AC
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Alternating Current is the electricity that comes out of the wall as opposed to DC (Direct Current) which typically comes from a battery or electronics power supply. |
ACR Test
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Alternating Current Resistance Test. An electrical test to determine the resistance of a TEC by powering it with alternating current (AC). The current must be AC, for if it were DC, the cooler would actually be powered up and the cold side would start to get cold. This is undesirable since the resistance of a TEC changes with temperature. It is required during an ACR test that the resistance remain constant. The ACR test is the best and quickest way to determine the "health" of a TEC. High ACR measurements can be caused by cracks in the TE material or solder. Low ACR measurements are typically caused by shorts (i.e., some elements are electrically removed from the circuit. |
ACTIVE LOAD
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The amount of heat (in Watts) being generated by the device that is on top of the TE Cooler. Typically, this is the input power of this device (Voltage x current). |
ALUMINA
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Ceramics made of aluminum oxide (ALO). These ceramics are used on most of our standard TECs. A positive of ALO is that it is inexpensive and can be designed for snapstates instead of dice which considerably reduces production costs. Negative aspects of this material are its lower thermal conductivity and it is difficult to use in 3 to 6 stage coolers. |
AMBIENT TEMPERATURE
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Temperature of the air or environment surrounding a thermoelectric cooling system; sometimes called room temperature. |
ASPECT RATIO
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The numerical ratio of the length (height) to cross-sectional area of a thermoelectric element. An element’s L/A aspect ratio is inversely proportional to its optimum current. |