Senior Seminar project help

[robdarftw]

Hey guys. Me and a friend are going 2 be doing a computer project for our senior seminar project, and we had a few questions b4 we went thru with all the drawing out of plans and what not. First of all, we are planning to build a computer completely cooled by liquid. This means we are gonna build an airtight case, and fill the case with a liquid that will reduce heat, and be totally non-cunductive. We had a few ideas, such as mineral water(and our chemistry teacher also said Tomato oil, or something like that, might work). We also then need 2 design some kind of device that can transfer the heat that builds up in teh liquid, outside the case. One of our ideas was to build copper array that would stretch outside teh computer, to transfer heat, and hopefully, keep everything inside the computer cool. This is still in the idea stage right now, and we drew a few pics of it. But other than that, we havent done much to it. If anyone has any ideas, or anything to contribute to this, it would be greatly appreciated. you can email me at robdarftw@yahoo.com if you like. thanks
Robbie

 

[Lexluethar]

Here is a thread started regarding that same issue:
http://www.techist.com/forums/f6/unbelievable-cpu-cooling-182996/

Really use any air tight casing, the easiest would be a fish tank since it is made to obviously be air tight (at least from the bottom and sides). Use mineral oil and turn off or take off most of the fans within the system. Seeing they would be useless under the liquid AND would probably burn out because they wouldn't be able to rotate at their correct speeds.

Really no reason to create a 'rod structure' to dissipate heat, as the liquid will do this for you. The glass case will then transfer the heat from the liquid to the temperature in the surrounding room.

 

[robdarftw]

Ok, we were thinking about building the case out of like plexi-glass, since the teachers want us 2 make this as original as possible. But what about teh harddrive? If its submerged in water, the disk wont spin right? so we would have 2 completely cover it, so no liquid gets in it. the only problem i see with that is that it will get rly hot, and wont b able 2 transfer heat. Also, will plexi-glass transfer heat as well as like the glass on a fish-tank would? and will the glass actually transfer the heat stored in the liquid out of teh glass to the air?

 

[Lexluethar]

As for the hard drive you are right. I haven't done much research, but from what i've seen and read the computers that are build in this fasion stop working after a while. I really think this partly has to do with the hard drive. It isn't sealed air-tight, so i would assume liquid would slowly move into it, eventually slowing the platter speed and killing the drive.

One way would be to seal the drive, I would think the best way would be to do some research and find out where the drive isn't air tight, then seal up those 'holes.' If that isn't an option your idea of sealing it in glass or plastic would work too - but i would worry about heat (maybe this is where your rods could come into play).

The best option for the drive problem would be to use a solid state drive. They are expensive, but would negate the issue of having liquid slow down the movement of parts and slowly killing the drive. This way it wouldn't matter if the drive was sealed or not, b/c it is just eletrical current (like the rest of the computer). This way negating ALL moving parts after using a SSD and no fans.

As for the heat transfter issue, i don't know which would transfer heat better. I think glass would because it isn't as good of an insulator as plastic (i think..?).

 

[robdarftw]

ya, we might try and use those copper pipes and everything for teh harddrive. and we might also do the SSD. I think we are gonna try and get some funding from companys to give us computer parts, because this is prob gonna cost us more than wat our bank accounts have to offer .

 

[Lexluethar]

Haha, well i don't think it will cost as much as you are thinking. And to just 'prove' the theory to do this project you just need really cheap parts, nothing high end or high performance. Bet you could build a computer for this project with less than 200 dollars (aside from the SSD), then add any costs of creating your case and filling it with mineral oil.

 

[saltynay]

The hdd shouldn't really matter much as it is atmospherically sealed anyway. Even the smallest amount of dust could trap the platter and reading arm as they are only nanometers apart.....

This isn't original though as it has been done before by modders plenty of times. Personally I think a more novel project would be to make a computer that is powered by old chip oil or wind/solar/wave powered. To make electrical energy all you have to do is spin a conventional electric motor backwards or spin alternating magnets . The power plant could be really minute (fit in a standard atx case) if you used a low power Via mini-itx setup. More likely to get funding aswell the world is leaning towards environment saving ideas.

 

[robdarftw]

lol yes, those are great ideas. but, i think we were aiming for doing something simple but still cool. just so we can spend more time on all of our A.P. exams and stuff

 

[saltynay]

Just trying to give you more of a chance at funding through novelty factor. Asus atm have really been pushing there green angle with an included low power mode on motherboard that in realtime calculates the carbon saved