| abstract |
Systems and processes capable of cooling gases, liquids, and solids without requiring the use of conventional refrigerants. Such a system or process for cooling a process fluid involves a passive cooling device that receives the process fluid from a reservoir and cools the process fluid by thermal conduction to a heat sink, an active cooling device that receives the process fluid from the passive cooling device and cools the process fluid with a coolant cooled by at least one thermoelectric device, and a housing that encloses the passive and active cooling devices and serves as the heat sink for the passive cooling device. |