Liquid Cooling

[Ajaxus]

Alright so I'm planning out my project for the next year. And the big part is my custom enclosure I'm designing. In order to maximize cooling for the amplifier I was thinking of incorporating a liquid cooling system like those found in computers. Has this been done before? And does anyone have some recommendations on what system to use? Using fans to move the air around won't be efficient enough for my design, and they will take up far more space than this will.

Peace,
Ajax

Edit: I'll be cleaning up and scanning my sketches this weekend.

[cavingman]

I've seen companies use teh nawz to cool down subs before. It was in a magazine or something cant remember, pretty cool though. It may have been nitrous express's s15. They had 2 tanks, 1 for the motor and 1 for the subs.

edit: bingo, found it: http://www.nitrousexpress.com/ProjectCars/Silvia/28.htm

[Ajaxus]

eh, nos is too expensive for this. i really think using liquid cooling systems designed for computers is the way to go. but i just dont know what the best system is for the price. im looking at a few right now on newegg and tigerdirect websites.

Edit: and if anyone can tell me about how much heat i can expect an iceled flood light to put off, that'd be great. im aiming to have a one piece enclosure with the amp displayed underneath along with the cooling systems all visible through 3/4" plexiglass. i think putting an iceled flood down there would increase the appeal of the system. at this point im pretty much done with my design, i just have to verify tomorrow that the measurements will fit in my car (which im pretty sure they will).

[DevilDriver]

it's been tried by bazooka with unsuccessful results. there are a few issues that i can recall off the top of my head:
1. very pricey
2. very custom
3. very dangerous/damaging (potentially)
4. very unneeded. any simple push/push or pull/pull fan setup can keep your equipment sufficiently cool.
5. very wasteful. you'd use more power to do run a setup that isn't really needed. iirc, the bazooka setup ended up needing an extra 150 watts just to power the liquid cooling.

[onesexyga]

In my custom enclosure i did i just put 2 fans at either end of the box the amp is in. Two pull in, 2 go out. They are regular computer fans. They draw practically no power, cool it fine, and you cant hear them unless the music is totally off.

[Ajaxus]

well the cooling systems im looking at range in price from $30-200. So price is not an issue. The enclosure is only 3.4" tall and looking to be as long as the width of the trunk, so fans may not get the job done. I'm going to place plexiglass over the amp, caps, and liquid cooling units so they are easily accessible. I know there is a risk of water damage, but I'm pretty sure that given some time to run tests I can get that risk out of the way.

I just need an idea of which one of these would be my best route.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...asp?CatId=499&
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ubmit=Property

[caraudiodave]

it sound like the stinger crosflow fans will work. before you dismiss them ive gotta say that they move LOTS of air.

heres a pic of one:


$31.49 at sounddomain.com

[Ajaxus]

ill check that out. the only problem i have with fans, is that a)the structure will be close to flush with the trunk walls. and b)if i cut holes to permit air movement, that will cut down on the stability of the structure.

Edit: thanks for that info, just checked it out. pending that i cant get a working liquid cooling setup (cause im still stuck on the originality of such) i will probably get this fan. those dimensions are about right, and i can probably strengthen the structure once i have all the pieces laid out. the fan just wont be that accessible if i need to ever get to it, thats the only problem im seeing.

[caraudiodave]

yea, i hear what you are saying. i understand the originality, but what ive learned after years of installing is to be original in the install and the fabrication, but when it comes to equipment and mechanics, theres a reason why some ideas are popular.

with that said, post up any info about the liquid cooling. im curious to see of it works out for you.

[Ajaxus]

yeah, this thread is going to be coming back to life alot over the next year or so with more updates. im going to try and incorporate computer liquid cooling units rather than the industrial style units. i figure the ones designed for computer will need less of a charge. most likely i will try and wire it all into one of my capacitors for power. im thinking its going to be about 2mo of research before i jump into making the enclosure.

