3+ heater cores in parallel

[Mooker]

Hey. I was just doin some thinkin and thought about how 3 or 4 heatercores would do in parallel. For like if you had a system with 2 220 watt TECs. Has anyone tried this? Would this type of setup be able to get water temps down to ambient?




Thanks

 

[nikhsub1]

Hey. I was just doin some thinkin and thought about how 3 or 4 heatercores would do in parallel. For like if you had a system with 2 220 watt TECs. Has anyone tried this? Would this type of setup be able to get water temps down to ambient?

That would be a huge waste of time, money and effort, and, you would need like a 1000GPH pump with a 50 foot head. One good heater core would be able to do the job well, 2 in parallel would be good too, anything beyond that is just silly and unneeded.

 

[cack01]

It all depends on the fan(s) that you use. You can actually use one heatercore, as long as the fans you use put enough air over the core. With 3-4 cores, you can use smaller weaker fans, and get the same proformance as with 1 giant fan. You may even be able to passivly cool them, but I'm not sure about that. It will be hard to get all of them to have equal flow though, and ofcourse it will need to be a parallel setup.

 

[Mooker]

I kno it would be a waste of money but I was just thinkin. Like cack said maybe if you wanted a passive system of some sort on dual procs or something.

 

[nikhsub1]

I kno it would be a waste of money but I was just thinkin. Like cack said maybe if you wanted a passive system of some sort on dual procs or something.

You would also need a mongo pump, like an Iwaki which are mucho $$$$$$.

 

[Warlord2]

I have 2 rads in parallet right now and I will just say that you dont need nearly as much air flow as you do with only one rad. This is just with a plane h2o setup though. I would NOT go with one rad for two 220 watt tec, you would be MUCH better off with 2 rads sense it almost triples the effecticy as opposed to one radiator.

 

[SemiCycle]

With more then 2 heatercores (really only one is needed), you would run into diminishing returns quickly. You can only cool the water back down to ambient. Better fans, or corrected mounted and directed fans is a better way to go.

 

[JasonKosi]

I don't think that in parallel would require a larger pump...
In series I can see the necessity for greater water pressure, but not parallel.

 

[none1]

OK folks, why would this need to be parallel? Help a n00b out.

I mean, there are cases where one normal heater core won't get the job done. So the question is how to get more cooling? Use a car radiator? (HUGE) or go with multi smaller heater cores?

NOTE This site
http://becooling.safeshopper.com/33/177.htm?210
has a kit with two mini heater cores, and claims it has the same cooling power as a single bigger core. BUT, doesn't say parallel or serial.

thanks

 

[Warlord2]

one would not be enough for 2 220 watt tec, that would be 550+ watt of heat to remove and one rad isnt going to cut it very well without atleast 2 131cfm fans on it. Believe me you will get lots of improvement with a parallel setup. No you dont need a bigger pump, I was even using a 150gph for a week or so, thin I got this via 1300 wich is working without a problem to push this water. With a parrallel setup the water is being forced to go slower through the rads and faster through the block, this makes it almost 3x more effective thin a single rad.

 

[strokeside]

If you had 3 rads in parallel, they would be kind of like a res too, as they hold so much water. In parallel, you would be drawing the water through the rads slower, thereby meeting less resistance to flow compared to if you double the speed (single rad).
And the extra time the water stays in the rad can only help to reduce temps. I think the space you have in your case and how how you have your rads mounted/positioned will determine how much of an improvement you see over normal 1 rad setups.

But anything over two rads(each rad being a heatercore) is serious overkill.

 

[none1]

But anything over two rads(each rad being a heatercore) is serious overkill.

Depends on the amount of heat, no? < evil >

I haven't had time to jump in WC yet. Plan to this fall sometime. I already posted a few weeks ago. I've got a farm. 12 comps, all on a shelf unit, none in a case, all have fans, one big room fan blowing in from the window. NOISY

So I'm a thinking WC all 12 comps ........ so multi rads sounds good to me. I would not have thought about parallel, slower through the rads gives better cooling, but it makes perfect sense.

Thanks much!

 

[Lt. Max]

by paralell do u mean in a row or do u mean like from pump it splits into 2 or 3 and then goes thru rads and then joins back together? thats what my friend did

max

 

[Freeloader]

Like Warloard2 said, you don't need a bigger pump for a bunch of rads in parallel. Adding rads in parallel reduces resistance and increases overall flow, meaning you could use a smaller pump.

Instead of using a bunch of heatercores, it would be better to use a car rad (you still won't need a large pump). You could then use a large quiet fan, instead of a lot of noiser small fans. This is exactly what I would do if I were runing 2 220watt tecs.

Ideally, you would want to get the water around 2 or 3c above ambient. Getting the water even with ambient would be very difficult and probably not worth the effort (excluding a bong).

 

[Kill Control]

just get a core 2x as big with dual fans. it seems like it would all work out the same as 2 smaller cores, if not better due to less tubing.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

hmm.....depends on the pump. I think no, it would look ugly and has too many problems

 

[Hellraiser]

pics?

can anyone show me pics of a paralell heatercore setup?
i think setting up a paralell heatercore takes up more space and is more difficult to setup ( hoses ).

i not sure but i think it does make sense that a pump has less work to do when 2 heatercores are paralell than setup in serial, but i think the gain in dropping temps will be the same.

 

[Frodo Baggins]

uh...i dunno if it' worth it. honestly, your gonna hve a pretty ugly setup with 3 rads outside your case, and a bong could prolly beat it. Just remember you may be going to a ton of trouble to get rid of a couple degrees. Like the jump of going from a heatercoreLESS setup to a heatercore setup is big, but from there your trying to fight against the ambiant barrier and you prolly won't be getting much of an increase

I'm not sure however, but my suggestion is forget about thie 3 heatercores in parrallel. Spend your money on quality parts and you can prolly get some better temps

 

[Toysrme]

Unless he's talking having to cool massive amounts of power. I don't think it would be feasable.

I mean have you ever noticed that most of the guys that actually check the water temp only rises afew degrees from AMB. in the worst cases? Those last few degrees I feel won't make enough of a differance as is worth the money time and trouble.

-Toysrme

 

[EyelessFace]

Look here

Someone has already done that, take a look and see what he did.