Flooded evaporator for whole motherboard cooling; design work notes

dream caster · 08-24-2002, 06:51 AM

I've taken some long time (about a year) thinking about a freon cooled motherboard. First I came up with an idea using a flooded evaporator in a time when i even didn't know that it's name was that, after talking with some refrigeration engineers and some posting in [H]ard forum i abandoned that idea and went on designing this system as a freon water chiller. From that time i retain the general configuration but my feelings about the possibilities of a flooded evaporator design are so strong that I finally came back to this idea, even if it is much more demanding on technical aspects.
Now I will intent a general description of system and design goals.

* I don't like noise so no fans please and very good sound atenuation.
**don't want to have a 800W computer heating up the room and apartment so the final stage of cooling will be a bong that turns heat into cold humid air that will be wellcomed in the driest desert of the world where i live (the Atacama desert in Chile). As another design condition it should be noted that i live at 2425 meters over sea level (about 7,900 feet).
***as I do not want fans and as a way to isolate sound, disks, PSU and an hermetic compressor are to be in the bong reservoir; using some drainage to prevent damage if water leaks into their compartments; freon condenser goes here also.
****motherboard is horizontal and goes in a heavily isolated compartment with a space about 34x34x34cm inside, it would be 14x14x14 inches. It goes over bong reservoir and this compartment has several evaporators inside.(one for cooling and storing liquid freon, one over the CPU and one over video card)
*****no pumps except that for bong (probably an Eheim 1060), liquid freon only circulates by gravity.
******wil use a Temprite oil separator just after the compressor really small and highly efficient.

Next post : a block drawing of this system, and probably some numbers; have to prepare to go for work related education.

Ct. Strangelove · 08-26-2002, 06:41 PM

Um, I too give things like that much thought.

It sounds like you would enjoy a project that is in the back of my head...

total submersion.

motherboard, power supplys.

use mineral oil or florinert, stick the evaporator right in the tank.
use the chilled solution and pump it over your hard drive and any other external hot objects (cd burners).

that one day i will do. but intill then I dig 226w pelts, ect.

have fun

aenigma · 08-26-2002, 06:50 PM

Nope these are all just pipe dreams.
Now hard drives or cdroms/floppies wont work at cold temps or in a liquid.
Sometimes motherboards have a hard time at cold temps also.

Mineral oil doesnt pump too great at low temps,heck it doesnt pump great when warm heh.
I have done submersion,but my epox didnt live through it,still cant understand what happend.Mineral oil sure does get things messy....
But at least I can say Yeah I did that!

The reason I did it was to prevent condensation....

NeosPirahnis · 08-26-2002, 08:23 PM

sorry for the spam,

but dream caster do you happen to work in copper mines ?

or am i completely off base :-\

and btw, very intresting concept, altitude will be a major bitch to factor into that kind of cooling concept

dream caster · 08-26-2002, 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by NeosPirahnis
sorry for the spam,

but dream caster do you happen to work in copper mines ?

or am i completely off base :-\

and btw, very intresting concept, altitude will be a major bitch to factor into that kind of cooling concept

NeosPirahnis
Nope, you're not so far away. I do not work in the mine but i work for the miners; i work as ambulatory pediatrician for CODELCO (chilean copper mining Co.) and as general phisician in an emergency department. The world's biggest copper mine is 10 miles away form my apartment and there work the fathers of the children i see.

About altitude i think i is not so bad as water should evaporate easier here.

dream caster · 08-26-2002, 08:39 PM

Ct. Strangelove:

I think total submersion would be a mess; imagine trying to change a card, putting a cable.
also you can't use chilled liquids over disks, just as aenigma said.

dream caster · 08-26-2002, 09:31 PM

just started to make a scale drawing (only have windows Paint for it somewhat slow)

I must correct myself i plan to use some low noise papst fans: 12dB and around 19 CFM for the bong, i have to do some preliminary tests, probably I'll have a bunch (six) of them in the upper end of a box shaped bong.

aenigma · 08-27-2002, 12:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dream caster
Ct. Strangelove:

I think total submersion would be a mess; imagine trying to change a card, putting a cable.
also you can't use chilled liquids over disks, just as aenigma said.

Yes it is a mess

Kind of annoying putting your hands into mineral oil to unplug something haha
Kind of annoying when your mobo dies too,although I am not 100% sure it was the mineral oil....

NeosPirahnis · 08-27-2002, 11:45 AM

awesome dream

( sorry for my spam posts lol

)

dream caster · 08-30-2002, 07:59 PM

here see a block diagram;
blue: bong
light blue: reservoir and water
gray: isolated chilled box for motherboard
red arrows: air coming into bong
violet arrows: air coming out from bong

dream caster · 08-30-2002, 08:30 PM

i'm planning to buy some some strong aluminum vessels,
probably two or three pressure cookers, cut out tops and unite them (more drawings to come) and have evaporators inside: the main freon "boiler", a copper block similar to a water block, would be in its bottom just over the CPU. Freon reservoir would go inside as an open vessel connected with hoses to the bottom of this aluminum chamber; there will be another chambers that will cool the video card connected with liquid and vapor hoses to this main chamber and there will be float valves in the main reservoir and in the liquid pools over CPU and GPU boilers.
All this will have to be tested before at around 265 psi at least (I have a brand new danfoss compressor for R404a, this is the vapor pressure at 40ºC, 104ºF). i read bowman1964 tests refrigeration systems at 350psi , i would try to settle at that pressure; I plan to buy a hand oil pump to use as pressure source for testing and a vacuum pump also.
I've been thinking about the best design for freon boiling plates but that is for tomorrow's story.

