EXPERIMENTAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND FEASIBILITY ASSESSMENT OF THERMOELECTRIC WATER HEATING SYSTEMS FOR LOW-VOLTAGE DC APPLICATIONS

Abstract

Water heating is among the most energy-consuming operations in residential and industrial setups, prompting the development of alternative, sustainable, and efficient methods of heating. This paper experimentally evaluates the operational performance of a low-voltage DC-powered thermoelectric water heating unit utilizing Peltier modules through key parameters such as heating time, energy utilization, heating rate, and coefficient of performance (COP).The results revealed that the thermoelectric water-heating unit took about 60 minutes to heat 1 liter of water from 25°C to 60°C, whereas the resistance water-heating unit completed the same task in only 15 minutes. Energy utilization by the thermoelectric unit was higher at 0.835 kWh than that of the resistance unit at 0.500 kWh. In addition, the COP analysis indicated lower energy efficiency for the thermoelectric heating system. Nonetheless, the thermoelectric water heating unit had the capability of controlling water heating in low-voltage DC electrical operation. It can be seen that a thermoelectric water heating system is possible for use in portable, non-conventional, and grid-free heating applications, prioritizing safety and compactness over heating rate and energy efficiency.