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Propane CPU cooling.
- Thread starter vegeta535
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Axman
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Same principle as gas refrigerators, really.
This is interesting, I was expecting something where the propane would power a compressor that performed the same compression/expansion process of coolant that you see in a typical refrigerator. Instead, it seems here that they are actually using the propane as the coolant by using thermal energy absorbtion that occurs during state change of the propane (as it comes out of the tank) and then just burning the gas off afterwards instead of trying to recompress it.
Obviously not very efficient, but gaming on a flaming PC is something that I am sure that somebody would want to try! On the other ha nd, it would be really cool if they could somehow use the waste propane to power a compressor that could use conventional coolant to perform a second layer of additional cooling. Now that would be an interesting use of resources and potentially quite efficient as you would be utilizing both energy from the state change/decompression as well as the stored energy in the propane which I don't think is done commonly (although I could be wrong about this, I don't know a ton about propane appliances).
Obviously not very efficient, but gaming on a flaming PC is something that I am sure that somebody would want to try! On the other ha nd, it would be really cool if they could somehow use the waste propane to power a compressor that could use conventional coolant to perform a second layer of additional cooling. Now that would be an interesting use of resources and potentially quite efficient as you would be utilizing both energy from the state change/decompression as well as the stored energy in the propane which I don't think is done commonly (although I could be wrong about this, I don't know a ton about propane appliances).
(I didn't watch the video), propane is generally stored somewhat compressed, I don't think it would make much sense to compress it more before running it through the lines. If you were going to have a compressor, you'd probably want a closed loop. Propane does work as a refrigerant, IIRC, it's a potential replacement for whatever the current replacement for freon is.
You could maybe burn the waste propane in a generator to power the PC, but I don't know if the fueling rate for the generator would be enough to keep the PC cool.
Yeah, that was what I was wondering too. After the propane expander in the video, there probably is little (if any) pressure left in the propane line. Probably not enough flow to power anything more than the few flames that we are seeing.
I only watched the first few minutes, myself, but in the video they are just using liquid propane out of a standard BBQ cylinder. They are basically just using the decompression process to suck energy out of the cooling block that I guess would be mounted on the CPU/GPU and then burning the gas after.
Totally different.
RV fridges work on adsorption principle and use R717 (Ammonia). Propane is used to provide heat to the generator which is the equivalent of a compressor in typical phase change systems. These systems are solid state in regards to not having any moving parts. They also need to be level to function.
Such a system could in fact be built to provide CPU cooling but it wouldn't be very efficient. The heat source could be from just about anything including nuclear sources (eg. Pu238). If Linus wanted to be badass he could source some from an old Soviet RTG and make a self powered cooling system. ;-)
R290 is a propane based refrigerant and is used in a lot of applications. If you have a small ice maker on your counter top, there is a good chance it uses R290. The gas is super pure, virtually odor free (lacks taggant used in fuels) and (of course) is extremely flammable.
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2[H]4U
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R-290 (Propane and don't forget the required propane accessories LoL) is mostly used for commercial refrigeration While R-600A (isobutane) is for domestic refrigeration devices and R-32 is Butane this is mostly for comfort cooling AKA Air-conditioning
R-1234YF is for Motor vehicle AC
There are or were so many different refrigerant types all have their own properties and uses
Edit R-12 was used for MVAC then it was replaced by R-134A which was replaced by R-1234YF
R-12 Was also used for domestic refrigerators then it was R-134A and now R-600A is used
R-22 was used for AC then R-410A now either R-32 or R-454B
So much has changed due to environmental laws!
When I was in the trade you could buy a can of Freon12 at K-Mart for a dollar and the marine stores carried them for handheld air horns! The dense gas also meant the horn had authority like a fire truck horn, not the wimpy sound we have today resembling a party horn button a DJ uses! We also used them to troubleshoot electronics thermally by spraying the liquid R12 on suspect parts and chilling them down. Also, it was common to use R11 as a solvent to clean tools! Those were the days!