METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DETERMINATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF RELIABILITY OF A THERMO-ELECTRIC COOLER

The invention relates to refrigeration engineering, in particular to thermo-electric cooling devices principle of operation of which is based on Peltier effect. A method for determination of characteristics of reliability of a thermoelectric cooler includes supply of direct current to inputs of thermoelectric cooler with determination of cold productivity by temperature drop between the hot and cold electrodes. On the cold electrode of the thermoelectric cooler that operates with circuit of thermo-stabilization one generates a heat pulse of normalized energy with power 5-10% of maximum cold productivity and with duration equal to heat time constant - 2-4 s, and after its termination one analyses temperature change on the cold electrode of thermoelectric cooler, with making decision on work capacity of thermoelectric cooler under condition that temperature on the cold electrode comes to the value of initial temperature of heat pulse of normalized energy supply, and by the value of constant temperature on the cold electrode after the end of transition process of thermo-stabilization and comparison of feeding current of the thermoelectric cooler with collected before evidences at that very conditions one predicts probability that reliability parameters go out of permitted boundaries. A device for determination of characteristics of reliability of the thermoelectric cooler includes a thermo-electric cooler that includes the hot and the cold electrodes, with temperature sensor applied to the cold electrode, system of thermo-stabilization of the cold electrode of the thermoelectric cooler connected by feedback circuit to temperature sensor, at that the device additionally includes a block for formation of test pulse, a heater connected to the thermoelectric cooler applied to the cold electrode, and microprocessor analyzer, at that the input of the first analog-to-digital converter of that one is connected to the temperature sensor, the input of the second analog-to-digital converter is connected to the output of the thermo-stabilization system, control output of the microprocessor analyzer is connected to the start input of the block for formation of the test pulse, and information output of the microprocessor analyzer is the output of the decision making device for prediction of characteristics of reliability of the thermoelectric cooler. Control of state of thermoelectric cooler in process of operation is achieved, with determination of characteristics of reli