Edit:bowman1964 tests at 275psi and complete systems with compressors at 150psi

08-24-2002, 06:51 AM	#1
dream caster Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atacama desert, Chile Posts: 43	Flooded evaporator for whole motherboard cooling; design work notes I've taken some long time (about a year) thinking about a freon cooled motherboard. First I came up with an idea using a flooded evaporator in a time when i even didn't know that it's name was that, after talking with some refrigeration engineers and some posting in [H]ard forum i abandoned that idea and went on designing this system as a freon water chiller. From that time i retain the general configuration but my feelings about the possibilities of a flooded evaporator design are so strong that I finally came back to this idea, even if it is much more demanding on technical aspects. Now I will intent a general description of system and design goals. * I don't like noise so no fans please and very good sound atenuation. don't want to have a 800W computer heating up the room and apartment so the final stage of cooling will be a bong that turns heat into cold humid air that will be wellcomed in the driest desert of the world where i live (the Atacama desert in Chile). As another design condition it should be noted that i live at 2425 meters over sea level (about 7,900 feet). as I do not want fans and as a way to isolate sound, disks, PSU and an hermetic compressor are to be in the bong reservoir; using some drainage to prevent damage if water leaks into their compartments; freon condenser goes here also. *motherboard is horizontal and goes in a heavily isolated compartment with a space about 34x34x34cm inside, it would be 14x14x14 inches. It goes over bong reservoir and this compartment has several evaporators inside.(one for cooling and storing liquid freon, one over the CPU and one over video card) *no pumps except that for bong (probably an Eheim 1060), liquid freon only circulates by gravity. ***wil use a Temprite oil separator just after the compressor really small and highly efficient. Next post : a block drawing of this system, and probably some numbers; have to prepare to go for work related education. Last edited by dream caster; 08-24-2002 at 07:12 AM.*

08-26-2002, 06:41 PM	#2
Ct. Strangelove Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Confusion Posts: 5	Um, I too give things like that much thought. It sounds like you would enjoy a project that is in the back of my head... total submersion. motherboard, power supplys. use mineral oil or florinert, stick the evaporator right in the tank. use the chilled solution and pump it over your hard drive and any other external hot objects (cd burners). that one day i will do. but intill then I dig 226w pelts, ect. have fun __________________ "Ignorance is slavery" We live in a Capitalistic Socialism. Or you could just say America.

08-30-2002, 08:30 PM	#11
dream caster Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atacama desert, Chile Posts: 43	i'm planning to buy some some strong aluminum vessels, probably two or three pressure cookers, cut out tops and unite them (more drawings to come) and have evaporators inside: the main freon "boiler", a copper block similar to a water block, would be in its bottom just over the CPU. Freon reservoir would go inside as an open vessel connected with hoses to the bottom of this aluminum chamber; there will be another chambers that will cool the video card connected with liquid and vapor hoses to this main chamber and there will be float valves in the main reservoir and in the liquid pools over CPU and GPU boilers. All this will have to be tested before at around 265 psi at least (I have a brand new danfoss compressor for R404a, this is the vapor pressure at 40ºC, 104ºF). i read bowman1964 tests refrigeration systems at 350psi , i would try to settle at that pressure; I plan to buy a hand oil pump to use as pressure source for testing and a vacuum pump also. I've been thinking about the best design for freon boiling plates but that is for tomorrow's story. Edit:bowman1964 tests at 275psi and complete systems with compressors at 150psi Last edited by dream caster; 08-31-2002 at 09:44 PM.

08-26-2002, 06:50 PM	#3
aenigma Immature Title Goes Here Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Washington Posts: 81	Nope these are all just pipe dreams. Now hard drives or cdroms/floppies wont work at cold temps or in a liquid. Sometimes motherboards have a hard time at cold temps also. Mineral oil doesnt pump too great at low temps,heck it doesnt pump great when warm heh. I have done submersion,but my epox didnt live through it,still cant understand what happend.Mineral oil sure does get things messy.... But at least I can say Yeah I did that! The reason I did it was to prevent condensation....

08-26-2002, 08:23 PM	#4
NeosPirahnis Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 78	sorry for the spam, but dream caster do you happen to work in copper mines ? or am i completely off base :-\ and btw, very intresting concept, altitude will be a major bitch to factor into that kind of cooling concept

08-26-2002, 08:39 PM	#6
dream caster Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atacama desert, Chile Posts: 43	Ct. Strangelove: I think total submersion would be a mess; imagine trying to change a card, putting a cable. also you can't use chilled liquids over disks, just as aenigma said.

08-26-2002, 09:31 PM	#7
dream caster Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atacama desert, Chile Posts: 43	just started to make a scale drawing (only have windows Paint for it somewhat slow) I must correct myself i plan to use some low noise papst fans: 12dB and around 19 CFM for the bong, i have to do some preliminary tests, probably I'll have a bunch (six) of them in the upper end of a box shaped bong.

08-27-2002, 11:45 AM	#9
NeosPirahnis Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: San Diego, CA Posts: 78	awesome dream ( sorry for my spam posts lol )

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