Controlling Thermoelectric Assemblies for Optimal Performance

Laird Technologies, Inc. today announced the new SR-54 Series Bi-Directional Programmable Controller for Thermoelectric Assemblies (TEAs) with built-in monitoring and control intelligence. Standard off-the-shelf controllers are too complex or do not have basic alarm and control features required to run a TEA effectively. With the new SR-54, Laird has created a ready-to-use, customizable, Thermoelectric Controller with built-in monitory and control intelligence.

With Laird’s SR-54, alarm features can be programmed to identify a problematic fan, thermoelectric module, over-temperature thermostat and temperature sensor failure, all of which are critical to maximizing system uptime.

The controller is designed to complement thermoelectric-based thermal management of medical diagnostic, analytical instrumentation and mobile infrastructure cooling/heating applications where maximum uptime and optimal performance are top priorities. All programming is conducted in-house by Laird engineering to the customer's unique requirements.

"Up to now, most customers looking for monitoring and control capability were required to design their own systems from the ground up, which is an expensive and time consuming proposition," stated Anders Kottenauer, Senior Vice President of Laird's Engineered Thermal Systems unit. "Engineers can save hundreds of product development hours by installing this ready-to-use controller that has been optimized to run our thermoelectric assemblies."

The SR-54 Programmable Controller is a microcontroller-based device that drives TEA’s to exact temperature set points in cooling and heating mode. The controller can accommodate up to three NTC thermistors and can control temperature to within ± 0.15°C under steady state conditions. The ready-to-use controller requires minimal programming out of the box and can be easily adhered to a TEA or system enclosure.

Key system features include: Designed for thermal management systems seeking closed loop feedback control; Input power accommodates a supply voltage ranging from 16- to 60-Vdc;Output power supports TEMs and three dc fans with a maximum available current of 20A; Additional outputs provide an LED feature that displays the health of the TEA; Fans can be controlled for noise optimization ; and Hardware circuit protection guards against reverse polarity conditions.