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Compu-fridge?

P

Python14

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 29, 2004
Messages
191
Alright, I am working on a project for school. It's not actually for school, it's for use AT school.
I am trying to take a computer case and convert it to a mini-fridge for keeping my "controlled beverages" cool and more importantly.....hidden. I plan to take a used mini-fridge, remove the important pieces, and place them in probably a full-tower case. I'll insulate the inside and such and have a hidden door to access my drinks. Has anyone done this before or know somewhere that has? I have pretty good idea of how to work everything, but just would like to see some successfull end results.

When I get everyhting underway, I will provide pics....ofcourse.
 
well that's the plan.

I just wanna know if anyone else has done it before and if so, are there any things I should be aware of
 
get a non-condensing fridge or ur components will get moisture on them... which is a bad combo:>
 
If it is purely for hidden purposes and not for computer parts as well, then what I would reccomend is just stuffing it in there...
However people may be suspicious if it is humming but there are no lights on, so I would get just one led and connect it to a battery so that it looks like it is on....
f
 
People these are stupid people that will have NO IDEA what this guy is doing.
Frankly, I think it is a genius idea.
Pics later when you actually do it.
 
Sounds like a fun project. But there are a few things that u are gonna have to do.

1. As stated above u have to make a power and ide traffic leds on a battery operated circut

2. You will have to line the pc case (where the storage area is) with styro foam or something of the like, what would work the best would be that spray foam for insulating houses.

3. You will have to put a rubber seal on the door to keep the coldness in so u won't be wasting energy.

oh and be real careful taking apart the mini fridge cause u don't want to tear the delecate tubes holding in the freon.

But yeah remember to take lots of pics while making it. We will all wanna see.
 
Guys I think that you have it all wrong.
I think that he means just get a mini fridge, gut the insides of a server tower, and stuff the mini fridge in their. the case is just a box to put the fridge in...
f
 
As far as making it look discreet and real, I'm way ahead of ya. I installed a power LED that even "breathes" like the Mac power LED. It's pretty cool.

A little background though. I used the case this past semester for the same thing, except instead of fridge components, I used dry ice. Suprisingly, a pound of dry ice would last me about a week and a half, and easily keep 12 bottles of Guinness Draught, a Bottle of Southern Comfort and a pair of pint Beer glasses well below freezing. It was beautiful. The only problem was I had to install a blow off valve on the back that would vent C02 whenever the pressure got too high (I broke a bottle of Grey Goose when the pressure got too high from the co2 building up)

Eitherway, I think it's time to move into the 21st century and stop relying on trips to Harris teeter every week for dry ice
 
yeah, failure on my part to RTFP
who the hell would want to stick a fridge in a pc?

some either very dumb, or very [H]ard!

props!
 
i'd think it'd be pretty awkward to move around. Those minifridges get pretty heavy.
 
Next year I am going to a school with a dry campus IN a dry city! I will be keeping close tabs on this thread!
 
awsome idea... you going to need to insulate the case, and mount the compresser on something like a shock table, so that it doesnt vibrate anoyingly. you may have trouble fitting the condenser in, but if you heat up the joints you can fold it inhalf (VERY SLOWLY). but if you do that you will need to add a fan to keep the airflow up. a fan circulating air inside is also not a bad idea, which meens that your probably going to need at least a small wall wort to run the 2 extra fans and the lighting circut.

if you got one of thos car 12v drink coolers, you could keep a computer PSU... actualy have airflow too, making it impossable to tell unless you took the side pannel off, which you could lock, but not like they are gonna open your case.

another idea is in the circut that "redhalo" posted, which is realy cool, you could hook up an old HDD's motor right to... so that every once in a while the HDD would spool up. the HDD doesnt need to work, and actualy would probably be louder without the top

to get uber fancy, if you have a DVD player with DVI out, you could burn a DVD of a windows screensaver, then hook the DVD player up under the desk with the "computer". then when they turn on the monitor, they see the screen saver, and there is no dobut that it is a real computer.

i think this is less about anyone finding the alcohal... the random searches are usaly for obious pot sitting on the counter... but rather the cool factor when you slide open an old ugly computer to find the good stuff, ice cold, and ready to go. make just about anyone go :eek:
 
Actually Shadow has the right idea forget the mini fridge and just tear apart one of those coolers for ur car. They take up less room and they won't build up too much condensation. I don't think they get ice ice cold but they do keep keep stuff fairly cold on those Long Long camping trips especially when u hate warm beer like I do. This is begininng to sound like something I should do. I hate getting up from my computer to get a beer even tho the fridge is like only 20 feet away from me. ;)


'edit' hell with a full tower or old cube server u can even have a working computer in there with it.
 
as if we all havent seen
sun_server_beer.jpg

rofl. awsome! good luck.
note to admin: im not 'stealing bandwith' the image is hosted by me, on my site. k thanks.
 
