Tig cooler

[Richard.]

So next plan is to fit a Y piece in with a gate valve so that I can reduce the pressure that way rather than using the built in reducer and hopefully keep enough flow.

I like this method.
I adopt it with the procons and open them right up. It's a great way to have full control over the pressure and flow you want down the torch without effecting/restricting the out put at all.

 

[optima21]

no the hose for the coolant is 6mm od and 4mm id

 

[Hood]

Ok the pump has been running an hour now on 5v and just measured the temp and it is 38 degrees at the hottest part of the body so that is ok.
Hopefully the flow rate of 700ml is enough.

 

[Hood]

no the hose for the coolant is 6mm od and 4mm id

Ok thanks, I think mine was getting hot due to the motor starting and stopping all the time. You couldn't really detect that it was doing so but it must have been as the pressure was reduced.
If the 700ml flow rate I have on 5v isn't enough then I may try on 7v or so and see what the pressure/temp is.

 

[Richard.]

38 degrees at the hottest part of the body so that is ok.

Yeah that's not gonna harm at all.

 

[Hood]

You reckon 700ml/min is enough flow?
It has been running about 1.5hrs now and still 38 degrees.

 

[Richard.]

You reckon 700ml/min is enough flow?
It has been running about 1.5hrs now and still 38 degrees.

Well according to torch manufacturers 1-2 Lpm as a minimum is required. Back in the tank. I can't say if it will or won't be ok but I wouldnt run it that low.

 

[Hood]

Ok will try 7v and see, if the motor gets too hot then Y piece with valve will be tried next.

 

[Richard.]

Ok will try 7v and see, if the motor gets too hot then Y piece with valve will be tried next.

Are you running it through the torch and rad.

 

[Richard.]

The other thing mate 38° out in the open air is very different when it's tightly boxed up. It could get above 50,60 etc if the heat has no where to go. I'd still have a fan behind it for good measure.

 

[Hood]

Are you running it through the torch and rad.

No rad but through the 8m torch.

The other thing mate 38° out in the open air is very different when it's tightly boxed up. It could get above 50,60 etc if the heat has no where to go. I'd still have a fan behind it for good measure.

Yes it is sitting on the carpet but I always intended to have at least one fan in the cooler which would blow directly over the motor and out the other side, can easily put another fan at the other side pulling the air as well if needed.

 

[Richard.]

No rad but through the 8m torch.

Yes it is sitting on the carpet but I always intended to have at least one fan in the cooler which would blow directly over the motor and out the other side, can easily put another fan at the other side pulling the air as well if needed.

Mate you can only try it out and see. Every single design I've made has been different.
I'm building the TA back to get shot of it at the mo with a brilliant pump that's known for generating a lot of heat. But this is a perfect cooler for it as lots of space to get that heat out. Not compact by any means but it's spot on. This was originally built with a pulse pump and big rad. I've used the rad else where and replaced the pump with an expensive ceme mtp600 and made the exchanger myself. Needs a fan maybe two.

 

[Hood]

Mine will not be that compact with respect to the motor/pump, there will be loads of room round the motor and air blowing directly over the top and out the other side.
I have quickly sketched the motor (dimensions are correct, shape not) and as you can see it is in a big air tunnel with loads of air flowing over and out.

 

[Richard.]

Mine will not be that compact with respect to the motor/pump, there will be loads of room round the motor and air blowing directly over the top and out the other side.
I have quickly sketched the motor (dimensions are correct, shape not) and as you can see it is in a big air tunnel with loads of air flowing over and out.
View attachment 98376

Are you having a rad and fan in there ?

 

[Hood]

There will be a fan and I was intending putting a rad in as well but you said with the 12L of coolant a rad would not be needed so I was going to try without and see.

 

[Richard.]

There will be a fan and I was intending putting a rad in as well but you said with the 12L of coolant a rad would not be needed so I was going to try without and see.

Yeah see how it goes moniter the water temp. With that sort of volume you would prob be ok

 

[addjunkie]

Mate you can only try it out and see. Every single design I've made has been different.
I'm building the TA back to get shot of it at the mo with a brilliant pump that's known for generating a lot of heat. But this is a perfect cooler for it as lots of space to get that heat out. Not compact by any means but it's spot on. This was originally built with a pulse pump and big rad. I've used the rad else where and replaced the pump with an expensive ceme mtp600 and made the exchanger myself. Needs a fan maybe two.

Is that home made cooler just a couple of coils of mini bore coper pipe?

 

[Richard.]

Is that home made cooler just a couple of coils of mini bore coper pipe?

4 Mtrs of 1/4 brake pipe coiled up and fit into a frame. That I'm gonna bolt a fan too.
A very effective heat exchanger.

 

[Hood]

Nipped down to the workshop today and got some fittings to cobble together a relief valve on the pumps output and fitted a flow control valve. Put the pump back to 12v and then adjusted the flow control valve to lower the pressure on the torch line. At 50PSI I am getting 0.9L/min through the torch and at 60PSI it is about 1L/min. I turned it back down to 50PSI and had it running for about 2hrs and the pump sat at a steady 32 degrees.
I also temporarily plumbed in the radiator to make sure all was good with that and it seems fine.

I have emailed Parweld to see what their recommendations on flowrate and pressure are seeing as it is one of their torches but they are not back until the 3rd of January so it will be a while before I get a reply. Not likely to get much time to play with the torch before then anyway as I have quite a lot of jobs to do on boats over the holiday period.
Pic below of the messy test setup

 

[Hood]

@Richard.
With regards the Procon on the other thread.
I am thinking I just need to make my cooler a bit wider and possibly a bit longer and have a fan either end of the motor basically as in my model posted earlier. Air will be drawn in at the back of the motor and pulled out at the front, should keep things cool.