Engineering RFQ guide · Australia & New Zealand

TEC Cold Plate RFQ: Heat Balance & Interfaces

Prepare a useful quotation package for a liquid-cooled thermoelectric assembly. Separate the cold-side load from the hot-side rejection duty, then define the mechanical stack and controller boundary for your AU/NZ laboratory or equipment project.

Prepare your RFQ Use the checklist

Project preparation guidance. Examples are illustrative, not ToneCooling product ratings.

Rectangular liquid cold plate rendering with two side hose fittings — Liquid cold plate construction reference. No thermoelectric module or controller is shown; the image does not establish a TEC rating or approved module fit.

What heat load should the TEC hot-side plate handle?

At a steady operating point, the TEC hot side rejects the heat pumped from the cold side plus the electrical power entering the module: Qh = Qc + Pelec. Include parasitic heat in Qc and identify any additional heat entering the coolant circuit separately.

Define the thermal stack before choosing a plate

RFQ field	Information to provide	Decision it supports
Cold-side duty	Useful load, parasitic loads, pull-down time and steady operating cases.	Distinguishes cooling demand from module electrical input.
Temperature limits	Required object temperature, sensor location, allowable variation and start conditions.	Sets the controlled variable; object and ceramic temperatures can differ.
TEC operating point	Module part number, quantity, hot/cold face temperatures, current and voltage.	Allows review against the module manufacturer’s curves.
Liquid circuit	Fluid product, concentration, inlet-temperature range, flow and pressure budget.	Defines the heat-rejection boundary and wetted-material review.
Mechanical stack	Module footprint, flatness, TIM, clamping method and package load limit.	Supports contact and tolerance review without assuming universal mounting torque.

Cooled objectUseful load + parasitic heat = Qc

↓ Heat absorbed at the cold face

Thermoelectric moduleElectrical input Pelec = V × I at the operating point

↓ Hot-side rejection Qh = Qc + Pelec

Liquid-cooled hot-side plateContact interface → plate → coolant

Energy-flow concept. This is not a cross-section of the reference plate or an electrical wiring diagram.

Worked example: 80 W of cooling is not an 80 W plate duty

Illustrative steady-state calculation. Assume the total cold-side load is 80 W and the module receives 120 W of electrical power at the same operating point. The hot-side duty is 80 + 120 = 200 W. If 80 W describes only the useful load, add parasitic loads before using this calculation.

This balance does not select a TEC. The proposed module still has to pump the required Qc at its actual temperature difference and electrical operating point. A maximum cooling-capacity figure at zero temperature difference cannot be carried across to a colder target unchanged.

For a simplified initial resistance budget, if the allowed module hot-face temperature is 40°C and the specified coolant reference temperature is 25°C, the total hot-face-to-coolant resistance at 200 W must be no more than (40 − 25) / 200 = 0.075 K/W. This illustrative budget includes the hot-side contact interface and plate path. Define whether the supplier’s resistance is referenced to inlet, mean or local coolant temperature before comparing it; account for coolant warming and non-uniform contact separately.

Control moisture, contact and the sensor location together

For an instrument installed in Melbourne, Auckland or another AU/NZ site, specify the actual enclosure temperature and humidity. A cold surface below the local dew point can collect moisture. Allocate insulation, sealing, purge requirements and condensation detection to the system designer; a bare plate is not a complete moisture-control solution.

State where temperature is measured: the specimen, a spreader, the module ceramic or the plate. Agree sensor attachment and calibration, cable routing and the control response to a disconnected sensor or loss of coolant. Identify whether controllers, power supplies and TEC modules are customer-supplied or part of the requested assembly.

Accept the complete operating condition

Thermal response

Record pull-down, stability and overshoot at the agreed load and coolant boundary. Test the relevant initial temperature as well as steady operation.

Assembly integrity

Check clamping, flatness, TIM coverage and module loading against the selected module instructions. Agree fluid leak-test conditions independently.

Control handover

Assign sensor calibration, power limits and fault responses. A plate pressure test does not validate the completed temperature-control instrument.

Sources and related product scope

These references support the selection method. They do not validate a ToneCooling configuration or establish interchangeability.

Ferrotec: heat sink considerations — Hot-side rejection includes pumped heat and electrical input.
Ferrotec: thermal system design — Background for system thermal loads and design boundaries.

TEC cold plate product scope

Use the product page for component supply; this guide prepares the thermal specification.

Test-fixture contact heads

For drawing-led package contact, force and measurement requirements.

Source review: 21 September 2026. Use the selected component’s current controlled datasheet and drawing for procurement.

Drawing-led enquiry

Request a TEC cold-plate review

Request the plate alone or list the required TECs, sensors, interfaces and mounting parts. Controller design, power supply and complete instrument qualification require an explicit supply agreement.

Prepare my enquiry by email

Opens an editable email checklist; nothing is sent automatically. Attach your drawings before sending. NDA arrangements can be agreed before you share confidential files.

Include these project inputs

Object temperature, sensor position and load versus time
Parasitic loads and insulation / moisture-control scope
TEC part number, count, voltage, current and operating temperatures
Stack drawing, TIM, clamping and allowable module load
Coolant product, inlet temperatures, flow and pressure limits

ToneCooling Australia Pty Ltd coordinates Australian and New Zealand enquiries; manufacturing is in Huizhou, Guangdong, China. Include the destination postcode and required delivery date. Currency, freight, lead time and included inspection documents are confirmed in the quotation.

Engineering questions

Can I size the hot-side plate from the TEC Qmax rating?

No. Qmax is tied to specified test conditions. Use the intended cold-side load and electrical input at the actual hot/cold face temperatures, then review the selected module curves.

Is the coolant inlet temperature the module hot-face temperature?

No. Contact and plate thermal resistance, coolant warming and local heat flux create temperature differences. State measurement locations and the resistance reference.

Can this checklist guarantee a below-ambient target?

No. It organises the required inputs. Module selection, moisture control and measured system performance must still be verified.