If you're going to go the route of the "mini-cooler" thing, here's what I would do:

1. Get a couple of TECs (Thermo Electric Coolers, or Peltier devices), probably no more than 3 or 4.
2. Divide the inside of your case in two - a hot section and a cold section.
3. Mount the cold side of the TECs to a large slab of copper or aluminum. This will be the floor of your fridge.
4. On the hot side of the TECs, mount some fairly large heatsinks. The bigger the better. Put insulation (foam) between the hot and cold sides.
5. Insulate the rest of the fridge with foam. You might want to make a "tunnel" for the hot air from the heatsink to exit so it doesn't get mixed with the cooler air. Insulate this tunnel too.
6. Add a small fan to circulate air in the cold side.
7. Hinges for easy access and a lock for security.

Here's a quick drawing of the idea:

fridge.gif


You coud probably run all this off an AT or ATX power supply, including the "activity" LEDs.
 
if you do that, youll want "heatsinks" and fans on the cold side too- otherwise the pelters will do just about nothing.
 
theshadow27 said:
if you do that, youll want "heatsinks" and fans on the cold side too- otherwise the pelters will do just about nothing.
Click to expand...

Well look at my #6 above. Fan to circulate air. The coldplate is on the bottom for good thermal conduction to the beverages of choice. The beverages will have a good deal of surface area to spread the cold around. Will the TECs be enough? Depends on your insulation and number of TECs. With poor insulation you'll get cool beverages and lots of condensation. With good insulation you'll probably find your beverages frozen solid. A temperature controlled PWM might be needed to prevent things from getting too cold.

 
When I was at Ga Tech.....I had an arm chair with a wooden ledge that was outboard of the arm pad...huge ugly and awesomely comfortable and the arms lifted off ;) so we glassed 'em and put an aquarium pump to purge the melt water and made a big ice chest out of it.......course they didn't care if I brought a beer and a sammich to class back then.....1976....and we still used calculators and electronics budget went for heatkit stereo components and BIG speakers...... :D Might find this helpful........... http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~arnesen/peltierbeer/index.html

must suck being young living in a world of zero tolerance....hell when I was in college they were happy if we didn't kill ourselves................. :D
 
you coudl do this: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=88887 water cooling

but if you can run this http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~arnesen/peltierbeer/index.html off a battary, then it probably will keep yours cold


as for Fenris_Ulf''s design, remeber that cold air sinks. that will make all the cold air stay at teh bottom, leaving posably warm air at the top. if you inverterd your design and had the peilters at the top, and had sinks and fans on both the hot and the cold, it would be much more effecent.
 
I'm liking those twelve volt coolers. I don't need to freeze anything. I have a legitimate freezer for that. I just need something for the chilled undercover storage of my favorite beverages and liquid refreshments.

Does anyone know how small/large the cooling components are in those things. I saw one for $100 that could keep something like 50 cans of soda quite cool. I figure that can keep 13 bottles of the good stuff cool indefinitely.
 
theshadow27 said:
you coudl do this: http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=88887 water cooling

but if you can run this http://www.stud.ntnu.no/~arnesen/peltierbeer/index.html off a battary, then it probably will keep yours cold


as for Fenris_Ulf''s design, remeber that cold air sinks. that will make all the cold air stay at teh bottom, leaving posably warm air at the top. if you inverterd your design and had the peilters at the top, and had sinks and fans on both the hot and the cold, it would be much more effecent.
Click to expand...

Cold plate would conduct heat from the beverages - conduction is much more effective at heat transfer than convection. Small fan to circulate air for forced convection.

A watercooled setup might be more practical from a construction standpoint, but also more expensive.
 
Python14 said:
Does anyone know how small/large the cooling components are in those things. I saw one for $100 that could keep something like 50 cans of soda quite cool. I figure that can keep 13 bottles of the good stuff cool indefinitely.
Click to expand...

Actually i see them at canadian tire and stores of the like for under 70bux Cdn but i haven't seen them recently to know.

:::edit::: i just did a walmart search and came up with this

search results
 
why not just get a small mini fridge (Like 6 cans) for you beers, and that will still leave enough space for at least two whisky bottles, and then just stuff all of that inside the biggest tower case that you can find.....
I know that this is far less ambitious than what everyone else is saying, but it is a hell of a lot easier...
f
 
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