StillDragon® Community Forum

Welcome!

Be part of our community & join our international next generation forum now!

In this Discussion

DIY Controller Ventilation Holes & Fan Questions

Thoughts on best place to put holes for ventilation on the bow? How big should the holes be? Any pics?

«1

Comments

  • This works good for me but I did add more holes than pictured and it keeps everything cool.

    image

    final version with mods 003.JPG
    800 x 600 - 102K
  • As long as you use a fan plus holes opposite ( like what @captionshooch has done) you should be good.

    Take note that then fan can either push air through the box or draw air out depending on what way round you mount it. eg computer case fans draw/suck heat out, some front fans blow air over components eg hard disks, air flows over these then is sucked out the back. The disadvantage is you can also suck dust into the case using this method, when sucking air out it tends to be less of an issue, that why you see screens/filters in usage.

    It makes sense to work out where the most heat is , and work on that area, for example as above the SSR's are bolted to the heat sinks with the fins or slots lining up with both the fan and the holes opposite. This is a good example.

    I would have personally mounted two fans the other way around near the ssr's, with air holes opposite and on the sides if room permitted.

    No real rule with hole sizes, 1/4" is common, big enough for air, too small for fingers etc to go through, leave enough gaps around the hole pattern to keep your enclosure strong.

    Fadge

  • I though about the fans near the ssr's but that side of the box was getting kinda crowded :D With that hole pattern ssr temps were 39-40C after adding more holes they stay in the mid to upper 20's.

  • edited January 2014

    Basic example of a computer power supply, with the factory holes etc, (just happens to be what I used for my single controller,the fan draws heat away, the heat sink is about 1" from the fan, runs cool as.)

    image

    image

    image

    1.jpg
    800 x 600 - 79K
    2.jpg
    800 x 600 - 83K
    3.jpg
    800 x 600 - 63K
  • edited January 2014

    I install a fan blowing directly over the SSR's with the same aperture on the other side of the enclosure for exit, you could install a tunnel fixture over the SSR's or install another fan on the other side, one blowing one sucking. I live in a pretty hot climate and find the one fan is OK, just install the SSR that does the most work like the one for boiler control closest to the fan.

    OD

    image

    image

    4.jpg
    800 x 600 - 68K
    5.jpg
    800 x 600 - 95K
  • Some super nice builds in this site with plenty of great ideas for you to choose from @bannerj . My controller was my first ever try at something like this and just wish good ole @olddog would build em for us on this side of the pond, I think his work is fantastic. The principle is to create enough circulation along the heat sink fins to remove the heat efficiently. You can do it, and if in doubt, just shoot the heat sink temp with a laser thermometer periodically while in use to make sure you are keeping it cool. I think someone posted on the original DIY thread that the SSR's are goog for 75C, but the cooler you can run them, the better. May I also suggest that you leave the fan on for a few minutes after shutdown to remove residual heat.

  • Thanks thanks for the insights. I didn't realize the basic controller for one element would need a fan?

  • I use one of these fans with an automatic switch built into the power cord..
    80mm Cabinet Cooling Fan Kit: Fan/Filter/Cord 120v GCAB701
    I have 120V in my cabinet, but for those without, I am guessing it could be sourced at 240V...

    image

    just what @Lloyd wanted... another product to export... ;-)

    cab701_green.jpg
    789 x 645 - 101K
  • edited January 2014

    @bannerj said: Thanks thanks for the insights. I didn't realize the basic controller for one element would need a fan?

    I don't believe it does, and there are hundreds out there running without a fan. Lot's of people have made improvements with switches, meters, fans etc is all. And the people who have chimed in on this thread are part of that group.

    I know you didn't really get an answer to your question (the thread title) and i wish i could help, but i run gas. Hopefully there are some readers there with standard kits that will take a photo of what they've done.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @bannerj Some excellent replies here.

    As long as you have some holes for the heat to dissipate you should be fine. The holes should be small enough so that little kiddies cannot stick their fingers through though (they can be very resourceful!).

    I can't remember the layout of the kit, but if you are mounting the DIY controller, drill a few holes on top of the box, and a few underneath if possible - let the heat rise, and draw in cooler air from below.

    On my controller, I have the same setup as @olddog. The fan is installed in line with the SSR's, and an opening of equal size directly opposite. My fan transfers air from the enclosure to the outside. I did have a fan installed on either end, but I ended up removing one as it wasn't needed.

  • edited January 2014

    I don't have children here or I'd have fitted screen over the holes.

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    image

    DIY_01.jpg
    800 x 600 - 72K
    DIY_02.jpg
    800 x 600 - 62K
    DIY_03.jpg
    800 x 600 - 49K
    DIY_04.jpg
    800 x 600 - 46K
    DIY_05.jpg
    800 x 600 - 58K
    DIY_06.jpg
    800 x 600 - 39K
    DIY_07.jpg
    800 x 600 - 48K
    DIY_08.jpg
    800 x 600 - 46K
    DIY_09.jpg
    800 x 600 - 70K
    DIY_10.jpg
    800 x 600 - 47K
    DIY_11.jpg
    800 x 600 - 60K
    DIY_12.jpg
    800 x 600 - 50K
    DIY_13.jpg
    800 x 600 - 69K
    DIY_14.jpg
    800 x 600 - 45K
  • It's nice to be able to check Volts and Amps.

    It's really nice to be able to check the temp of the SSR/heatsink.

  • Mine is kind of ghetto compared to others here but it works well.

  • @Lloyd , Does the temp of the SSR heatsink go up much over a run?

  • Not much at all @Cambo but it only controls a 2400 watt element and ambient temperatures here are quite cool. I'm sure if using a 5500 watt element a fan would be necessary.

