Principle
When direct
current flows through a Peltier element, one side heats up and the
other side cools down. Based on this characteristic, the mode of
operation of a heat pump can be explained. The hot side is not only
heated by the electric current, but also by the fact that the other
side cools down. Energy is "pumped" from the cold side to the hot
side. In this experiment, the temperatures and electric work are
measured as a function of time. Based on these values, the
electrical energy and thermal energy on both sides can be
determined and the coefficient of performance as well as the
efficiency can be calculated.
