Need Help with Insulation...

[spidie_man_home]

I currently have a water cooled system, but I am upgrading to a Chiller system. I want to insulate my processors so i don't have any condensation. But I have found no documents about this. If you have done this before, i Would appreciate some info, thanks.

[zeradul]

I have not done it, but I know alot about Thermodynamics, and considered the possibility.

My first suggestion is that if you have a time of year that a significant amount of water condenses on a beer can full of cold beer, in the place your computer will sit... I suggest that you do not try chilling, at all... OR at least not so cold that the coolant would condesnse water if it was in a pop can.

See, if a liquid can condense water on a pop can, that means that EVERYTHING that water cools, WILL condense water as well... the tubes, the block, the edges of the processor and socket, the back of the mobo, etc etc.

So, if your computer will not be in a VERY dry atmosphere, all the time, then the task becomes VERY difficult. You not only have to insulate, you also have to use a Vapor barrier. Once you have selected how you are going to insulate *everything* that is cold, then you ALSO have to figure out how you are going to coat the insulation with plastic, so that no water can get through the insulation, and THEN condense.

So if I were going to do this, I would first buy a HUGE case... definatly a double wide server case. Insulation is NO GOOD if you compress it ;) Then I would use any non-conductive, non-fibrous, non-messy, insulation, and then coat the entire system carefully with plastic, and I would use caulk to seal the plastic to itself.

For the tubing, you could use some professionally made "foam tubing" to go around your tubing, and the reason that is ok, is because that type of foam does not let any air through. Then you would have to test the system a LONG TIME (2-3 weeks) to make sure that you sealed everything perfectly, you will know if you didn't if water forms * anywhere *

But yea, once you get that working, you will be able to use your case for at least a month at a time and be pumping 0 degrees C (or colder) anti-freeze through your case.

I would suggest that once a month, you take the system apart and make sure there is no water anywhere. I would do this with a Blow dryer, to help any moisture evaporate. I would heat up everything a few times a day for a few days and then put it all back together and use it for another month.

GL!

P.S. if that sounds like too much work, then you could just rig the system to only chill the coolant to just above the 'Dew Point' Of the room. (this would be a constant struggle unless you have KICK ASS air conditioning in the summer - window air conditioners need not apply) (The temperature in which moisture will begin to condense.) In a humid room, this temperature is much warmer than a cold beer.

[drpeterbright]

:cool: You might try some spray foam insulation, but be careful because it increases greatly in volume. I don't know how you could accurately determine if it was perfectly sealed. The best bet is to get as much of the water vapor out of the area in which the computer is located. Good Luck! :rolleyes2

[chisholm]

lol in other words just stick to watercooling:)

[drpeterbright]

It's hard to beat without getting more exotic (in cost too) than it's probably woth.

:geek:

[Wiggo]

Things like a couple of petliers insterted into that watercooled setup. :D

Or there's Vapor Phase Refrigeration. :lips:

[FLaCo]

Vapor Phase Refrigiration....umm what any links on that WiGG0?

[Wiggo]

Here's a couple of dated ones, http://www.ocshoot.com/socketvapo.htm , and http://www6.tomshardware.com/cpu/00q4/001221/index.html , but there was a more recent one done at, http://www.hardocp.com/article.html?art=MTQ1 with a P4. ;)
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[drpeterbright]

:) Has anyone seen the water chillers used in the acquarium industry converted to pc cooling use? :confused:

[Wiggo]

A petlier sandwiched between a heatsink and HSF can make a good water chiller. ;)
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