March 16, 2004
A: FROM MENTOR JOAN LUSK IN RI
I didn't know anything about the Peltier effect so off course I
Googled it and learned. It's very interesting - to be able to cool
(or heat) something with no moving machine parts and with no CFC's or
other possibly harmful gas, and at pretty good efficiency. the main
problem, at least with the semiconductor versions, is limitation of
the practical size of the thermoelectric heat pump.

The reverse of the Peltier effect, the Seeback effect, converts a
difference in temperature into an electrical current, and Seiko is
even selling a wristwatch powered by the heat of your wrist! that's
at http://www.sii.co.jp/info/eg/thermic_main.html
(that wristwatch ought to stop... short...(well, gradually) never to
go again... just like grandfather's clock; now there's a morbid
thought for you.)

These other sites have some diagrams you might find useful - as
inspiration for how to display your model. You could probably rig up
a model using a toy car. It sounds like fun!

http://www.marlow.com/TechnicalInfo/frequently_asked_questions_faqs.htm#top

http://www.nanothermel.org/public_main.htm

Incidentally, I just read somewhere that someone is selling an
aerosol can containing water with ~10% ethanol, to spray in a hot car
to cool it. the finely divided spray evaporates in the heat, using
up the latent heat of vaporization and cooling the car. Of course
the car is now humid and the driver perhaps would fail a breathalyzer
test...