Welding and pc worlds colide

[gixxerzk4]

Hi Guys
New to water cooling, ive tried to do as much research as i could before posting this as to find the answers for myself but would like more input!

Im building a weird setup, using pc water cooling parts for a welding cooler application. The state of water coolers in the welding world is still in the stone age it seems and extremely overpriced. The quality and efficiency of the pc cooling parts is MUCH higher so im trying to build something revolutionary in a way.

So far im looking at using 2x480mm black ice rads
http://www.performance-pcs.com/radiators/black-ice-nemesis-l-series-480-stealth-radiator.html#

8xXSPC Pro Series 120mm Fan
http://www.performance-pcs.com/xspc-pro-series-120mm-fan-pwm-500-2000rpm-3-pack.html

1x Swiftech MCP655 pump with speed control
http://www.performance-pcs.com/pumps/swiftech-mcp655-pwm-12v-water-d5-pump-module-pwm-oem.html

Obviously, since im using it for a welding application, i wont have a cpu to control the fans so my main questions are related to fan speed control. Ideally i would like to have the fans sitting at a low rpm and or even off when the coolant is at say room temp and as soon as the controller senses the temp start to rise, to be able to turn the fans on and start controlling the temp. I was looking at using something like the NZXT Sentry 3
http://www.performance-pcs.com/fan-control/nzxt-sentry-3-touchscreen-fan-controller.html
to achieve this. What is the best way to run more fans off the controller? Also considering putting at least one or two fans as intake into the case. These will have filters on them as to keep shop dust out of the case. Noise isnt really a concern, as it will be in a welding shop.


The basic requirements i have is i need to be able to run 1L/MIN of coolant at a minimum of 30 psi and the comparable cooler cooles at a rate of 1,660 W
(5,660 Btu/hr.)
Im thinking of building at least a 8L resevoir (just because it seems that most welding coolers have a large capacity).

The only other thing im missing i believe is a power supply for the fans and controller.

I plan on running temp in and temp out gauges, pressure gauge and flow meter so that i can keep an eye on it all. Im also going to build an aluminum case to house it all, so that i can set my welding machine ontop of it.

Again, i know this is a very off sort of project but i greatly appreciate any input you guys have!

 

[caddi daddi]

why not just plump in a serck radiator into your torch cooling system?

 

[gixxerzk4]

Running an air cooled torch setup right now and have to setup a complete water cooling system from scratch

 

[Lochekey]

I see 3 issues that need to be addressed before going further with this project.

First off, if you truly need to maintain 30 psi in the loop you will need to look at different pumps to maintain this. 30psi is roughly 21 m of head pressure. The pump you specified is only good for 3.5-4 m of head at your 1l/min flow rate. You would have to series about 6-7 of these pumps to reach your desired pressure at your desired flow rate. The cost of such a setup would probably pay for a more proper pump.

Second, I am unsure if the radiators will hold up to that pressure. I could not find a pressure rating on that specific radiator but comparable rads from competitors are only rated for 1-2 bar(14-29 psi). Now I am not saying they will not hold up to the pressure but please realize that these rads were not designed or rated to operate at these pressures.

Lastly, the rad you listed are typically able to handle roughly 400 watts while maintaining a typical coolant deltaT of 10C and that is not accounting for your low flow rate as these rads are typically rated at 1 gpm. As you have listed to use only 2 and if you really need to cool 1600 watts your coolant temperature will have a higher deltaT. Without testing I cannot tell you exactly what your temperature rise in your coolant will be but depending on what temperature you need to maintain to properly cool your equipment you may need more rads. You may also want to consider thicker rads as they offer better heat dissipation and have a lower restriction.

 

[gixxerzk4]

Thanks very much for your reply Lochekey, I will definitely put more research into pumps and rads. Any thoughts on the fan control?

 

[Alaric]

Second, I am unsure if the radiators will hold up to that pressure. I could not find a pressure rating on that specific radiator but comparable rads from competitors are only rated for 1-2 bar(14-29 psi). Now I am not saying they will not hold up to the pressure but please realize that these rads were not designed or rated to operate at these pressures.

Automotive radiators are only rated at about 1/3 of that pressure! I'm thinking oil cooler or transmission cooler radiators, or re-purposed condensers from refrigeration/AC sources. And I would use metal hard line or braided line at least.

 

[Lochekey]

So the pressure requirement you mentioned earlier. Where is this number coming from? Is 30 psi really necessary? What does the actual heat exchanger for the elder look like? Most water Cooling components are designed to be low pressure systems that rely on high flow rates. If your system truly must be at that pressure you really should be looking for different components to build on.

As for fan control. Of you are looking for a preassembled controller you can check out the aquaero 6 controller. I believe that week work standalone and would allow you to control fan speeds based on ambient vs coolant temps. It would also allow for control of pump speed depending on the pump or pumps. If you are looking to go cheap you could probably build a simple circuit that would act as an on/off switch for the fans based on a preset coolant temp but this would not allow for fan speed control only on/off.

 

[Alaric]

https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Temperature-Controller-Thermostat-STW/dp/B00C4TEEF2

 

[ihrsetrdr]

Running an air cooled torch setup right now and have to setup a complete water cooling system from scratch

Interesting. Could you post the make / model of the torch? Is this for a TIG machine?

 

[Conumdrum]

THe 30 PSI comes from more like car systems. Higher pressure reduces the buildup of bubbles once coolant temp hits 212f, boiling temp.

A watercooling rig never, ever comes close to such temps needed for PSI like that. We try to keep coolant no more that 15c above ambient. It's for cars etc. What is "your blowout PSI for your radiator cap? Hmmmm>

The OP needs to understand watercooling.

On a side note, read about superheated steam under MUCH MUCH higher temps and pressures.

 

[Lochekey]

THe 30 PSI comes from more like car systems. Higher pressure reduces the buildup of bubbles once coolant temp hits 212f, boiling temp.

A watercooling rig never, ever comes close to such temps needed for PSI like that. We try to keep coolant no more that 15c above ambient. It's for cars etc. What is "your blowout PSI for your radiator cap? Hmmmm>

The OP needs to understand watercooling.

On a side note, read about superheated steam under MUCH MUCH higher temps and pressures.

Was this directed at my question?

I think the highest pressure boiler system I have worked on is around 150 psi. I know they go much higher but I really have never looked into them.

A for the car radiator I think my system blows off at 15 psi.

Anyways, back to my original question, I am curious how the op came up with the 30 psi number as it seems like an arbitrary number.

 

[freeagent]

What is your welding setup now?

What are you welding that requires water cooling? What process are you using?

Both Lincoln, and Miller have water cooled setups, for both mig and tig. Are you using higher amps, like 450+?