As the project lead of a team of two for my Electrical Engineering Senior Project at Georgia Southern University, I led the research and development of the Peltice device. The goal was to create a refrigerated drink dispenser using Peltier modules instead of a compressor for cooling to make the device more sustainable. I used my experience in graphic design to create a brand for our project, which included a Wordmark, Logo, and style guides.
My group's research paper regarding the design process and results for Peltice.
Introduction
Peltier modules are thermocouples that apply a cooling effect to different types of systems by utilizing the Peltier effect. The Peltier effect generates or absorbs heat by passing an electrical current through two dissimilar conductors. Unlike compressor systems used in refrigerators, Peltiers contain no moving parts, are vibration-free, and small in size, making them very reliable and durable.
The Peltice device build.
Branding
My team and I chose the name Peltice for our device by combining the words "peltier" and "ice" since both were essential to the product. I created a Wordmark that gave off a chilling effect by using an icy blue gradient for the word "ice." As the project was for an electrical engineering course, I added a thunderbolt between the letters "L" and "T" in Peltice to represent electricity.
Name Choice & Wordmark Design
Peltice Wordmark design.
LOGo Design
For the Peltice logo, I incorporated features of a Peltier device such as its square shape, rectangular thermocouples, and ability to freeze humidity. The diamond in the logo represents the Peltier device, while the icicle features at the bottom represent its freezing effect. The "P" in the logo stands for Peltice and features a degree symbol before it.
Peltice Logo design.
A peltier device.
A peltier device with ice frozen over due to it being powered.
The inside build of a peltier device.
Design
The Peltice device consists of four systems:
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Control System
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Cooling Loop (Heat Absorption)
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Liquid Cooling (Heat Dissipation)
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Drink Dispensing.
The Control System uses sensors to protect the device from failure, perform temperature calculations, and provide information to the user. The Cooling Loop focuses on circulating water through the heat absorption side of the Peltier modules. Liquid Cooling uses a method of cooling to control system heat, while the Drink Dispensing system uses a Peristaltic Pump to pump a desired volume of the drink into a cup, activated by a proximity sensor.
Systems
A diagram of the Peltice build.
Control Programming Flowchart
To ensure the device operates efficiently, a control programming flowchart was developed to outline the program process.
A flowchart describing the functionality of the Peltice code.
results
The final data received from the Peltice device showed that it was able to bring the product's temperature from 68 F to 49 F in 2 hours when there were 5 gallons of water inside the container, 1 gallon of ice was used, and the room temperature was 71F. Figure 1 shows a comparison of the Peltice device with the ordinary way of adding ice to a cooler. The data demonstrated that the temperature in the Cooling Loop Water Reservoir was held at 33 F for about 1.5 hours before giving way to the heat from the juice.
Figure 1. Peltice vs. Ordinary Cooling
Figure 2. Peltice Current Consumption
Figure 3. Peltier Module Temperature Stabilization
Conclusion
To sum up, while we have seen some impressive results with the new system, it is important to recognize that it is not without its limitations. One such limitation is its lack of cost-effectiveness compared to other options. Additionally, we have learned that it consumes a significant amount of electrical power, which could impact its overall sustainability. Despite these challenges, we remain optimistic about the potential of the system and will continue to explore ways to optimize its performance in the future.
The design of our research poster board for our final showcase.
