C-BuZz Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 G'day, This thread is a combination of some of my posts on other forums so apologies if its a little confusing Video: Well I've been at it again heh heh. I really liked the thermoelectric peltier idea & I was pretty confident in it working, so I decided to give it a crack. Parts: Small tub: $2 from $2 shop :roflmao: Peltier: $8 (ebay) 15v 68.5w thermoelectric Heatsinks x 2: Free from junk pile Screws: x 2: Free from junk pile Thermal paste: About $1 worth Fan: Free from junk pile Power supply: 300w Free from junk pile Drilled a hole through both heatsinks so I can bolt them together Quick test to make sure it's wroking. The copper heatsink develops ice frost very quickly. This is in 34c ambients so I was rather impressed with this little peltier device already. I put an insulation layer inbetween the heatsinks to stop the hot side heating up the cold side then stick it to the copper heatsink. Then a big blob of thermal paste on top Cut a hole in the lid so I can bolt the heatsinks together Then I bolt the them together Did a little insulating around the heatsinks to prevent heat getting into the tub This is the heatsink that will be submerged in water inside the tub Fan cable tied on :roflmao: I accidentally spray painted some of it a while ago, but it does the job well. Fill the tub with water & put the lid on 4M of 6mm tubing. Drilled a couple of holes for inlet/outlet Looking good so far At home at the back of my nano I'm using a 200L adjustable speed small 2w mini pump & seems to be producing perfect flow. Just put it in the tank for testing purposes Ambient is around 26c at the moment & tank temps are 24.8c, however it's fast heating up here in Melbourne & due for a top of 35c today so these results are not going to be very accurate. No livestock in my tank at the moment as it's still in testing phase My ambient temps have increased to 35c & it's really starting to get hot in here so it's a good test for the chiller. Ambients: Start temps: 24.8c (water) with 26c ambients increasing fast After a 2hr run temps: 23.9c (tank water) with 35c ambients I put the thermometer in to verify that my digital was reading correctly & they were exactly the same. If anyone has some more idea's or tips I'm keen to hear!! Thanks C-BuZz Link to comment
cptbjorn Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 35C in your house? That is just disgusting, does it do that all summer? Sweet chiller though You might be able to get away with lowering the TEC voltage to 5 or 7v if you insulate the reservoir really well and that would be less heat being dissipated in your already unreasonably hot house. Link to comment
gregzbobo Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 If you can find some, you might consider using black tubing in the coolant tank, or paint the lid black. That clear tubing will eventually get some mean algae growth in it that will probably insulate it even more than the tubing is already. Darn good DIY chiller though, I might hafta do something like this for my pico, lord knows I have plenty of PC heatsinks laying in my computer parts box. Link to comment
dickie52 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 it's DIY's like this that make this hobbie so interesting! Link to comment
C-BuZz Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 35C in your house? That is just disgusting, does it do that all summer? Sweet chiller though You might be able to get away with lowering the TEC voltage to 5 or 7v if you insulate the reservoir really well and that would be less heat being dissipated in your already unreasonably hot house. Yeah it gets really hot in Summertime, our house seems to absorb/retain heat somehow & no A/C I will insulate the tub properly & also the return line to the tank so it doesn't loose any heat on the way back. If you can find some, you might consider using black tubing in the coolant tank, or paint the lid black. That clear tubing will eventually get some mean algae growth in it that will probably insulate it even more than the tubing is already. Darn good DIY chiller though, I might hafta do something like this for my pico, lord knows I have plenty of PC heatsinks laying in my computer parts box. Im going to insulate the tub & return line so it shouldnt be to bad. I'll have to do somthing if it does. copper isn't bad? Yes it is, why? C-BuZz Link to comment
Drift Monkey Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Yes it is, why? C-BuZz Just looked at the setup again. The copper doesn't touch actual tank water... Link to comment
Longinus Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 copper isn't bad? The copper never comes in contact with the SW if I am seeing it correctly. Nice implementation of the mini-chiller, looks like it should work pretty well. Link to comment
reefone Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 This is the heatsink that will be submerged in water inside the tub if this is correct and that heat sink does come in contact with the water u will kill ur tank. Link to comment
Sahin Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Heatsink does not come into contact with the tanks water. Tanks water runs via tubing which is cooled by the cooler water in the plastic container. I must say I am very impressed with the idea of this. Well done! Link to comment
