refridgerator help

[Trique]

To anybody who knows anything about refridgerators:

I have a simple. compact refridgerator lyring around and I need to put it to good use. I decided on using it for my watercooling and making it into a "water chiller" and something I can put some drinks into. There is one problem. I tried to use high efficiency, so I put the whole ice box in my water with the simple fact that water transfers heat 10 times faster than air. But the compressor gets WAY too hot. After about 1 minute of running, my water lost about 1 degree throughout the whole system, but the compressor and it's system get so hot, it automatically shuts off. I read up on refridgerators and compressors and found that there is a type of "coil" thing to absorb the heat of the coolant before it changes phases to get maximum results. What I wanted to do was take that coil system and transfer it to a radiator with a 120mm fan. This will solve my heat problem, but I don't know much about the coolant itself and I'm nothing close to being satisfied about taking one of those tubes off and just letting the coolant go into the radiator and the whole process of incorporating the radiator. I read that the coolant evaporates at a nice -32 C and that means if I release the pressure of those tubes, it instantly all comes out and I have no clue how to do this. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Hell, if you worked at Dupont or something and have a little something to say about the coolant, that would be greatly appreciated as well.

For a good reference, I need to be able to apply a radiator similar to what asetek did. Check out some pics of their fridges at www.asetek.com and you can see the radiator in the front. That is my ideal setup.

~Ben

 

[Tiger]

What you described with regard to your fridge sounds like it has got down to its minimum temp and the thermostat has switched it off. I do not know of fridges that have overheat shutdown except very sophisticated air-con systems that work on return vapour super heating. Sounds like the fridge is none too healthy if its not puling the right temps.
With regard to putting the coils(called the evaporator) in the radiator this is a fairly complex operation. I suggest you go through the Project X thread where you'll find some serious and informative discussion on this whole subject.
I hope that thread answers some of your questions.

 

[Diggrr]

Tiger's right (of course), your fridge is doing it's normal cycling, it just happens to be quite warm as it reaches the end of the pressure cycle, because it's doing the most work when reaching the highest pressure.

Instead of rebuilding the fridge, try just adding a small fan to the back of it. It doesn't have to be attached in anyway, just adding extra ventilation to the back and underside of the fridge. I've always wondered why the hottest part of the unit is under the box you're trying to cool, heat rises. I'd suggest a simple 6" pedestal fan, or maybe running a 12volt wire from the computer to power a 120mm case type fan.
You're kindof pushing the limits of what the unit was made to do by adding a constant heat load, it's made to keep a steady temp with only occassional heat added when you put something warm into it, so this extra cooling of the compressor is needed.

Read project X for info on rearranging the fridge, if you still decide to. If you don't change the fridge, read it anyway...there's still a boat load of info in there.

Have a good'n!

 

[Trique]

Yeah I have actually tried a 120mm fan in the back, and it just doesn't cut the job. I was speaking to a friend about his spark welder and possibly making a waterblock that attaches to the compressor, but many people are saying that's not the prime spot to cool so that's why I wanted to cool those coils. So I am going to go ahead in project X, this should be fun.

 

[NuebieN]

I have never seen a compressor that DIDN'T have a themal overload protection circuit built inside the compressor.

As you seen posted above, a fan will do.

Edit: scroll compressors do not have an overload but they're not in refrigerators.

 

[Trique]

Mine does not have that radiator like thing on the back.. Instead I can feel heat in three spots of the refridgerator so what I am thinking about doing is taking off the metal casing and pulling those out so I can cool them. That my be a real work load and if I bend that tubing too much in the wrong way than I could stop the flow and have a serious problem. That is a last resort. Do you think a small house fan around 7" in diameter blowing on the compressor will help? I don't care how hot it gets, I just want it to run without blowing up

Thanks a lot NuebieN, I have looked at your previous mini-tutorial and I am awwed by the results. Great work.

~Ben

PS. Do you have aim or anything I want to discuss something with you.
My SN is Nigal957