Argumento frío. Argumentos escritos sobre termodinámica en el contexto del efecto Peletier en refrigeración

Resumen

In this paper, we investigate university engineering students written arguments in the context of the thermodynamics principles involved in refrigeration. The students were given writing frames to complete reports following investigations on thermoelectric coolers, sometimes called thermoelectric module or Peltier cooler. The device is a semiconductor-based electronic component that functions as a small heat pump. By applying a low voltage DC power source to a cooler, heat moves through the module from one side to the other. One module face, therefore, will be cooled while the opposite face is simultaneously heated. The task immerses students in the context of providing evidence and justifications for temperature change using general principles of thermodynamics. The context of the study provides examples on the nature of arguments in the applied field of engineering where appeals to scientific principles are made to justify the design of an industrial product.