Surface temperature distribution of aluminum fins heated using thermoelectric

The thermoelectric device has advantages for heating and cooling element. The thermoelectric can be used easily as a heater. In applications for small volumes, the temperature distribution of the heating element is necessary to ensure that different samples at different locations receive the same heat treatment. This experiment shows an aluminum fin's temperature distribution heated using different heat amount. TEC-12706 was used to heat an aluminum fin with a dimension of 40x40x20 mm. The aluminum was placed in an chamber made using a 3D printer with a material of ABS. The surface temperature distribution of the aluminum fin was measured using a thermal camera Fluke-Ti20S. The measurement data showed that the fin's surface temperature is not the same at all points at the surface, especially the center and the edge. During the heating process, the temperature at the aluminum fin's center has a higher temperature than the fin's edge. The lower the duty cycle used, the better the temperature distribution on the heatsink. For 50% duty cycle or more, the temperature variation in the middle with a square dimension of 20x20 mm has a temperature variation of less than 1°C. Therefore, if the temperature distribution between points is important, it is recommended to use an aluminum fin around the center.