Air cooling...Literally!

[Kaej]

Would it be possible to cool the air that flows into and over the components and HSFs in a case? If watercooling uses air to take heat away from water, is there a way to take heat away from air in a similar way?

This at first SOUNDS like a stupid idea but think about it. Water cooling can only account for certain components in the case. At the very most it will cater for the CPU, GPU, GPU memory, HDDs and RAM and chipset, maybe with a few mosfets. But that still leaves voltage converters, the whole of the motherboard and every other component in the case.

By cooling the air going in you can effectively cool every corner, nook, cranny and component inside the PC. Effective exhausting would be essential (now thats alliteration kids!) but this would be air-con for the case.

Any thoughts?

[Razors Edge]

Its called an exhuast fan, Blows out the hot air from the back of the case.

[jreffy]

Would it be possible to cool the air that flows into and over the components and HSFs in a case? If watercooling uses air to take heat away from water, is there a way to take heat away from air in a similar way?

This at first SOUNDS like a stupid idea but think about it. Water cooling can only account for certain components in the case. At the very most it will cater for the CPU, GPU, GPU memory, HDDs and RAM and chipset, maybe with a few mosfets. But that still leaves voltage converters, the whole of the motherboard and every other component in the case.

By cooling the air going in you can effectively cool every corner, nook, cranny and component inside the PC. Effective exhausting would be essential (now thats alliteration kids!) but this would be air-con for the case.

Any thoughts?


This is easy enough to do. Basically you just need to set up a pump and radiator at your INTAKE fans, not your exhaust fans. Then you also have to make sure that your fluid inside your radiator is colder than the air coming in. This is basically what an air conditioner does. You'd just need a special coolant (like freon) inside your pump and radiator.

[Kaej]

Its called an exhuast fan, Blows out the hot air from the back of the case.

If you read what i said you'd see that i was on about the intake fans bringing in cold air. Talking somewhere in the region of sub 10 degrees Celsius.

Freon sounds good but that stuff is usually kept for refridgerating systems.

What if you could set up a phase change cooler to attach to the CPU W/Block of a watercooling system with a radiator that has an intake fan on it? The liquid in the W/C would have to have or at least be completely made of anti-freeze to prevent the liquid freezing in the CPU WB and blocking the flow of water.

Thoughts?

[Razors Edge]

I skimmed through it :))

[progbuddy]

Try a 1/2 mix of coolant and water. Or you could try a compressor/decompressor method, but that would take up a LOT of wattage.

[progbuddy]

I have a full tower case for anyone that needs one.

[progbuddy]

Or you could try 1/3 all the way around (antifreeze, water, and coolant). This is basically what a car engine cooling system works off of.

[Omega]

Or you could try 1/3 all the way around (antifreeze, water, and coolant). This is basically what a car engine cooling system works off of.


hahahahahah, bwhahahahahaha, bwhahahahaha.

Coolant is any form of liquid used to cool, not anything specific. Coolant can be water, Coolant can be Antifreeze, Coolant can be both. Coolant can even be soda, urine, anything liquid used to cool something down.

Cars should run about 50% Antifreeze and 50% Distilled Water.

[progbuddy]

Actually, some of the newer Japanese cars (Honda) use actual Cooling liquid in thier solution for the newer cars because of higher engine heat output in the newer engines

[Luke122]

"actual Cooling liquid"

....?

umm.. antifreeze? If I'm wrong, please explain. ;)

[Cevinzol]

Actually, some of the newer Japanese cars (Honda) use actual Cooling liquid in thier solution for the newer cars because of higher engine heat output in the newer enginesOmega is right about coolant.
Honda's "cooling liquid" is just their house brand of antifreeze. Honda claims that "comercial" antifreeze has too many silcates and borates in them which will bind to Aluminum parts and cause abrasion and eventual leaks, especialy in the water pump seal. Its like selling a Fram(TM) oil filter instead of just an oil filter. Or motor oil vs synthetic oil. Its not something completly new, just expensive.

[progbuddy]

lol

darn marketers...

well, try a half and half. If thats not cold enough for you, just use R-128 (?i think??... or was it R-12something. lol. i dont know).

[Slug Toy]

how about this idea... get a fairly large heatsink, and attach it onto the cold side of a peltier. blow air through the heatsink and into the case. this should cool the air a bit before it gets in.

to deal with the hot side of the peltier, add another heatsink, do pretty much the same thing as the cold side, and isolate from the rest of the case, so the hot air just goes right out.

simple idea... but i dont know how easy it is to actually do it.

the problem i see with just using liquids to cool air is that you can only get the liquid about as cool as the air around it, and the air around it is what you're trying to cool. its like trying to reduce room temperature by using something thats also at room temperature... doesnt work. if you do something with a liquid loop... theres a good chance youll just be pushing around a lot of water for no reason or benefit.

[Omega]

Actually, some of the newer Japanese cars (Honda) use actual Cooling liquid in thier solution for the newer cars because of higher engine heat output in the newer engines

a "Cooling liquid" (assuming that you are referring to a liquid that actually makes things cooler, instead of a heat transfer liquid) is not a "Coolant". Once agian, Coolant is a liquid used to cool deviaces (cars, computers, whatever) via thermal transfer to a radiator or otherwise.

