[Scratch Build] Phase Changer RIG. INDIA

Hi,

I am Rakesh Sharma a software developer by profession but DIY type guy by heart, from a small town ‘Jodhpur’, INDIA.

DIY stuff is my hobby or better a passion ..

I have done few case builds, modding and making of water cooling kit from scratch..in past and posted in many forums. Few links are below..

http://www.erodov.com/forums/do-yourself-printed-circuit-board-making/33865.html

http://www.erodov.com/forums/new-case-build-name-clearity/29255.html

http://www.erodov.com/forums/field-biometrics-project/42741.html

http://www.erodov.com/forums/diy-watercooling-tec/43859.html

Now I am working on a new build, this time scratch building a Case from aluminum with Phase changer cooling.

For last few weeks was doing some R&D.. so now it’s time to start the build.


My inspiration for this build is this LD V10 case..

I will try my best to make my case as a clone of this case.. only the laser cut fan grills will be very-very difficult to be fabricated by hand..let’s see..

Just to add that I will not be using any type of power tools for this build..(Cos I don’t have any). All the cutting, drilling, grinding and finishing will be done by hands only.

Proud to announce Sponsor for this build :
1.

ASUS sponsoring the project with Sabertooth P67 Motherboard

2.
Special Thanks to 'BIKeINSTEIN' and 'toolius'

3.

ANTEC sponsoring the project with Case fans.

4.

KINGSTON is supporting the project with some good Hardware.



Here is rough layout of the build (just for idea..).



Ok to Start, some half inch square aluminum rods purchased, at a super discount rate from a friend’s shop.



All rods are of good quality ..My friend personally monitored that on piece should not have any type of manufacturing defect.



Cutting the rods in proper size…

Dam they are too hard .. it took about 15 minutes to cut one end of four rods together.



Filling all ends for proper 90 degree flat face..



So after about three hours of late night work.. I have finished all the rods to be made in as a frame…

Next have to drill some holes, make threads for screw and join the frame together.

 

Have finished cutting and finalizing the ends of the rods for the case frame.
Now have to drill holes and join the frame together.

First marking center of the rod.


Punching hole for drilling.


Hand drill in action.
Used new wooden drill bit set.. so drilling was very easy .. First I tried drill bits used for iron,, but they have very small cutting angle , so using with aluminum was very difficult . But wooden drill bit cuts aluminum very easy ..


Primary holes done


using three incremental sized drill bits , main hole for screw threading done.


Threading.. Aluminum is very easy to work with.. effortless


Screw baby screw.. perfect .


More drilling threading.. whole night


4 in the morning finished drilling and threading .. filling and tap holes for screws remains.. just tested how two rods joins.


Time to join the monster together..


Perfect tapping of screws.



First top frame. Perfect right angle joints..

 

Now bottom one.


Both ready..


More to go.. now top frame rod screwed.


Front side ready…


there goes back side too ..


Frame is ready .. it look huge.. everyone in the house was saying.. this is too big for a PC..



Just to give an idea how huge this frame is, I have placed a PSU .. so you can understand seriousness of the matter.


Final the frame in done it’s about 4pm on Sunday..


This build can take some time.. since I am fulltime Office employ and family executive at home. So full modding on weekends and tit-bits on weekdays.. you all can understand..

 

Update Pics ...

 

First Compressor





It’s 1/8 Hp compressor which can handle R404A gas,
Permitted Evaporating Temperature -47 .0 to -6.7 c (just specifations, can go more low with this compressor.)
Suction Pressure 24.6 psig
Discharge Pressure 354 psig


Some tools ..








Second a Parcel ..





I think i know what's it .....





It’s a Sabertooth P67.. woooo.








Sabertooth is having real looks.. super cool with that Thermal Armor.

 

Cutting hole in mobo tray using Chisel and hammer.





It took about 2 hours to cut hole for Mobo power cables and Real time temperature displays.



Filling holes another hour gone..



Cutting and mounting black acrylic sheet for temperature displays.



Perfect.. Done



Sunday Morning..
Color the tray and hdd stand.
First coat.



About evening.. it's done..



Looks cool..

 

Got a package from Taiwan














Some purchase:

 

Just purchased a DVD Drive and colored it





A card reader and few internal front panel cables..