    Next run I'll keep a record and report back.

  • edited January 2014

    Looks like @Lloyd if very close to updating rewriting the DIY Controller Manual with some nice pictures. ;)

    Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum

  • BTW Which power supplies are you guys using for such 12V (?) fans?

    Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum

  • edited January 2014

    @Moonshine said: BTW Which power supplies are you guys using for such 12V (?) fans ?

    I use an old Nokia type phone charger, cut the end off the cable to suit, strip gently, plus you can use std crimp connectors for the actual AC pins, safe as no exposed live metal. I am talking about the AU flat pin type.

    **Expect to pay $3 at the most ! **

    Check your old chargers first you may have one sitting around.

    You can get 12v chargers same sort of type

    DC 12V 1A 2A 100-240V 110V AC 5.5/2.1mm Plug US Power Supply Adapter LED Strip

    100-240V AC to DC Adapter Converter 12V 1A Power Supply f CCTV System US Plug BY

    or more common are only phone chargers are 5v, the fan runs slower but it does run enough.

    Home USB PC Charger For Nokia X3-02 C5-03 C7-00 X3 X6 E71 E72 E63 5800 5230 5300

    image

    image

    fadge

    1.jpg
    800 x 600 - 63K
    2.jpg
    800 x 600 - 94K
  • Whew, internet down for an hour or so and about lost my mind when.. Bam!... back up and reconnected to the whole (w)hugging world, thank goodness, thank Billy Bob Gates and of course a Big Thanks to YOU Al Gore for making this all possible... but I digress...

    @fadge is right, you can get them free because they are often in things you throw away or are very, very low cost to buy. The trick is to get them in the form factor that is friendly to you and a "wall wort" (plugs into a wall socket) is probably the least friendly form of transformer to fit inside of a controller box but is often the easiest to find.
    For a fan you don't need a lot of watt output but if you tie in other 12v goodies like relays and stuff then the maximum draw on the transformer is increased. A 120vac (volt A C current) by 12vdc (volts Direct Current) rated at 0.1 amp is just astoundingly cheap and common but at 1 full amp can get pricey to buy.
    Add to that if your total draw is 0.2 amps you will need the safety margin for the transformer rated at LEAST twice that. A transformer, any transformer, is a potential point of failure sometime in the future so being cheap here can cost you later.

    When in doubt, stick in a transformer that is overkill for the job. They don't last forever and keeping them never maxed out greatly adds to their lifespan.

    Keep your eyes open because they are everywhere and I can almost guarantee that you, me and everyone has thrown away a perfectly useable 12vdc transformer in the last year.

  • edited January 2014

    I use these, but I power other devices like temp gauges with them as well.

    OD

    Edited by Moonshine: Not working eBay link removed

  • @Lloyd said: Keep your eyes open because they are everywhere and I can almost guarantee that you, me and everyone has thrown away a perfectly useable 12vdc transformer in the last year.

    Affirmative, just recently thrown away a whole box of them. 8-X

    Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum

  • @olddog said: I use these, but I power other devices like temp gauges with them as well.

    Unfortunately the link you provided did not work, please post again.

    Your Place to be >>> www.StillDragon.org <<< Home of the StillDragon® Community Forum

  • @fadge said: I use an old Nokia type phone charger, cut the end off the cable to suit, strip gently, plus you can use std crimp connectors for the actual AC pins, safe as no exposed live metal. I am talking about the AU flat pin type.

    I used a 120/240 V power brick to allow me to build my power controller using a 3-wire 240V plug (NEMA 6-L30) in place of a 4-wire plug (NEMA 14-L30). This saved a lot of money since 3 wire cable to wire the outlets is a lot less expensive than 4 wire cable. (I needed to wire outlets 45 feet from the service panel to power my boiler.)

    (My boiler is still under construction. Starting with a 15 Gallon beer keg, I am silver soldering the tri-clamp fittings for the column (6 inches with a 6-4 reducer), sight glass, fill port, heater ports, and temperature ports for wort and vapor.)

  • edited January 2014

    next thing I'll be asked to do is design a fan guard....

    image

    PDF
    PDF
    fan guard assembly.PDF
    265K
    fan guard.JPG
    800 x 600 - 51K
  • There was a dragon one posted earlier that looked great.

    StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand

  • @Lloyd that's another great idea for using the temp gauge. I also like how you have all of your tools ready BEFORE you start putting together the project.

  • edited January 2014

    @Lloyd said: For a fan you don't need a lot of watt output but if you tie in other 12v goodies like relays and stuff then the maximum draw on the transformer is increased. A 120vac (volt A C current) by 12vdc (volts Direct Current) rated at 0.1 amp is just astoundingly cheap and common but at 1 full amp can get pricey to buy.

    If you need a lot of current at 12v see if you can find a computer power supply to modify. Desktop ATX supplies are easy to find, however if you need serious amps, find a server PSU - the one I drive my control panel with puts out 47A :-). i have another on the shelf that puts out 147A!!!!

    ATX mod info: How to Convert a Computer ATX Power Supply to a Lab Power Supply
    Server PSU mod info: How to convert Server Power Supplies

    Disclaimer: Use the Info provided at your own risk. You are playing with electricity - if you don't know what you are doing get someone who does to do the work for you.

  • I sourced my fan from this place, get one to match you systems voltage and size.

  • edited January 2014

    @Law_Of_Ohms said: next thing i'll be asked to do is design a fan guard....

    Shoot that looks sweet @Law_Of_Ohms
    Do you think you could design that? :) :) :) :) When you get a chance.

    StillDragon North America - Your StillDragon® Distributor for North America

Sign In or Register to comment.