While Peltier devices are less efficient than a compressor/heat pump, they are a lot quieter due to being completely solid state. Comparing the two technologies is tempting but the applications can be very different.

Since these devices can also produce power given a heat differential, they are used in spaces where you need just a little power and heat is readily available.

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privatelypublic 11 hours ago | parent [-]

By far their most useful application is precision thermal control. Need that LED or laser to be within 0.05C to maintain its wavelength? Literally nothing else can do it.

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estimator7292 11 hours ago | parent [-]

Also camera sensors. AFAIK most (all?) high speed sensors are actively cooled with TEC. All high sensitivity cameras are, most telescopes and satellite cameras also i think

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privatelypublic 6 hours ago | parent | next [-]

Yea, plenty of cameras need precise temperature control too. A laser or LED shifting spectra is just the easiest and most accessible example I could think of.

Highspeed needing it is a head scratcher though. Best I can come up with is the sensor needs relatively low temperatures, that or as the frame gets smaller on the sensor to up the framerate the power density goes nuts.

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pfdietz 9 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Also sensors with long exposure times, which are cooled to reduce the dark current. Amateur telescope camera chips are often actively cooled for long exposures.

	▲	throwaway984393 8 hours ago \| parent [-]
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metalman 10 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

interesting to know that there are actual critical applications for this technology though it does have limitations as I think the JWST is cooled with some sort of exotic compressor useing liquid helium, though perhaps a solid state device is part of the stack as they are after a very low, very stable temperature

	▲	privatelypublic 6 hours ago \| parent [-]
		JWST is special in that it needs to avoid radiated photons for its IR images.