Thermal Management Assemblies
Air To Air Assemblies
An air to air assembly moves heat from the air inside a sealed enclosure to the air outside it, using thermoelectric modules clamped between two finned heat exchangers with fans on both sides.
Product Overview
How This Configuration Works
An air to air assembly moves heat from the air inside a sealed enclosure to the air outside it, using thermoelectric modules clamped between two finned heat exchangers with fans on both sides.
Because the loop is sealed, the internal air never mixes with outside air. Dust, salt and humidity stay outside, which is why this configuration is used for outdoor and dirty environments where a filtered fan would fail.
The whole assembly has no compressor and no refrigerant, works in any orientation and can heat as well as cool by reversing the module polarity, which matters for cold climate installations.
Key Benefits
Why This Configuration
Sealed Loop
Internal and external air paths are separate, so contamination and moisture never reach the electronics.
Any Orientation
No compressor and no refrigerant means the assembly can be mounted on a door, a roof or a side wall.
Heats And Cools
Reversing polarity turns the same assembly into a heater for cold start conditions.
Who It Is For
Who Uses It
- Telecommunications and outdoor cabinet designers
- Industrial control panel builders in dusty or humid plants
- Vending, kiosk and display OEMs
- Laboratory enclosure and small chamber designers
- Anyone replacing a filtered fan that keeps clogging
Problems It Solves
What It Solves
- Electronics overheating inside a sealed box that cannot be ventilated
- Filtered fans clogging and requiring service visits
- A compressor unit that is too large, too heavy or cannot be mounted in the available orientation
- Condensation forming inside an enclosure in humid climates
- Cold start problems where the same unit must warm the enclosure
Technical Features
Design Considerations
Two Exchangers
Cold side and hot side heat sinks are sized separately. The hot side always has to reject the load plus the module input power.
Fan Selection
Fan static pressure and airflow set the real thermal resistance of each exchanger, which usually dominates the result.
Condensation
Cold side surfaces below the dew point will condense. Plan drainage or keep the set point above dew point.
Control
Proportional control holds a set point more accurately and reduces cycling stress compared with on and off control.
Sealing
The enclosure has to be genuinely sealed for the configuration to make sense.
Mounting
Door, side or roof mounting each change the internal air circulation pattern.
Specifications
Specification
Assemblies are built around your duty point using modules from our own catalogue.
What We Need To Configure An Assembly
- Heat load to remove, in watts, and the temperature it must be held at
- Ambient temperature range and the worst case you must still work in
- Enclosure or process volume, and how the cold side is coupled to it
- Available supply voltage and current, and whether control is on and off or proportional
- Space envelope, mounting orientation and any ingress protection requirement
- Flow rate and coolant type, for any liquid coupled configuration
Assemblies are configured per project from our module catalogue rather than sold as fixed catalogue items, so capacity and dimensions are confirmed at quotation.
Catalogue Notes
| Data reference | All catalogue values are measured at a hot side temperature Th = 30 °C |
| Flatness | ±0.05 mm |
| Height tolerance | ±0.2 mm |
| Maximum compressive load | 1 MPa |
| Lead wire | 150 mm as default, other lengths and terminations on request |
| Sealing | Silicone gel seal. Specify if you do not want the module sealed |
Symbol Definitions
| Imax | Maximum input current in amperes at Qc = 0 and ΔTmax |
| Vmax | Maximum DC input voltage in volts at Qc = 0 and Imax |
| ΔTmax | Maximum temperature differential in °C at Qc = 0 and Imax |
| QcMax | Maximum heat pumping capacity in watts at Imax and ΔT = 0 |
| Th | Temperature of the hot side during operation |
| Tc | Temperature of the cold side during operation |
Materials And Construction
What Goes Into The Assembly
| Modules | TEC1 ceramic or TEA1 aluminium substrate modules from our own production |
| Interface | Thermal grease or graphite sheet, selected for the clamping method |
| Sealing | Silicone gel sealed modules, with condensate management on the cold side |
| Control | Temperature controller and thermistor, supplied as accessories |
| Test | Modules 100 % tested before assembly, assemblies functionally tested |
| Specification | Issued per project, to be confirmed at quotation |
Manufacturing Process
From Ingot To Finished Module
- Duty point review: heat load, set point, ambient and control method
- Module selection from the TEC1, TEA1 or TES1 catalogue
- Cold side and hot side exchanger sizing around the selected module
- Interface, sealing and condensation management
- Electrical design: supply, controller and sensor arrangement
- Build, test and documentation before shipment
Quality Control
Every Module Is Tested Before It Leaves The Line
Quality control runs from raw material procurement through crystal growth, pellet selection and module assembly to the dispatch of the finished product. All products are 100 % tested and inspected using test equipment sourced from an American thermoelectric company.
