6 to 11 individual tests using our proprietary software (current draw, current drop, delta, stable current, COP, etc.). Based on this information, our customers know the performance of the end product before it is ever assembled. In today's highly competitive environment, this is the difference between satisfying the end-user or experiencing an expensive failure.
Solutions
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While this is the most common TE assembly in use, the implementation of this type of design requires the most engineering to implement appropriately for the application. It is absolutely critical to design as a total system in order to optimize efficiencies (or minimize the inefficiencies). The heat sink fin style and configuration significantly impact the performance of the product. The placement of the TE in the product and the fan selection and orientation will affect heat flow and removal. The other common variables are insulation, noise, condensation, power limitations, size limitations, regulatory concerns, temperature differentials and so on. We have solutions ranging from 20 watts to 200 watts of heat pumping capacity (not power consumption). The difference between quality thermoelectric assemblies is in the efficiency; our production TE assemblies typically rate between 0.68 and 0.77 efficient.
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This application works well in applications that need precise temperature control or in those applications where the maximum performance delta temperature can be achieved. In these applications, a heat flow analysis is critical to meet the performance objectives. Air plate applications are typically very robust for difficult environments. The key point is isolating the temperature controlled contents from the ambient conditions. Temperature monitoring and control make these assemblies very precise. We can provide turn key products or the TE cooling units to meet your specific application.
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We can provide precise temperature control for low flow and low delta applications in the 15 to 60 watt range with our off the shelf products. In addition we have now added a line of self-contained 250 to 300 watt cooling capacity liquid chillers. These contain the cooling assembly, brushless DC pump, digital read out with PWM temperature control, and powder coated aluminum enclosure. We can also provide the cooling (only) unit for customer specific applications. Our newest units compete directly with the power of compressor based systems with the benefits and reliability of a DC solid state system.