These cables are too short for my case.. So made some custom long cables
First Front panel cable





Extra long com port connector





Extra long front USB header cable, made from old Logitech wireless key-mouse receiver..
works perfect:




Some real time temperature displays on place.







Some holes for Fans.







Front USB panel and hole for card reader.

 

A controller or junction board to power fans, LEDs, power relays, etc is ready.





Thanks to Rex Liang from KINGSTON, for supporting my PC build.

 

Sunday update:

Worked late night and finished all major holes creating work on the case and PSU holder plate also done.
Now in morning testing all fittings.

First some good Black M4 5/6 Screws for fan and Phase changer Controller installed ..




















The Phase changer controller can be programmed for ten preset settings.
I have set three settings.
One for max oc.. maintain lowest possible temperature.
Second -2 degree for normal OC
And finally 6 degree for normal working.
It will control the compressor and the condenser fan according to preset setting.




Now here comes my bad luck in action.
Controller is working fine . I have programmed it to start my test PSU at 40 degree C , which in turn start all four 140 fans.. cool..
But everything not went like this .
First mistake I selected same single color wires for all AC test wiring. (One must take different color wire for AC , line neural and earth ) then somehow I connected the main AC wires to the controller in such a way that it created a shot circuit better say a big blast and a black out in the house , as soon as I increased the temperature on the sense to 40 degree.
I have killed my brand new controller… Don’t have words to shout on myself
Even after two hours, one can sense a PCB burning type smell in whole house.









Very bad Sunday .. Anyhow tried some cable sleeve one few old Fans.. first time sleeve so please don’t mind it.



Rakesh Sharma

 

Thanks Rakesh Sharma

 

^^ haha did you really just thank yourself? Looks like a fairly nice build you got going there bud!

 

i think it was like...thanks, (name) like thank you for looking..signing out..etc.

 

Good stuff. Been looking for compressor cooling, not going to make custom one myself, some finished product for cpu cooling would be great, but not that many options for it (no products at market in here AFAIK).

 

Still waiting for evaporator.. mean while just done some new hardware test run and OC the i7-2600k with stock cooler on saturday night.. it was quite a fun.
Sabertooth P67 is a solid board when combined with Kingston Hyper X RAM i got some good result.... below is the best stable OC with Windows booting good and all my program running fine..

I was able to boot windows in safe mode at 5.7 ... hope to do some good OC with Phase Changer unit..



http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9437/newoc2.jpg

Regards
Rakesh Sharma

 

Nice oc there! would love to see some temps.

 

Hello to all.. first sorry for a late update..

Due to some health issue, modding was on hold for me.. but I am fine now, and was working for two days to finish the evaporator. And happy to tell you all that, at last I have finished it.. and tested it under high air pressure for any leak… will be assembling the phase change soon.

Here are some pics before final polishing,





The bottom plate have 85% pure silver lining …



After polishing the evaporator is ready.





Made evaporator holding bracket from acrylic..







First I have painted the case, a mat black finishing by professional and received the case yesterday

So started assembling of phase changer unit..

From 5pm till 12 worked and assembled major parts.. rest will be finished by evening or night… hope for a test run of the unit today.
It was late in night do did’nt took many pics… but few are here , hope you all like the update.

 

nice work rakesh. looking forward to see the full buildup.

 

So Here I am with first Test run of my Phase Changer unit.

Yesterday evening I have started working on the Phase changer.. till 9 PM I am finished all fitting and ready to fill gas a test run..

Since this is initial testing so I have not vacuumed the unit.. instead I have just flushed some gas through first and then just filled the R404a gas.. and started the unit.

Initial temp was good but fine tuning the capillary placement in the evaporator.. I was able to reach
-36C.. YES…COOL

Turned off the unit let it heat up to the ambient temperature.. Now again started the unit to check time used to reach a temperature .. for ambient to -36c in just 3 minutes.. and power consumption is just 0.4 amp …
(All analog and digital thermometer are calibrated in a Laboratory.)

 

Not tested with 200W- 220v AC of thermal resistance .. At full load for more than ten minutes temperature remains to -32C.. …
Mind I have not vacuumed the unit (It takes about 2 + hours).. after that I hope to reach -40C.. will do vacuum afterwards.


Now assembling the PC together and insulating the evaporator.. it’s 1am so should have a sleep now..











Will update more soon..
Rakesh Sharma