ISO 9001
Quality management system certified
SGS
European Union certification held by the manufacturing company
RoHS
All thermoelectric modules are RoHS compliant
100 % tested
Every module is tested and inspected before dispatch
Customization Options
Configured, Not Catalogued
Every assembly is put together from our module range around the load you actually have.
Capacity
Module count and size chosen for your heat load and delta-T.
Supply And Control
Built for the voltage you have, with proportional or on and off control.
Mechanical Integration
Mounting, orientation, sealing and service access designed in.
Comparison With Other Products
Compared With The Other Configurations
| Configuration | Cold side | Hot side | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air to air | Air | Air | A sealed enclosure has to be cooled below ambient with no plumbing |
| Air to liquid | Air | Liquid | Heat must leave the area entirely, or ambient air is hot or dirty |
| Liquid to liquid | Liquid | Liquid | A circulating fluid loop needs to be conditioned |
| Plate to plate | Conduction | Conduction | The load bolts straight to a cold plate and space is tight |
Use Guide
Making It Work In The Field
- Confirm the enclosure is actually sealed. An air to air assembly on a leaky box will fight the whole ambient load.
- Add up the internal dissipation and the solar or radiant gain, not just the electronics load.
- Give the hot side heat sink room to breathe. Recirculation of its own exhaust is the most common installation error.
- Set the cold side target above the dew point where possible, or provide a drain path.
- Use a controller with a thermistor rather than a fixed voltage, so the assembly modulates instead of cycling.
- Check the supply can deliver the module current at the worst case ambient, not the nominal one.
Related Products
Other Parts Of The Range
TEC Standard Peltier Modules
158 catalogue sizes from 10×10 mm to 80×120 mm, Qmax 1.6 to 480 W.
Learn more
TEA Aluminium Substrate Modules
A 122 W/m·K substrate that raises efficiency 30 to 50 %.
Learn more
TE Accessories
Power supplies, controllers, thermistors and thermal interface materials.
Learn moreRelated Applications And Guides
Where This Product Is Used
How To Select A Peltier Module
Turn a heat load and a delta-T into a shortlist of part numbers.
Learn more
Peltier Module Installation Guide
Mounting force, flatness, thermal interface and sealing.
Learn more
Thermoelectric Module Reliability
Why our modules reach 300,000 hours and what shortens that.
Learn moreFAQ
Frequently Asked Questions About Air To Air Assemblies
How much heat can an air to air assembly move?
That depends on the module count, the exchangers and the delta-T you need. Send us the internal dissipation and the ambient range and we will configure a unit around modules from our catalogue.
Can it cool below ambient?
Yes, that is the point of a thermoelectric assembly rather than a fan. How far below ambient depends on the heat load and the delta-T the assembly is designed for.
Will it also heat the enclosure?
Reversing the polarity of the modules turns cooling into heating, which is a normal requirement for outdoor equipment that must start in freezing conditions. Say so at the enquiry stage so the controller and wiring suit it.
What maintenance does it need?
The thermoelectric modules have no moving parts. The fans are the wear items, and the external exchanger needs to stay clear of debris.
Send Us Your Heat Load
Tell us the watts to remove, the temperature to hold and the ambient you have to survive. We will configure the assembly around modules from our own production.
No forms. Messages reach our engineering desk directly. Reply within 24 hours, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00 Beijing time.