The Falken TEC uses a thermoelectric element (aka Peltier junction) to cool your iPad. A Peltier is, in essence, a solid state heat pump: it pulls heat from one side and pushes it to the other. It does a fantastic job of reducing heat – on one side. Unfortunately it actually generates heat in the process. The heat from the iPad and the heat generated by the Peltier are both pushed into the space behind the panel by the TEC’s heat sink and fan. To keep the avionics mounted behind the panel from overheating you will to ventilate that space.
Proper ventilation requires a source of cool fresh air (often from a NACA duct) and an exhaust destination for the hot air. The easiest way to handle this is to vent the sub-panel space into the cabin by placing a fan on the panel or on the deck above it (see picture below). Another option available in some aircraft is to duct it into a floor tunnel and blow it back into to the empennage. You may also be able to craft a low pressure exhaust port on the outside of the aircraft and vent to / through that.
So what happens if you don’t ventilate? The air behind the panel quickly heats up due to the flow from the TEC or TECs, the heat from other avionics, and heat from the engine that conducts through the firewall. If the temperature rises high enough that the TEC can’t force convect the heat out of its heatsink it will cease to cool the iPad and may be damaged.
In general, Falken recommends the TEC only for use in the most extreme conditions. Our standard cooling system works for most installations. If you do opt to install the TEC, please be absolutely sure that you have adequate ventilation.
