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bigben2k · 06-18-2002, 11:10 PM

Go with the igloo. Add some styrofoam walls to make it the smallest amount of water, leaving everything submerged. You can also top it off with a floating lid, made of styrofoam: this will reduce coolant loss by evaporation, and keep temps a little more (wee bit) steady.

Use the pump leak to flow the water around... LOL!

#rotor is right. _mike_'s off the mark.

The water needs to be the smallest amount. That way, you'll find out earlier rather than later if your coolant can take the low temp, or if it'll freeze solid.

The quantity of coolant has no effect on the system, other than delaying the rise of temperature to the balance point, where the CPU heat is completely dissipated by the cooling coil. Now if you have a LOT of water (i.e. lake, or underground tank) that's another story...

I'm really interested in your rig. I've been dodging the whole refrigeration phenom because I always thought it was too complicated (keeping it optimally efficient), and never quite understood how I'd keep it quiet (a humming compressor isn't my idea of quiet).

I really like the idea of a chiller, because it's by far an easier and efficient way to reach sub ambiant coolant temps.

But after seeing your work, and doing a little research, I just might consider it... I'd build it straight out from scrap though: recycle an old compressor, get that valve, and get some copper tubing. A little soldering (always fun) and a bleed/refill valve, a coolant tank, a water block and a pump. No more of those bulky radiators (heater cores rated to 50 psi) that aren't very efficient because the temp difference just isn't there, and no fan whatsoever (well, except maybe on the compressor!).

Looking into finned tubing...

Pelt cooling versus phase cooling... How about both?!?

06-18-2002, 11:10 PM	#10
bigben2k Responsible for 2% of all the posts here. Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas, U.S.A. Posts: 8,302	Go with the igloo. Add some styrofoam walls to make it the smallest amount of water, leaving everything submerged. You can also top it off with a floating lid, made of styrofoam: this will reduce coolant loss by evaporation, and keep temps a little more (wee bit) steady. Use the pump leak to flow the water around... LOL! #rotor is right. _mike_'s off the mark. The water needs to be the smallest amount. That way, you'll find out earlier rather than later if your coolant can take the low temp, or if it'll freeze solid. The quantity of coolant has no effect on the system, other than delaying the rise of temperature to the balance point, where the CPU heat is completely dissipated by the cooling coil. Now if you have a LOT of water (i.e. lake, or underground tank) that's another story... I'm really interested in your rig. I've been dodging the whole refrigeration phenom because I always thought it was too complicated (keeping it optimally efficient), and never quite understood how I'd keep it quiet (a humming compressor isn't my idea of quiet). I really like the idea of a chiller, because it's by far an easier and efficient way to reach sub ambiant coolant temps. But after seeing your work, and doing a little research, I just might consider it... I'd build it straight out from scrap though: recycle an old compressor, get that valve, and get some copper tubing. A little soldering (always fun) and a bleed/refill valve, a coolant tank, a water block and a pump. No more of those bulky radiators (heater cores rated to 50 psi) that aren't very efficient because the temp difference just isn't there, and no fan whatsoever (well, except maybe on the compressor!). Looking into finned tubing... Pelt cooling versus phase cooling... How about both?!? __________________ WBTA (Water Block Testing Alliance) Nordic Hardware WC 101 Last edited by bigben2k; 06-18-2002 at 11:16 PM.