[MitaPi]

how about this idea... get a fairly large heatsink, and attach it onto the cold side of a peltier. blow air through the heatsink and into the case. this should cool the air a bit before it gets in.

to deal with the hot side of the peltier, add another heatsink, do pretty much the same thing as the cold side, and isolate from the rest of the case, so the hot air just goes right out.

simple idea... but i dont know how easy it is to actually do it.

the problem i see with just using liquids to cool air is that you can only get the liquid about as cool as the air around it, and the air around it is what you're trying to cool. its like trying to reduce room temperature by using something thats also at room temperature... doesnt work. if you do something with a liquid loop... theres a good chance youll just be pushing around a lot of water for no reason or benefit.

What about using two TT Blue Orb II's? (or some other fan/heatsink?). Mount it onto the back of your case with the hot end sticking out and the cold end sticking in? Do you think that would work? I have been trying to figure out some way to "create" cold air instead of just having room tempature air being blown into my case. (which gets to 70+ in my room).

EDIT:
I believe this case uses Pelts as a "Air Conditioner".
http://www.tomshardware.com/2005/10/25/sytrin_nextherm_ics_8200/

[Silenced_Coyote]

I skimed the article and noted two things:
Sounds like someone vacuuming in the room next door.
High electricity bill.

[progbuddy]

You could make a muffler and use large ducts to minimize noise and electricity consumption.

[nil8]

Window air conditioner ducted into your intake fans. That would cool everything down real quick.

R134 is what modern cars are charged with in their AC units, R12 has been illegal to put into vehicles for years.

[Kaej]

how about this idea... get a fairly large heatsink, and attach it onto the cold side of a peltier. blow air through the heatsink and into the case. this should cool the air a bit before it gets in.

to deal with the hot side of the peltier, add another heatsink, do pretty much the same thing as the cold side, and isolate from the rest of the case, so the hot air just goes right out.

simple idea... but i dont know how easy it is to actually do it.

the problem i see with just using liquids to cool air is that you can only get the liquid about as cool as the air around it, and the air around it is what you're trying to cool. its like trying to reduce room temperature by using something thats also at room temperature... doesnt work. if you do something with a liquid loop... theres a good chance youll just be pushing around a lot of water for no reason or benefit.

Yeah but the phase-change cooler would get the liquid to MUCH colder than room temperature, which is why i was on about to about -50C (the temperature that phase-change coolers can achieve) without it freezing.

[Maz]

move to alaska and do all your computing outside.

solves two things,

keeps **** cold
gives you all some much needed fresh air





or




submerge all your components in oil then cool the oil through a system of radiators. the goal was to cool everything, no?

[MitaPi]

Window air conditioner ducted into your intake fans. That would cool everything down real quick.

R134 is what modern cars are charged with in their AC units, R12 has been illegal to put into vehicles for years.

lol hmm... I dont think I am going to fork up 300 - $$$ dollars for an air conditioner when I can just get an awesome all in one h20 kit. ^_^

ALASKA! That is a great idea! I am going to do it! :D

I dont mind sound, thats not that big of a deal. Its easily fixed if you know how to. High electricity bills? Cant be much higher than running a 55 inch HDTV and a 42 inch plasma as well as four computers?:eek: lol I dont think high electricity bills are a issue for me.

[Silenced_Coyote]

The electricity bill may not be as much, but they all add up. If you keep on adding, it will become an issue.

[MitaPi]

nah I'm fine. I dont pay it ^_^ ...and if I ever move out it still wont be an issue because all I will have is basically a 30 inch TV and my computer and lights and the basics like that. Its not that bad. ...unless I am oblivious to how much it really is to have a computer like that?? How much of an increase do you think it will be?

[Silenced_Coyote]

It isn't a lot. Don't worry about it. Just for those people who never use a/c in thier apartments to lessen their utility bill.

[MitaPi]

Neato. btw, newegg now has those pc air conditioners. They are like 45 bucks and basically useless. Even if you had 4 of them mounted in your computer somehow. You would need a huge PSU and it would be very loud. I think I am just going to stick to my four 100CFM 120MM fans in the side of my case idea. I mean.. thats what.. all together looking at 450CFM blowing in and 80CFM blowing out in the NZXT Lexa case?? lol we'll see where that goes. I need to just concentrate on my current computer so I can get it out on the market.

Bottom line I think is this. If you want great cooling then get an h20 kit. If you want good cooling then get some high cfm fans. If you want basic cooling then just leave your case how it is.

[jestyyr]

if you wanted to stuff around with peltiers it might be possible to create a sort of C shaped airflow loop in your case with the pelts cold side with heatsink (something designed to use horizontal airflow) at the intake, whilst its hot side could be heatsinked and at the outflow, partitioning your case for this sort of thing would either be slipshod or a pain in the but to do though. and your case would just about need to be designed around the idea, which would benefit from the biggest pelt and heatsinks you could find (a good peltier, provided you cool the hot side well enough should get to sub zero I think. that said it would also likely cause condensation which would cause troubles if not dealt with.

[NamesAreUseless]

may be you take the cooling stuff on one of those cases that have like a mini air conditioner in it to keep it cool cuz those do exist.