[completed] Direct die PC phase change cooler

[Bergo]

This is a little project I put together quite some time ago (around 2005). It's a cryogenic cooler I built for my computer. It's comprised of a 1/4HP compressor salvaged form a coca-cola cooler, and most of the other components were purchased new from local refrigeration suppliers. The evaporator was custom made by meself using copper plumbing caps and copper bar stock. The unit is charged with R290 (propane) (not advisable to smoke aorund my computer? )

the sad thing is this isn't even the furthest I've gone to cool a computer, I've also done liquid nitrogen, and a mixture of dry ice and acetone (don't inhale!)


Evaporator (insulated, and on custom made mount):


Computer running with evap mounted:


running without a load, high side under a vacuum (really low temps):


Condensing unit mounted under computer case:

[Bergo]

At some point I'd like tog et into AVR programing and make a comtroller board for the unit which would utilize thermocouples to measure temperatures at the high and low side of the condensing unit as well as the processor die/evaporator temp. Ideally it would be programable to have a delayed start of the PC until the condensing unit temp lowers enough to keep the CPU cool, and would shut off the PC and the condensing unit if the high side or cPU temp got too high. Might also try to mess around with PWM controll for the condensing unit fan speed, and have digital redouts of all values on an hd44780 display.