ammonia / thermoelectric fridge idea?

Question

would it be possible to attach a thermoelectric coupling to a ammonia (absorbtion) type fridge? The TEC could absorb heat from the inside and add heat to the outside ammonia boiler, possibly not needing the gas or electric original source. The TEC would require power but overall setup may be more efficient.

Answer 1

I don't the current efficiency of TEC's, but it seems to me you are combining the inefficiencies of two systems. If the TEC works, why not just use it directly? Only if there happened to be some great synchronicity between the operating temps of the ammonia cycle and the TEC's best temps might it work out.

Answer 2

While it sounds like a good idea, you would need a large surface area to absorb radiated heat from what is inside the cooler. The latent heat of any new object would not be radiated to the TEC, but would still represent a heat load to the system. While the idea is a good thought for analysis of the function, the end result would be that it just will not work. There are to many losses in what you propose for it to work as imagined. Stick with what is available to heat the boiler and apply your brain power to other issues.