1st post...want to know more of this

[Tvasconcelos]

Hi, this is my first post, i've been reading a lot here now i have some questions.I work with CAD so i'm trying to come up with a design for a waterblock of m own.

First of all, do you have any idea, after all this discussion and experience with waterblocks, what seems to be the best design for a waterblock?

I don't know yet how to get from the cad drawing to a copper block beautyfully finished, if i take it to a "blacksmith?" with a detailed drawing and some 3D views he can do it ? Or can i pull it off with a dremel or something like that ?

I'm having this question since the first time i thouht of building my own waterblock, where are placed the cores in an intel C2D E6600 ? It's better if the water sprays ino block right on that spot ??

For now i don't remember any more questions so....

[ymboc]

Well, what you can build will be limited by the tools you have access to.

Most (all?) of the commercial designs are made with a milling machine and some of the guys here have access to one in some fashion...

That said you can make a simple block with just a drill press (Search #rotor block).

If you do end up making your own -- and it will be a great learning experience -- be prepared that your block may not perform as well as what's available for purchase. If that prospect upsets you you're best off buying a commercial water block -- you can have it running within the week! (do take care to leak test however)

Cheers

[Tvasconcelos]

This is where i am right now...in design state.

I'll probabilly get some copper by the end of next week and see what i can do with a drill and a dremel.

Thanks for the reply

[bigben2k]

That should work well. Inlet geometry is going to have a good impact.

[migueld]

Hey that looks pretty nice. I see a slight problem with it though: by having the inlet on the side it seems water will not necessarily go through the middle. What if you modify the design so that the inlet is on the center?

[Tvasconcelos]

Hi, new update...



http://pwp.netcabo.pt/tiago_1980/ima...oling/wip1.jpg
http://pwp.netcabo.pt/tiago_1980/ima...oling/wip2.jpg
http://pwp.netcabo.pt/tiago_1980/ima...oling/wip3.jpg
http://pwp.netcabo.pt/tiago_1980/ima...oling/wip4.jpg
http://pwp.netcabo.pt/tiago_1980/ima...oling/wip5.jpg


I have this so far, made it with the dremel.I haven't give the plastic a try but i have it with me already, acrylic and teflon, and just finished ordering he radiator and the 1/2" barbs....

So, inlet is on the middle and outlet top left, both 1/2"....

Does anyone have any idea on how to make way for the barbs in the acrylic sheet ?

[bigben2k]

Just glue an acrylic (or same plastic, I use polycarbonate) tube on top of it.

I was going to say that your channels are going to be restrictive, but thinking about it, you could have a central jet that would probably force the water to recirculate a few times, before it exits, which is probably going to work very well. Again, inlet geometry is going to be critical here.

Looking forward to seeing some numbers on this. Keep us posted!

[Tvasconcelos]

Hi, i would preffer to have a screwed barb on the acrylic, i already have them, the glued solution doesn't seem to me like very safe.The inlet is going to be in the center, with a good pump i'll be able to force the water trough the channels right ?The outlet will be in a top corner, not sure yet...maybe top middle.

I have one question for you, the copper block is 10mm thick, i managed to chop 4mm, more or less, with the dremel, and about 7mm in the midlle hole, is it enough for the heat transfer to be good or i have to "chop" some more on the sides to get like 3 or 4mm thickness to yhe bottom ?

The thing is a little rough inside, not that smooth, that is actually a good thing right, as it makes more water to "turbolate" inside and get a better heat transfer...am i thinking wrong ????

I'll try to have some updates as soon as possible...

[bigben2k]

The glue solution is great, but you do have to pick the right glue. IPS #4 is great for acrylics, because it makes a chemical bond, which is strong (http://www.rplastics.com/weldon4.html). The wrong glue would be an issue. Screwing a barb into a plastic is likely going to lead to a crack. If you look at existing blocks, you'll find that many manufacturers that still use screwed on barbs, had to go to 1/2" thickness, or smarter, use a barb with a BSP thread (instead of the american NPT), because it's a straight thread, and not an angled one, which *I believe* makes a difference in the stress it puts on the plastic top.

The baseplate thickness: it depends a lot on the flow geometry. Usually, you need severely turbulent flow (like that caused by a jet) to be able to bring it down to 4mm or below, at least in the central area. The perimeter (of where the CPU core actually makes contact) isn't quite as relevant.

Roughness leads to higher surface area, but a thicker boundary layer. Again, depends on how turbulent the flow is.

Everything is a fine balance.

[bobo5195]

Ah science words all over the place.

Remember to add fillets on those corners to make em rounded (hard to machine otherwise). You can have stuff made down a local machine shop normally and they should take autocad files. Expect to pay quite alot an hour for their time.

I have graphs of roughness somewhere from a russian textbook but they use nusselt numbers like good scientists so need some translating (nuysselt number is the non dimensional heat transfer coefficant taking into account the fluid supposedly though i was never meant it meant anything )

What matters mostly is the base doesn't have macro roughness i.e. bits sticking out. A standard machine finish should be fine.

Base thickness is a bit of an art although you can make a good punt using other peoples models. Too thin can be worse than too thick as you won't cool the die evenly. I would need some maths / emperical evidence to satisfy me that highly localised cooling like unconstrained (not like the storm blocks) jet impingment likes a thinner base.