A thermally controllable cupholder that is advantageously designed for marine and other outdoor implementations. The thermally controllable cupholder includes a beverage receptacle and a thermal control device configured to change a temperature of the beverage receptacle. In one embodiment, the cupholder includes a drain passageway and a drain hole that connects the beverage receptacle to the drain passageway. In one embodiment, the cupholder includes a perforated heat sink to promote the thermal conductivity of the thermal control device.

A cooling system includes a plurality of sensor sub-units arranged in a grid having first sides configured to be thermally connected to a heat source and opposing second sides. The heat source including a plurality of sub-regions that correspond with the first sides of each of the plurality of sensor sub-units. The plurality of sensor sub-units are configured to sample temperatures of the sub-regions of the heat source. The cooling system also includes a plurality of solid-state cooling sub-units configured to dissipate heat, a plurality of heat exchanger channels and a controller configured to determine the one or more sub-regions of the heat source to cool. Each heat exchanger channel is configured to dissipate heat. At least one surface of at least one of the heat exchanger channels includes a coating configured to boost conversion of heat energy being dissipated into infrared radiation.

A heat dissipation module and a heat dissipation method thereof are provided. A cold side of a thermoelectric cooler is disposed on a heat conducting member. A processing circuit controls a voltage control circuit to provide an output voltage to the thermoelectric cooler according to a temperature sensing signal generated by a temperature sensor sensing a temperature of the heat conducting member, so as to adjust a temperature of the cold side of the thermoelectric cooler to dissipate heat for a heat source.

A portable medical refrigerator is provided that includes a cooling chamber having a housing, insulation and a cavity, where the insulation dissipates heat from the cooling chamber and insulates the cooling chamber, where the insulation includes a material and thickness disposed to hold the cooling chamber at a desired temperature, where the thickness of the insulation is according to an amount of heat entering the cooling chamber from the ambient surroundings, a thermoelectric cooling (TEC) device having a heat sink fan, and a planar heat pipe, where a first end of the planar heat pipe is connected to the cooling chamber and a second end of the planar heat pipe is connected to the TEC, where the TEC is disposed away from the cooling chamber, where the first end of the planar heat pipe is disposed to draw heat from the insulation to enable attainment of the desired temperature.

A temperature control device may include a temperature control structure through which a fluid may be flowable and may have at least one first pipe wall defining an interior, and at least one thermoelectric module, which on a side facing away from the interior chamber of the temperature control structure may be arranged on the first pipe wall. The thermoelectric module may include at least two rows of elements each extending along an extension direction and with at least two thermoelectric elements. The thermoelectric elements of each of the at least two rows of elements may be electrically connected in series to forming a first and a second electric branch conductor. In at least one row of elements, an electric switch switchable between closed and opened states may be provided.

A piezoelectric cooling chamber and method for providing the cooling system are described. The cooling chamber includes a piezoelectric cooling element, an array of orifices and a valve. A vibrational motion of the piezoelectric cooling element causes an increase or decrease in a chamber volume as the piezoelectric cooling element is deformed. The array of orifices is distributed on at least one surface of the chamber. The orifices allow escape of fluid from within the chamber during the decrease in the chamber volume in response to the vibration of the piezoelectric element. The valve is configured to admit fluid into the chamber when the chamber volume increases and to substantially prevent fluid from exiting the chamber through the valve when the chamber volume decreases.

A beverage making machine having a tank may be arranged to carbonate and/or chill liquid in the tank. A thermoelectric device may be thermally coupled to the tank to cool precursor liquid in the tank, and a heat pipe may transfer heat from the thermoelectric device to a heat sink. The heat sink may be located remotely from the thermoelectric device, e.g., in an air duct that helps prevent contact of moisture, dirt, etc. in the duct with the thermoelectric device.

A temperature control device may include a temperature control structure through which a fluid is flowable and which may have at least one first conduit wall defining an interior, and at least one thermoelectric module arranged on the first conduit wall on a side facing away from the interior. The thermoelectric module may have at least two element rows, each having at least two thermoelectric elements. The element rows may extend along an extension direction. At least two fluid channels may be provided in the temperature control structure, one fluid channel for each element row such that each fluid channel may be thermally coupled to an associated element row. In at least one fluid channel, a valve may be provided, the valve being adjustable between a closed position, in which the valve may close the fluid channel, and an open position, in which the valve may release the fluid channel.

A refrigerator that has a fresh food compartment, a freezer compartment, and a door that provides access to the fresh food compartment is disclosed. An icemaker is mounted remotely from the freezer compartment. The icemaker includes an ice mold. A thermoelectric device is provided and includes a warm side and an opposite cold side. A fluid pathway is connected in communication between the cold side of the thermoelectric device and the icemaker. A pump moves fluid from the cold side of the thermoelectric device to the icemaker. Cold fluid or air may be taken from the freezer compartment to dissipate heat from the warm side of the thermoelectric device for providing cold fluid to and for cooling the ice mold or cool/warm fluid to other cooling or warming applications in the refrigerator compartment or on the refrigerator compartment door.

Various aspects of a rapid effect heat resistant heat and cool assist device is disclosed for providing quick heat and cool comfort to a person, including at least one heat resistant thermal conductor covering a surface area of a heat and cool device for thermal communication to comfort a person, wherein the heat resistant thermal conductor is preferably made of graphene, and has a time to-sensation time period of from 5 seconds to 10 min. and is capable of reaching temperatures from 5° C. to 60° C. for providing heat and cool comfort to a person.