Hey there,
So I recently started learning Arduino because of a class and we want to make a temperatur regulator for a small environment. We ended up getting a TEC1-12706 peltier thermo module. We want to connect it to an Arduino Uno R4. However the site we ordered the thermo module from says it has a working range of 0-15V and 0-6A. If we try to connect this to the arduino will it use just the 5V that the arduino can give or will it try to use more and fry the arduino?
Any help is appreciated
You need a driver for that device, because of both voltage and current.
Check out adafruit: Peltier Thermo-Electric Cooler Module+Heatsink Assembly - 12V 5A : ID 1335 : Adafruit Industries, Unique & fun DIY electronics and kits
At that link, they also have a nice little project for a chilled drink dispenser. It will show you how to build a circuit with a proper power supply and MOSFETs to power the whole thing.
Did your class also study how Peltier device operate? Did they also study how to use them? And did they ever mention the internal heat generated by the device needs to be removed using heat sinks? I sure hope you bought more than one device. I remember destroying several before I understood the device.
Yes. Devices draw current, depending on the supply voltage and their characteristics.
The 5V Arduino output is intended for at most a couple of low power sensors or LEDs, and cannot be used for high power devices like motors, servos and Peltier devices.
We have not learned anything about them. In the class itself we learned simple things like controlling LED's and we are tasked with a bigger project where we have to make something ourselves. Allthough i understand the principles of the device im not sure about the physics behind the voltages and power and whether or not the arduino will be able to survive
If you carefully follow the power supply and controller instructions in the tutorial linked in reply #3, it will survive. But that won't teach you anything about Ohm's law, or the other rules of basic electronic circuits.
If you learn nothing else, learn that an Arduino is not a power supply!
I don't know which and how many components you have. But I have looked at what we have at school, and what we learned the previous year. All the components are chosen in such a way that they fit together best.
The diode doesn't have a name, because you can take any. As long as it can pass at least 30V. This component is placed in such a way that it does nothing until you switch the relay. It will cancel out all the self induction voltages from the relay.
The LED just indicates if the relay is switched on or off.
The big blue cube in the middle of the paper is the relay. It will switch the peltier element on and off.
The whole circuit just needs +15V and the Arduino signal at the +5V input. I have included all the calculations. But because I am Belgian, all the symbols and names are the way we learned them. I am in my last year of high school, so I think it isn't that difficult. And of course it can be done much better. But this is the way I learned it and would do it.
If you have any questions, please ask them. I would be happy to answer.
I would suggest adding a temperature sensor on the element, as a back-up. So the Arduino can shut down the element before it fries itself. This sensor can just go to one of the analog pins and be read by the Arduino
I know for sure that the hot side will get hot enough to burn your finger 1 second after power is applied to the Peltier element.
Is a peltier device even the right option to change the temperature by a few degrees in a small environment (20x20x20cm). I just dont see any other devices that are made to adjust temperatures
That depends. Are you trying to heat or cool your enviroment?
Mainly heat, cooling can always be aqquired with some fans blowing the warmer air out somewhere
You could just use a big resistor.
A 5W or 10W will provide plenty of heat
Of course a peltier will also work.
I will look into that, thank you
you'll still need some kind of circuit, else it will still fry your Arduino.
Whether you can use a resistor or need a peltier depends on quite a few variables, the insulation on your box, how fast you want to heat to come up, how hot it has to go and how precise the temperature need to be maintained.
For very precise control you can use a peltier to both cool and heat. However, a resistor and MOSFET may be all you need. You can use PWM to control the heat generated by the resistor.
What temperature range?
15-25 celcius probably. Preferably accurate to a single degree