Mudfish Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Alright, wait a minute now, for the old people here - let me make sure I understand this! The "peltier" is the actual chiller part, and it's the white thingy that's sandwitched between the two big heatsinks? And it chills the water in the tub, right? And your tank water circulates, through the tubing, through this chilled water and becomes thereby chilled itself? Very cool! Link to comment
C-BuZz Posted January 7, 2010 Author Share Posted January 7, 2010 if this is correct and that heat sink does come in contact with the water u will kill ur tank. Tub/chiller water yes, tank water no. Tank water stays in the tubes. C-BuZz Alright, wait a minute now, for the old people here - let me make sure I understand this! The "peltier" is the actual chiller part, and it's the white thingy that's sandwitched between the two big heatsinks? And it chills the water in the tub, right? And your tank water circulates, through the tubing, through this chilled water and becomes thereby chilled itself? Very cool! Yes that's correct. The peltier is the electrical device which actually does all the cooling sandwitched between the heatsinks. One side gets very cold, the other side gets very hot. The cold side is inside the tub of water which in turn freezes the water. The tank water is circulated through the tubing into the freezing water in the tub, then back to the tank The water is noticably much cooler to the touch after exiting the chiller. C-BuZz Link to comment
ajmckay Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Wow, what a great idea. Cheap too with readily available parts. Good job documenting it as well. The clear pictures make it idiot-proof for people like me! The next step obviously would be to incorporate a thermostat. Good work. Link to comment
systemtool Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Could you just hook the plug up to a reefkeeper to control the temp? Link to comment
travisurfer Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Impressive DIY. Great work! Link to comment
scubasteve Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Looking good so far At home at the back of my nano I'm using a 200L adjustable speed small 2w mini pump & seems to be producing perfect flow. Just put it in the tank for testing purposes Ambient is around 26c at the moment & tank temps are 24.8c, however it's fast heating up here in Melbourne & due for a top of 35c today so these results are not going to be very accurate. No livestock in my tank at the moment as it's still in testing phase My ambient temps have increased to 35c & it's really starting to get hot in here so it's a good test for the chiller. Ambients: Start temps: 24.8c (water) with 26c ambients increasing fast After a 2hr run temps: 23.9c (tank water) with 35c ambients I put the thermometer in to verify that my digital was reading correctly & they were exactly the same. If anyone has some more idea's or tips I'm keen to hear!! Thanks C-BuZz It looks like your tank is going to take off with all those fans. JEEZ! Link to comment
DAHNIC561 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 man this looks like a fire hazard to me???... Link to comment
evilc66 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Why? It's all low voltage. Link to comment
Jman785 Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Great job on the peltier! I recommend for better heat transfer looking on ebay and finding some Ti tubing and use some swagelok fittings to connect it to your pump...this way you'll get even more efficient heat exchange. Link to comment
gregzbobo Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 man this looks like a fire hazard to me???... A bead of silicone around the joint between the heatsinks and especially around the wires would work probably if you are overly worried. Link to comment
claw Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 Maybe this is the wrong place, but does anyone know how to add a thermocouple with a SIMPLE on/off control to this set up? I also have a TEC and have thought of using it for many things, including a tank chiller. Since Montana doesn't have snow for a few months of the year, no one really thinks about A/C here, and the house has gotten up towards 90F before. So a chiller may be necessary but I have until late June. Anyway, an easy circuit that took the voltage produced from a thermocouple, and a circuit to give a certain range of temps that controlled the switch to the TEC. If any of you brilliant people have better luck with electricity, let me know your thoughts. I think it could benefit everyone and C-BuZz! Link to comment
cptbjorn Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 http://www.craig.copperleife.com/tech/thermo/ Second circuit on the page is a great simple thermostat, it will run on a single 12v supply and you would just have it power a relay to switch the power to the TEC. Link to comment
plantarms Posted January 7, 2010 Share Posted January 7, 2010 wow that's a great build/idea you came up with! i'm in florida too for the summer and i know how hot it can get, your build definitely beats a $300 chiller Link to comment
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