I would take the bucket out of the picture and run it as a single, low-volume sealed system. But if built right it should be very modular (perhaps support up to 10 computers if you can afford the quick-disconnect fittings) and the cooling system itself should be independant of any computers connected to it.
Actually..., I just had 3 good ideas for a setup like this.
1. Go find that thread again that linked to the other site talking about vortex-coolers. The person building those was using washing-machine pumps that had like 2" fittings right on the pump. Then you wouldn't have a giant flow restriction coming out of the pump and going into the pipe. Those pumps also moved about 1700 GPH - enough for lots of comps.
2. I wonder about the possibilities of putting a pelt (or a few) between the coolant pipes - it would chill the coolant in the cold pipe and use the hot-pipe to cool the pelt. This would make the rad more efficient by giving it hotter water (bigger temp delta to ambient) and also give cooler water to the CPU's.
3. With the large volume of water in 2 lengths of 2" pipe that are each likely quite long, the pipe itself can function as a res. But I wonder if it might not be possible to use that large volume somehow as a large passive rad. Perhaps make the hot return pipe into 5 or 6 lengths (to keep large combined flow-rate/low resistance to flow) of 1/2" copper tubing. Especially if this is in a basement - you could lay all those pipes right on the cement floor and dissipate the heat into the ground.
|