Samsung is starting to make smart thermoelectric refrigerators

Samsung recently announced a new hybrid cooling technology that will arrive in their refrigerators by 2025. They will use a conventional compressor next to the new Peltier module – a semiconductor device that transfers heat from one side to the other when current passes through it. This method results in a refrigerator that minimizes temperature variations to keep food fresh while making better use of interior space, according to Samsung.

Samsung says the Peltier module is only called into action when significant cooling is required. This may be after loading the weekly groceries into the fridge or when adding hot leftovers. In these cases the Peltier module works close to the compressor to avoid a large rise in internal temperature. Otherwise, the refrigerator depends exclusively on the compressor for efficient cooling. Samsung says its hybrid cooling technology will be introduced in a refrigerator (model RM80F23VM) that “can be recognized as Energy Star efficient by 2025.”

Samsung refrigerators with new hybrid cooling technology will be available in 900-liter capacities. The company claims a 25-liter increase in usable internal space due to the use of a Peltier module instead of traditional heating elements. And according to Samsung, its hybrid cooling can keep food fresh longer, with tests showing pork lasts 1.4 times longer and salmon 1.2 times longer.

Expect to hear more from Samsung about its hybrid cooling fridges in early January when the big CES trade show begins in earnest in Las Vegas.