Cooling Element
A cooling element is a device used to maintain a product’s temperature below the desired value. dometic parts It can be used to keep foods, drinks and medicines cold and is often included in coolers or cooler bags for transport.
It is possible to choose from various cooling elements, depending on the specific application and the desired temperature range. Regular cooling elements are designed to maintain the temperature of goods between 2 and 8 degrees centigrade. Phase Change Material can be used to provide a lower temperature and is ideal for keeping goods below -21 degrees centigrade.
Shape-Retaining Chilled Elements
The most common type of shape-retaining chilled elements is the foam brick. It consists of a block of foam and cooling gel in a strong, vacuum packed casing.
Foambricks are often used in the medical sector and fit well into compact spaces. They also remain shaped even under very hot and cold conditions, making them a good thermal solution.
They are also very durable and can be transported repeatedly without damage.
These type of chilled elements are suitable for transports of up to 24 hours, depending on the goods being transported and the type of packaging used. They are often used in the food industry (fish, meat and AGF) as well as in web shops and the medical sector.
A second type of cooling element is a thermoelectric device, sometimes called a Peltier cooler. It is a solid state Peltier device that uses the Peltier effect to create a heat flux in the junction of two different types of materials.
The Peltier effect is an electrical flow of current through alternating p & n-type semiconductor pillars that create a temperature difference across the junction. The p-type pillars absorb the heat while the n-type pillars release it.
Other types of solid-state cooling devices use a combination of both n-type and p-type semiconductors. They are usually arranged in parallel and electrically in series, with the thermally conducting plate on each side of the semiconductors being ceramic, removing the need for a separate insulator.
Some cooling elements are characterized by the fact that they consist of two layers of foil material between which an intermediate layer of liquid-absorbing, vapour-releasing material is accommodated. These layers are fastened to one another by means of welded connections such that a compartment is formed between the two foil layers and the welded connections.
This is preferably rounded at the corners and ends of the welded connections, which prevents stress concentrations in the foil material adjacent the welded connections from forming tears that could deform the cooling element during use. This reduces the likelihood of the welded connection from being damaged, so that the entire element can be resold or recycled and its useful life extended.
Alternatively, additional welded connections may be provided between the layers of foil material within the circumference of the compartment. This keeps the foil materials better together than if only the edges necessary for forming the compartment were welded to one another, thereby making the overall assembly stronger. This will also help to prevent the intermediate layer from being folded or crumpled, which could cause it to lose its shape and extend over its surface area.