DIY cooling fans ??

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo
One way you can make an external heat exchanger, witch should lower the tanks temperature by a couple of degrees, is from a pentium four heat exchanger and fan. Just remove the fan and exchanger from the computer. You would need to weld this to a simple metal box with some connections, simple bulkheads or flank connectors,, and the box made from titanium or a suitable type of steal that is tank safe. This could require some welding skills, but a good unit could me made like this. I based this idea on a new simple cooling unit I spotted in pfk which is relay costly, but so simple, and looks cheap to make. You could use multiple fans. You would need a twelve volt supply, which could be a simple wall transformer with the end cut off and the twelve volt fans all connected. You could also sue a relay to run this of off a thermostat. It would need to have a coil rated at 250v. :)
 
ok so a quick Google sketch up. I just figure out how to use the program and I am starting to like it any ways. SO the green area is a pipe run from a pump in your tank with a slit in the bottom to hold the blue filter mat that allows water to drip down it. The black square is a fan that pushes air across the wet filter mat. the red a red where the top of the box is open for air to escape. if you put a couple of baffles in there to trap water vapor and let air escape it would cut down on evaporation a lot.

Also I would build this all out of clear acrylic so I could watch it work, but I like to see the mechanics of things thats why none of my stands have doors.

swamp.JPG
 

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The1and only;3095909; said:
ok so a quick Google sketch up. I just figure out how to use the program and I am starting to like it any ways. SO the green area is a pipe run from a pump in your tank with a slit in the bottom to hold the blue filter mat that allows water to drip down it. The black square is a fan that pushes air across the wet filter mat. the red a red where the top of the box is open for air to escape. if you put a couple of baffles in there to trap water vapor and let air escape it would cut down on evaporation a lot.

Also I would build this all out of clear acrylic so I could watch it work, but I like to see the mechanics of things thats why none of my stands have doors.
Click to expand...

I have some skechup designs
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwareho...818e32e6ae4b0fe3f8bb3c4d5&ct=mdsa&prevstart=0
:D
 
Everyone keeps mentioning evaporation like it's unwanted. When you're trying to cool your tank down without using expensive chillers, only fans, evaporation is a good thing. The latent heat of vaporization is 540 calories/gram. Normally water only gains or loses 1 calorie with a change of 1 degree Celsius/gram. However, when water evaporates, it takes with it 540 calories/gram. Therefore, that cools the tank. Kind of like sweating cools you down... it's not the sweat itself that cools you, its when it evaporates off of your skin and takes the latent heat with it that it cools you down.

Good luck, and post pictures when its done!
 
Juxtaroberto;3097078; said:
Everyone keeps mentioning evaporation like it's unwanted. When you're trying to cool your tank down without using expensive chillers, only fans, evaporation is a good thing. The latent heat of vaporization is 540 calories/gram. Normally water only gains or loses 1 calorie with a change of 1 degree Celsius/gram. However, when water evaporates, it takes with it 540 calories/gram. Therefore, that cools the tank. Kind of like sweating cools you down... it's not the sweat itself that cools you, its when it evaporates off of your skin and takes the latent heat with it that it cools you down.

Good luck, and post pictures when its done!
Click to expand...

For me the evaporation is not a problem at all, it's a good excuse for me to add fresh water to the tank ;)
That is great technical info there Juxtaroberto, thanks :)
 
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