this post was submitted on 21 May 2025
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[–] marius@feddit.org 95 points 1 month ago (2 children)

The post headline is BS. It's 70% more efficient than other thermoelectric materials. Not compared to current compressor fridges. Also no device ever can be powered by its ambient temperature, because thermodynamics says no

[–] huppakee@lemm.ee 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Thanks it got me confused, seemed so good that it had to be false but the title was also not very clickbaity.

Edit: opened the article anyway, this is the actual title above the article: Thin film thermoelectric cooling built with semiconductor process technology

[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think the userbase of a community being clueless enough to tend to upvote anything vaguely good-sounding is a big factor in me eventually deciding to unsubscribe from that community. It doesn't seem like it is a fixable problem once it develops.

[–] SchizoDenji@lemm.ee 1 points 1 month ago

It's a big problem with reddit like forums where the comments are highlighted and much more densely presented than the article itself.

Older forums avoided this (unintentionally) by not having any sorting on replies and keeping the density of replies, low.

[–] essell@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Hey, it works for the Voyager Space probes! 😏

[–] protist@mander.xyz 25 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Looking forward to a Technology Connections video debunking all these claims

[–] PhilipTheBucket@ponder.cat 14 points 1 month ago (1 children)

He already did. "Thermoelectic cooling: It's not great."

"There's just one little issue with this technology. It's not very good. Like, at all."

[–] Raiderkev@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

I was looking at the thumbnail and wondering if it was these. Yeah, imma go with Alec on this one.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 23 points 1 month ago (3 children)

These are just Peltier cooling mechanisms highly refined it seems. If they've increased the efficiency enough that a full-sized refrigerator can keep food cool without refrigerant or a constant electrical signal, that's huge. AFAIK Peltier coolers still need some electrical input, though minimal.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 26 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Peltier is horribly inefficient though.

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 2 points 1 month ago (3 children)

Efficient enough to run a fan from the heat of my woodstove, so it's got that going for it. And there are 12V coolers people keep in their cars. How efficient does it need to be? If they've improved on standard peltier junctions, maybe it is worth it. Why so negative?

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

They suck and die all the time. It's a money grab upgrade like paint protection coating.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CnMRePtHMZY

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

These aren't the same thing as a proper Peltier mechanism as you'd expect it to be implemented with a quality build. These are cheaply built evaporative coolers, not an industrial design.

I've deployed industrial units for outdoor enclosures that run on solar with no battery in places that get up to 115F during the day and do decrease the temp of an enclosure by 15-25F. They aren't cheap, but they do work better than those shitty things referenced in your link.

[–] Pistcow@lemm.ee 3 points 1 month ago

That's cool. Figured there had to be an industrial option which is always costly. So as soon as cost comes down for consumer grade that'll be nice.

[–] knightly@pawb.social 5 points 1 month ago

You don't need a peltier for that, a woodstove- stirling engine -powered fan would do just fine.

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 1 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I've used 12v coolers. They don't cool, at best they maintain temp, under the right conditions.

How efficient does it have to be? It needs to at least equal compressors.

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 17 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I'm calling bullshit. There's no way a Peltier element can exceed the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration cycle, at an affordable price, without turning the room into a hothouse.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 6 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I’m calling bullshit.

Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal, Nature.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59698-y

[–] rtxn@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I'm not questioning the findings. I'm questioning the article, and your interpretation to arrive at such a summary.

APL plans to continue to partner with organizations to refine the CHESS thermoelectric materials with a focus on boosting efficiency to approach that of conventional mechanical systems

energy-harvesting technologies for applications ranging from computers to spacecraft

70% improvement in efficiency in a fully integrated refrigeration system.

It's all potential, and possibilities, and future projections. I'm sure someone will find real world applications for it, but a fridge tacked out with Peltier tiles that draws energy from its ambient environment (while actively ruining the thermal gradient by the way) is ludicrous.

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io -1 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Umm, a typical refrigerator cranks out a lot of heat. Why would would this be less efficient than that?

[–] zr0@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Check the efficiency of heat pumps.

[–] Atelopus-zeteki@fedia.io 3 points 1 month ago

Read the paper, it's linked below. This is solid state, there's no refrigerant. Heat pumps are efficient, and this IS a heat pump, which is far more efficient than the old school heat pump that uses a 'refrigeration cycle'. I'm with you on being skeptical, and it may be a long time from 'discovery' to production of a saleable device, but this IS a legit significant breakthrough.

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Modern refrigerators only generate heat through the capture by refrigerant inside and the pump circulating air. Without those, it's a different story. A Peltier cooling device works similarly, but I can see it being more efficient overall since you would know where the heat ends up. Think car radiator or CPU heatsink. Same basic concept.

[–] Lugh@futurology.today 4 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

without refrigerant

Yes, they say this does away with the need for compressors or refrigerants.

"This cools by using electrons to move heat through specialized semiconductor materials, eliminating the need for moving parts or challenging coolant liquids."

[–] just_another_person@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

Yes, that's a Peltier device by definition. The efficiency of them as of now are not great, so the big news here, if reproducible is that they've refined a process that gets them up to 70%.

Huge if true.

[–] KnightontheSun@sh.itjust.works 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I don't mind Samsung TVs, but it'd be a cold day in hell before I ever buy a Samsung appliance. They are shite.

[–] adhocfungus@midwest.social 4 points 1 month ago

I was not aware of this and bought a Samsung washer and dryer set a few years ago. Noticed one day that the dryer would keep spinning after the cycle ended. Then noticed that it started spinning before I turned the dryer on. I quickly realized that it now spins any time the door is shut, even when off.

Looked online and this is apparently a known mechanical bug in several models due to cheap components. So I can either unplug it or keep the door open anytime it's not in use. Never buying another Samsung either.

[–] nokturne213@sopuli.xyz 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Energy efficiency sounds pretty woke to me.

Edit: for those down voting me; Trump Plans to Axe Decades-Old Energy Star Efficiency Program

[–] badbrainstorm@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago

But how will the poor energy companies profit?!?

[–] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Fridges are insanely efficient as it is. Can't wait to see what else this can be used for.

[–] Bosht@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

This would be fucking insane if true and gets scalable. If Samsung has the tech though those assholes are going to upcharge it to a luxury item and we'll never see it.

[–] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

Now if Samsung could only figure out the mysterious science behind making ice.