Laird has expanded its thermoelectric assembly (TEA) product offering to better support heating and cooling of analytical and medical instrumentation. The trend to miniaturize analytical and medical instruments to free up precious lab space has led engineers to pack more functionality into a smaller footprint. This increases the heat flux density and thermal challenges. Waste heat must be efficiently managed to minimize heating areas requiring cooling. Increased cooling performance needs to be offset with a quieter operation to not disturb the lab technician. For systems that require refrigeration, such as incubators, centrifuges, liquid chromatography and chemical analyzers, temperature control systems play an important role in optimization of test results. One popular cooling solution enables OEMs to meet these thermal challenges by utilizing TEAs with integrated temperature control. The Tunnel Series TEA now offers an expanded line of cooling capacities ranging up to 100 watts with higher efficiencies that run quieter.
When combined with an advanced SR-54 Series temperature controller, the Tunnel Series TEA offers temperature control to within +/- 1 degree C. The SR-54 temperature controller also provides monitoring and alarm functionality to identify a problematic fan, thermoelectric module, over-temperature thermostat and temperature sensor failure all of which are critical to maximize medical equipment uptime. The controller requires minimal programming and can be easily adhered to a TEA or system enclosure. The controller also lowers operational noise, as fan speeds can be lowered once the specified temperature has been reached.
Laird’s Tunnel Series use either an air-to-air or direct-to-air heat transfer mechanisms designed with optimized thermoelectric modules (TEMs) for high efficiency and brand names fans for low noise and improved reliability. Additional design features include improved sealing to prevent moisture intrusion when running below dew point conditions and reduced number of airflow paths required to operate more efficiently compared to traditional impingement flow TEAs.
“The space constraints for analytical and medical instrumentation equipment require that the thermal solution deliver precise temperature control with condensation protection in a small package. The compact Tunnel Series TEA not only meets size requirements but also offers faster temperature ramp rates, better efficiency, and lower noise operation,” said Anders Kottenauer, Senior Vice President of Laird’s Thermal Systems Business.
