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General Chat => General Chat => Topic started by: TDAF on May 05, 2018, 06:28:08 AM

Title: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: TDAF on May 05, 2018, 06:28:08 AM
Why doesn't anyone do this?
Will this work if at all

Now, what I'm thinking of doing is treading copper pipe between the fins of the heatsink
I've never seen anyone else do this.

Will this be efficient?
If not what are some other better ways to make a diy waterblock?


Ps the black line shows the copper pipe
Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: the_anomaly on May 05, 2018, 01:28:21 PM
Turbulence is desired for the working fluid to remove energy [heat] from an object.  Typical water blocks have a grating that water must flow through which causes the water to be turbulent.  Turbulence causes the water to make more physical contact and pick up more energy to become hotter.  The opposite of turbulence is laminar flow in which only the edges of the stream absorb energy [heat].

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQGfjWshoOkmzIo-di0IoJ7j2VKBBACgvhxKPi47EaW2zjBsu3k)

I think the tubes will not create enough turbulence and running them through the heatsink fins will reduce the fin area.  It will work but not with the performance one would normally look for in a water block cooler.
Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: TDAF on May 05, 2018, 05:26:43 PM

I think the tubes will not create enough turbulence and running them through the heatsink fins will reduce the fin area.  It will work but not with the performance one would normally look for in a water block cooler.
Will something like this threaded through the pipe create more turbulence?
Also, how will it reduce the fin area??
Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: the_anomaly on May 05, 2018, 06:17:46 PM
Yes, threading a spring or other object through the tube will increase turbulence and give better performance.  I meant to mention that in my last post, glad you thought of it anyway!  Will it give you the heat removal you desire, I don't know, I would guess it will be ok at best.

Here is a nice view of inside a CPU water block:

(https://www.techpowerup.com/img/07-08-28/sapphire_cpu_photo2.jpg)   

You can see how such a pattern will produce a lot of turbulence.

The fins remove heat from the base of the heatsink by convection with the air around the heatsink.  When the air touches the fins, it picks up energy (heat) and it rises pulling cool air into the fins which continues the process of heat removal.  The more surface area you have (meaning, the longer the fins are), the more area for air to touch and the greater the heat removal.  If you physically block some of the fins, as in routing the copper pipe through them, the air cannot travel easily and you mostly lose that surface area for cooling.  True, the copper pipe can also perform the action of fin cooling although IIRC aluminum transfers energy to air better than copper and copper is better for direct conduction heat transfer.  I suppose if the copper pipe is small, this will be of less concern.  Getting good physical contact between the copper pipe and the heatsink will be difficult and will have a large impact on the water blocks performance.  You will need really good physical contact.

Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: TDAF on May 05, 2018, 06:19:44 PM
The pipe is a very tight fit between the fins
I'll be using multiple pipes in parallel
Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: Hydron on May 05, 2018, 07:36:46 PM
There are some amazingly cheap waterblocks on ebay from China. Never tried them but maybe worth a go?
Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: TDAF on May 05, 2018, 07:39:20 PM
All of them are rather small in size
Meant for cpus
I'm trying to cool brick igbts here
Title: Re: On making thrifty water blocks
Post by: TDAF on May 05, 2018, 07:45:42 PM
This is an igbt waterblock

It looks similar to one I'm planning to build
https://hyfluid.en.made-in-china.com/product/uyLEAiXTqfcP/China-Liquid-Cooling-Radiator-for-IGBT-Water-Block.html (https://hyfluid.en.made-in-china.com/product/uyLEAiXTqfcP/China-Liquid-Cooling-Radiator-for-IGBT-Water-Block.html)
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