Heat Issues - Thermoelectric coolers

[coreo]

Has anybody thought about using a couple of these in your projector, with a heat sink and fan attached. Or do you think it's overkill?

Thermoelectric 1

Thermoelectric 2

I'm thinking about getting a couple..

[corryn00]

That is an awesome idea! PJ AC

[pvtparts]

I've played about with these before; the biggest problem is condensation if your surface temp is significantly different from the ambient temp (just 17'C of difference produced significant condensation in my case).

Its quite shocking the ammount of water these things can produce from 'thin air'. There are ways around it such as keeping the ambient temperature high over the heatsink etc but it tends to produce problems.

These miniature heat-pumps are really a product looking for an application; they're an absolute nightmare in terms of power requirement and condensation causing rust etc.

They can also be dangerous if an incorrect rating of heat-pump is used for any given application (they can draw higher levels of current than their rating and cause heating).

[doughboy]

I have used TECs for PC cooling. They do their job but add a lot of extra work and complication to a design. With a decent IR filter setup and a couple fans, heat shouldnt be much of an issue with DIY. Heres an older tec thread.