Best combo: bong + closed system

[Paxmax]

It's really hard to get the watertemp close to ambient in a closed system. It's easier with a bong type cooler, and they are very efficient and can reach sub ambient temps. But they have their own drawbacks, dustcollecting and you have to add waterwetter to your system, and it all evaporates. Expensive in the long run.

So, why havent we combined the two?
You have your standard setup with a fan blowing over a rad, why don't add a small spray of water aswell? That would make the cooler much more efficient. All it would take is a small extra pump to acheive a spray or dribble of water over the rad. That spray water doesn't have to contain precious waterwetter either. Maybe some anti fungie/algie or something. If you have filtered air inside your PC you won't get dust in the water either. Do remember that the exit air will be more moist than before.

And the same concept would also work good with aircooled heatsinks, though you need to duct out the moist air, and you need a splashguard over your heatsink.
Hardly feasible you say? yeah, but, have you tried it? :)
The hardest part is to get room for the ducts and splashguards, whilst trying to pry the heatsink in between caps and cables :)

Disclaimer: All of this is pure ideas and I haven't tested or done any research at all. The claimed effectiveness is a gut feeling I have.
/Paxmax

[Tecumseh]

Bongs are phase-change coolers. You need to optimize the
evaporation of water to go sub-ambient. To do that you need
to well-mix the air and water flows.

You could have a multi-loop cooling system but this adds the
complexity of a liquid-liquid heat exchanger. It would be great
to keep the mineral deposits out of your WB. :)

[Paxmax]

Tecumseh wrote: Bongs are phase-change coolers. You need to optimize the evaporation of water to go sub-ambient. To do that you need to well-mix the air and water flows.

Paxmax: Well, as I see it the rate of evaporation has alot to do with exposed surface area and air volume. If the spray of water is forced through the rad by the passing air, the water will be smeared all over the reds fins, hence creating a very large surface. The backpressure of the rad will of coz increase since it is both air and water going through the rad, standard fan will surely cope. The amount of water hasn't got to be that great, I'm thinking like Eheim 1005 or 1046.

Tecumseh wrote: You could have a multi-loop cooling system but this adds the
complexity of a liquid-liquid heat exchanger. It would be great
to keep the mineral deposits out of your WB

Paxmax: What I'm suggesting IS a multiloop system. Closed loop has destilled water + water wetter, bong system loop has destilled/or/tap water + maybe anti algae.

The idea of having a part of the closed looped water to splash the rad surface would defeat the idea and get the drawbacks of bong system in the closed loop system again. Either you go rad cooling or bongcooling or multiloop bong+closed.

A good bong system will have great evaporation rate and keep filling it with destilled water and waterwetter is insane. I wouldn't go wc'ing without water wetter. It's great for finding leaks !!!! :D
/Paxmax

[Toysrme]

Good idea, but I don't think it'll work. I tried loading my heater core down with ice last semester and that didn't lower my temps any. I don't see how evaporating water will do anything more than stopping airflow between the fins it gets in between. Give it a shot and let us know how it goes though. Good Luck

-Toysrme

[Paxmax]

LOL! yeah, I'm intrested to test the idea, but my WC rig is kind of "down". I am just going aircooled for portability at the moment, lots of LAN to attend to. :)
Yes, I wish I had made my wc rig a nice box to attach to the bottom, but no... tubes 'n' rads 'n' pumps lies on the floor everywhere... not too popular with the girl friend. :D

Maybe someone has a rig up 'n' running and a pump to spare, who can test.
I'm also a wee bit busy with my other crazy coling projects + keeping the 4 other PC's in the house ready for LAN gaming.
But still the ideas *pop* :)