[caraudiodave]

cool. ill bet my new install will be done by then.

im getting so bored of my install right now, i mean it gets lots of attention, but ive had it for like 2 or 3 years, i need a change.

[JohnnyB4439]

My audiobahn always cut out in the heat, so i stuck a small wood block behind the amp and screwed it back in, so now there is a gap between the amp and the carpet, I bought one of those stinger fans hooked it up and now it blows air behind the amp. It hasnt cut out since. But I think even without the fan just raising it from the carpet wall allows some of that hot heat to dissipate. Before the carpet would just absorb it, acting like a blanket.

[Ajaxus]

well due to space restrictions im cutting back to 3 10s or 3 12s. still gonna try to liquid cool the setup. now what difference is there in sound quality and volume between a sub that faces out of an enclosure and one mounted facing into it?

[MantaGreen97]

Originally Posted by Punk0Rama

it's been tried by bazooka with unsuccessful results. there are a few issues that i can recall off the top of my head:
...

5. very wasteful. you'd use more power to do run a setup that isn't really needed. iirc, the bazooka setup ended up needing an extra 150 watts just to power the liquid cooling.

Yeah I was gonna mention the Bazooka CHIL system as well. I didn't realise it was that "unsuccessful" but most people recognised that it was mainly a gimmick.

The extra power was most certainly required for an (electric) water pump to pump the coolant through the lines and 150W seems like it would indeed be possible. Furthermore, unlike amps which are always varying their power draw (since they are playing music which is constantly changing) the power to the pump is a constant draw--meaning worse for your alternator/electrical system.

Liquid cooling is possible, but you are going to get the drawbacks listed by PunkORama above. Another problem, however, with liquid cooling is that the amps (for the most part) have to be designed/manufactured with liquid cooling facilities/fittings. The Bazooka CHIL series had those but that was about it. The older Orion (Xtreme, HCCA, and XTRPRO) amps (with the straight holes/tubes through the heatsink, originally designed for the bars that go in there) could also be used with liquid cooling as it was easy to thread a liquid fitting to those holes and it ran right down the entirety of the heatsink.

Most amps, however, do not have any such facility and that is where your main problem would be--actually getting the liquid to run through the heatsink(s) and cool the amp(s).

[Ajaxus]

good points. and when i go home ill link you to something i found that im looking into. it doesnt require any tubing, its a slim metal box that you set the unit on and it runs water in just the box and helps to dissipate heat. it looks like a nicer and safer system than tubing. i forgot about the variable temps of the amp, i think ill run some tests on the variances in my current amps temperature to see if there is a broad difference or a consistent temperature output.

[caraudiodave]

Originally Posted by Ajaxus

well due to space restrictions im cutting back to 3 10s or 3 12s. still gonna try to liquid cool the setup. now what difference is there in sound quality and volume between a sub that faces out of an enclosure and one mounted facing into it?

with the baskets out of the box your advantages are that you need less internal volume in the box because the assembly doesnt displace anything. also, you can display the magnet/basket part fo the sub.

the disadvantage is that you get less air moved since theres less cone area exposed.

i can verify that with my setup.

[Ajaxus]

if i have them facing out im going to custom fab some speaker grills, one with the pontiac G, one with the T, and one with the pontiac emblem. But ive never had them facing into the enclosure, so I was just curious as to what differences there would be. I figure i might as well try and do something a bit different this time around.

[MIAaron]

Yes people have used the computer liquid cooling setups in car audio. The only one I remember off the top of my head is Scott Buwalda. I talked to him about it once and he said while it worked well, it just took up more room in his trunk. He said he only did it for creativity points in his install. There are some descent squirrel cage fans at partsexpress that I like. They are only like $3 and move about 25cfm. If you're dealing with moving air in an enclosed area, they will kick the crap out of a computer axial fan.

[Ajaxus]

how long ago did scott do this setup?

[sc02grandam]

get the 92 mm vantec tornado fan.. pushes a 119cfm of air