link1896
12-13-2008, 04:03 AM
To start, a disclaimer.
A water cooled power supply for a computer is a very dangerous idea. How dangerous is up to the designer, and the user. To cover my ass, DON"T attempt this unless you REALLY know what you are doing!!!! But how do you know what you are doing? I don't know the answer, if you don't know the answer, then a quiet fan cooled psu is for you.
So this is for all those who asked. Sorry I don't have more pics.
The psu I used was an Enhance 500 watt psu. specs (http://www.enhanceusa.com/series.php?series_id=4#115)
Enhance are the OEM manufacturer for some of the Coolermasters, Zalmans and silverstones. Not quite Seasonic quality, but not far behind. In hindsight I should have used a seasonic. anyway...
I replaced the mosfet and diode heatsinks with copper plate, and used the middle horizontal plate to cool the transformer. I still use a fan, not shown in the pics, mounted on the outside of the PSU lid, at low rpm to cool everything else. Caps were also replaced, again not shown in pics, with Panasonics, nichicons and elnas.
Output inductors are also cooled, with silicon washer on either side for insulation.
The pcb layout has the switching mosfets heatsink connected to the B+ rail along with the drain leg of the mosfets, so I did away with the heatsink connection and am running the mosfets insulated with mica washers. The waterblock assembly is grounded, and I've run 1000volt leakage tests in both directions just to be sure (1000v from the a/n to PE, and 1000v from PE to the a/n) and I can't measure any leakage with the trusty fluke.
I'm also using a pair of 50 deg c thermal switches, one to the control IC (existing in Enhances design) and the other I've added to the power on (green wire of 24pin connector) so if I loose water flow and the assembly does hit 50 degrees, it will power off. When I first tested the psu after adding the water block, I ran it with no water and it didn't get really hot running a low powered AMD system, prolly 30 deg over ambient.
The copper assembly I made has the 1/2" copper pipe milled open on one face so that the coolant is actually in contact with the vertical copper plates.
Its coolant | copper plate,
not
coolant | copper pipe | solder |copper plate.
The assembly is held together with 60/40 solder. It was pressure tested to 140 psi (my mains water pressure) for one week with no signs of leaks.
I've plans, as part of a current build, to replace the hose barbs with compression fittings. Since I can't heat the assembly, I'll be making custom compression fitting to flare assemblies with a high flow 90 degree in them.
Hope this has given some inspiration to someone. JUST be damned careful. Make sure you run the psu with an earth leakage detector.
And for anyone who wishes to complain or whine, FFS this is an extreme cooling forum, not a pussy, assemble it all in 10 minutes zalman resonator forum.
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu1.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu2.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu3.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu9.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu4.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu5.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu6.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu7.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu8.jpg
A water cooled power supply for a computer is a very dangerous idea. How dangerous is up to the designer, and the user. To cover my ass, DON"T attempt this unless you REALLY know what you are doing!!!! But how do you know what you are doing? I don't know the answer, if you don't know the answer, then a quiet fan cooled psu is for you.
So this is for all those who asked. Sorry I don't have more pics.
The psu I used was an Enhance 500 watt psu. specs (http://www.enhanceusa.com/series.php?series_id=4#115)
Enhance are the OEM manufacturer for some of the Coolermasters, Zalmans and silverstones. Not quite Seasonic quality, but not far behind. In hindsight I should have used a seasonic. anyway...
I replaced the mosfet and diode heatsinks with copper plate, and used the middle horizontal plate to cool the transformer. I still use a fan, not shown in the pics, mounted on the outside of the PSU lid, at low rpm to cool everything else. Caps were also replaced, again not shown in pics, with Panasonics, nichicons and elnas.
Output inductors are also cooled, with silicon washer on either side for insulation.
The pcb layout has the switching mosfets heatsink connected to the B+ rail along with the drain leg of the mosfets, so I did away with the heatsink connection and am running the mosfets insulated with mica washers. The waterblock assembly is grounded, and I've run 1000volt leakage tests in both directions just to be sure (1000v from the a/n to PE, and 1000v from PE to the a/n) and I can't measure any leakage with the trusty fluke.
I'm also using a pair of 50 deg c thermal switches, one to the control IC (existing in Enhances design) and the other I've added to the power on (green wire of 24pin connector) so if I loose water flow and the assembly does hit 50 degrees, it will power off. When I first tested the psu after adding the water block, I ran it with no water and it didn't get really hot running a low powered AMD system, prolly 30 deg over ambient.
The copper assembly I made has the 1/2" copper pipe milled open on one face so that the coolant is actually in contact with the vertical copper plates.
Its coolant | copper plate,
not
coolant | copper pipe | solder |copper plate.
The assembly is held together with 60/40 solder. It was pressure tested to 140 psi (my mains water pressure) for one week with no signs of leaks.
I've plans, as part of a current build, to replace the hose barbs with compression fittings. Since I can't heat the assembly, I'll be making custom compression fitting to flare assemblies with a high flow 90 degree in them.
Hope this has given some inspiration to someone. JUST be damned careful. Make sure you run the psu with an earth leakage detector.
And for anyone who wishes to complain or whine, FFS this is an extreme cooling forum, not a pussy, assemble it all in 10 minutes zalman resonator forum.
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu1.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu2.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu3.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu9.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu4.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu5.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu6.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu7.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/link1853/wcpsu/wcpsu8.jpg