I just got a Peltier (thermo-electric cooler, TEC) cooler for my computer, and wonder if it would be effective (not the cooler, the principle) to cool down the IC?
Theoretically, you could put Peltier wafers between every channel in the IC. You still need a radiator, but it could be mounted under the bumper like a water2air unit.
or not...

 

I've used phase changing cooling for my pc as well. I eventually gave up on peltier units and i am now using an r-404 based systed called a mach.

Peltier units are great for making things cold, but the problem i had with them is... as extreme as one side is cold... the other side is hot. This is why I changed to r-404 as i am generally looking for temps under -45 for my pc. I have however often thought about using some of the things i have learned in extreme overclocking/cooling in car parts.

Would it work... maybe... would it consume a MASSIVE amount of electricity to cool the entire ic surface... most definatly. I wouldn't be suprised if you chewed up a kilowatt or more getting that kind of juice through a peltier that big.

 

If I recall correctly the Peltier effect coolers have a max efficiency of around 33%...so you'd end up with three times the heat somewhere (essentially under the hood) that you'd have to get rid of. And of course you'd have to generate the electricity to run it as well. A water to air intercooler would most likely be much more workable.

 

The heat transfer of the Peltier is no problem...just get MSFITOY to make a huge bonnet heat sink and you're all set! And yes, the efficency of this type of thermo-electric cooling is very poor...especially for the size of application we are talking about.

Here's an article...been tried: http://autospeed.drive.com.au/cms/article.html?&A=2088

 

Just posted in the other thread, shuda read this 1 first. The Prim-drk, gmcdonnell & SayGoodby all posted reality. The IC is beyond the capability of a peltier unless you have $$$$$$$ to spend. Even then you still won't beat the STI up the street.......

 

Paging Gandini! The doctor is ready to see you now.

 

I'm thinking carbon fiber is out, and big fins (lots of 'em) are back!
Might be a biatch in crosswinds, though.

 

I had a similar idea a couple of months ago when I got a DDM CAI. I was thinking about attaching a Peltier cooler to one of the metal sides of the CAI, and then using a heat pipe to move the heat off the hot side of the Peltier to some place I could dissipate it. But I couldn't take the throttle body whistle, so I went back to a plastic intake housing

I doubt it would have had any substantial effect on the air temp, but I think it would score really high on the mod whizbang-o-meter

 

Was wayching a show and they got on the topic of intercoolers. They stated that water IC units were in the past because you could never get the water temp to equal ambient air temp. They preferance was for air to air IC units.

Just thought I would share - interesting.