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3/4" enough insulation?

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dreammmatt

Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2002
Hi all! I'm FINALLY building the chiller i've been planning for like, a year... and for the reservoir I am making a 12x12x3 inch plexiglass chamber out of that .093 (i have no idea what that number implies, i assume measurement of some kind) plexiglass as opposed to .236, just because it is cheaper, and then i am planning on using 3/4 Inch Styrofoam Insulation is that going to be enough? (I would double it, but, due to the size of the "all-in-one" unit i am making, it just wouldnt fit)
 
Thiose numbers sound like the thickness in inches. thie first one is about 3/32", and the second is a little under 1/4".

the thicknes of the insulation depends on what you want.

Thicker insulation will provide cooler temperatures. At a bare minimum you want enough insulation to keep consation from forming on the outside of the cooler. To figure out how much insulation you need for this, you need to learn about heat transfer. Just read up on one dimentional heat transfer, and find the thermal resistance values of the plexi and styrofoam, as well as the water temperature and air temperature. From this and some other approximations you can find the heat loss, external wall temperature, andything you will need.

At a first glance, unless you are getting your water very cold, like -20 or more, the 3-4 inch should prevent condensation.

I would be worried about the plexiglass cracking or breaking, especially if you are cooling it a lot. Since you are insulating it there is no need for it to be clear, so just use something stronger and cheaper. A simple wooden box with a liner or something like that will work nicely.
 
Alright, thanx man - I appareciate the help - I've technically only got 4 days to do this whole thing now; and I dont think that it's possible...but....it's a 3 day lan party in an attic, and it will get really hot up there with 30 other computers and (near) no ventilation, hence the need for some wiggy cooling, so...I should at least try to get it as near finished as possible...lol thanx again
 
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