Shroud necessary?

[DaLurker]

Just curious, how necessary is a shroud to put between the fans and the radiators?

 

[Erasmus354]

It depends how much performance you want...I think a well designed shroud will net you a pretty decent gain in temperature, because w/o it you aren't really utilizing like 30% of your radiators surface area.

 

[Sideroxylon]

I've heard as much as 40% improvement when using a shroud. You can make your own shroud pretty easily. I just put one together today. Here's some pics...

Here I just figured out my dimensions and cut out the shape. I'm using black duct tape to hold everything together and give it some strength.

I cut this out of the box that my hc came in. Recycling at its best.

Test fit.

Finish covering it with the duct tape and cut out the fan holes.

And the finished product. Not too bad for some cardboard and duct tape, if I don't say so myself. This is the first one I've done and it took me about an hour and a half. So they're pretty easy to make.

 

[Punx_Clever]

I say go with a shroud, even a small one (1/4 to 1/2 inch plenum depth) will yeild great results.

However, if you plan on making your shroud support weight, your better off using something stronger than cardboard

 

[rodsfree]

Think about it...
Your car has a shroud on it's radiator, doesn't it. If it didn't help then Detroit wouldn't have put it there (the cheap bastards). The idea is to get air to flow across ALL of the surface area of the fins. If you just put a fan dead against the rad then the only area that will see airflow is the round area directly in front of your fan. So you'd be wasting about 50-70% of the total area of the radiator. Now in a car you'd get some cooling from forward motion. Last I checked my computer don't move around much, yours might.
So, for the cost and time involved it would give you a pretty big "Bang for the Buck".

BTW, Sid. Good work on your Shroud!
If you decide to change material to plexi or metal then you could use it for a pattern.

 

[Sideroxylon]

.However, if you plan on making your shroud support weight, your better off using something stronger than cardboard

This shroud will be supporting 2 Evercool all aluminum fans. Two of the heaviest fans out there. It will have no problems doing it. This thing is a lot stronger than you would think. The wonders of duct tape.

BTW, Sid. Good work on your Shroud!
If you decide to change material to plexi or metal then you could use it for a pattern

Thanks bud.

 

[rodsfree]

This shroud will be supporting 2 Evercool all aluminum fans. Two of the heaviest fans out there. It will have no problems doing it. This thing is a lot stronger than you would think. The wonders of duct tape.

Plus... Cardboard doesn't transmit vibrations like metal does!

 

[DaLurker]

Think about it...
Your car has a shroud on it's radiator, doesn't it. If it didn't help then Detroit wouldn't have put it there (the cheap bastards). The idea is to get air to flow across ALL of the surface area of the fins. If you just put a fan dead against the rad then the only area that will see airflow is the round area directly in front of your fan. So you'd be wasting about 50-70% of the total area of the radiator. Now in a car you'd get some cooling from forward motion. Last I checked my computer don't move around much, yours might.
So, for the cost and time involved it would give you a pretty big "Bang for the Buck".

BTW, Sid. Good work on your Shroud!
If you decide to change material to plexi or metal then you could use it for a pattern.

Good point, but I must say the 60mph winds my case will be subjected too will definately get lots of cooling in




Too bad that's only in my imaginations.

 

[Punx_Clever]

This shroud will be supporting 2 Evercool all aluminum fans. Two of the heaviest fans out there. It will have no problems doing it. This thing is a lot stronger than you would think. The wonders of duct tape.




Thanks bud.

2 alluminum fans may weigh a little bit, gut a bonnoville heatercore weighs much much mor than a cardboard shroud would suppot (IMO). That is what I meant by weight.

Second: weatherstriping doesn't transmit vibrations like metal either

 

[DaLurker]

Thanks for the advice guys, I went and got myself 2 Cooling works shroud, in anticipation of my Dual Heatercore

 

[bigbadgreen]

I used a 96 mustang heatercore with a cheapo 120mm plastic fan on my system with a cardboard shroud and it held up fine. The stang heatercore isn't quite as large and heavy as the bonny one is but it still weighs a bit. If you construct the shroud well you shouldn't have issues and if you do build it out of something stronger. I don't think there is a much more plentiful, easy to work with, material to start with. If it does fail you atleast have a model to get dimensions from for something stronger.

 

[Sideroxylon]

Here's the shroud I made above in action...

It's not having any problems supporting these fans. It would have a problem if it had to support the rad but that wasn't what it was made for. The cardboard I used wasn't even your 'normal' thickness. It was probably half that thick. I think this worked out pretty well considering how ghetto it is.

 

[Punx_Clever]

that, my friend, is wher eyou and I differ, I was mounting my rad to the top of my box and wanted both fans to be putting air out the case and to have a pull-through air system so mine had to support the rad

 

[weapon--]

18 gauge steel with seem welded corners and a welded divider plate will handle mounting pressure and weight fairly well. I can stand on mine (no small claim for the strength of the shroud - I am 6'4" 220lbs+)

 

[Punx_Clever]

you know, if the mounting positions were where I had wanted the to be, I probly would have gotten one of yours weapon... however, with the way things had to fit, it just wasn't gonna work

 

[Sideroxylon]

18 gauge steel with seem welded corners and a welded divider plate will handle mounting pressure and weight fairly well. I can stand on mine (no small claim for the strength of the shroud - I am 6'4" 220lbs+)

Don't get me wrong. I would love to have one of these shrouds. But actually finding one for sale was a little tough. Why is it so hard to find a decent dual shroud? I was under the impression that you don't sell these anymore Weapon.

 

[ozziegn]

The wonders of duct tape.

hey man, anything thats good for MacGuyver should be good enough for a watercooling radiator.

 

[weapon--]

Don't get me wrong. I would love to have one of these shrouds. But actually finding one for sale was a little tough. Why is it so hard to find a decent dual shroud? I was under the impression that you don't sell these anymore Weapon.

they were briefly gone while I restocked - but they're back now with additional ones for other cores.