Components and Design

Chiller/Pump Module

 

At the heart of the Freezone Chiller Module is a one-piece, rectangular, black anodized aluminum heatsink.  Three Peltier devices are mounted on the top of the heatsink and three more are mounted underneath.  The heatsink keeps the hot-side of each TEC module cool. 

 

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The heatsink is cooled by forced air convection via a 92mm fan mounted to the backside of the chiller.  The fan draws air in thru the heatsink and then blows it out the back of the PC enclosure.  This is an excellent feature because nearly all of the heat from the CPU and TECs is exhausted directly out of the case.

 

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The 92mm fan is manufactured by ARX CeraDyna (FD1290-A0053E) and is rated for a maximum airflow of 56.6 CFM at 3,200 rpm.  The CeraDyna fan uses special ceramic bearings for quiet operation and long life.  The fan is mounted to the back of the chiller inside an aluminum air duct.  Threaded brass inserts are molded into the rear fan mounting flange, which are used to mount the Chiller/Pump Module with four machine screws.

 

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Six 40mm Peltier devices are sandwiched between the heatsink and two waterblocks.   The two blue anodized aluminum waterblocks are plumbed in series and bolted to the central heatsink.  The three Peltier devices on top are wired in series as are the three on the bottom.  Each group is supplied with 12 VDC, which means each Peltier device is receiving a maximum of 4 VDC.  CoolIt Systems would not share any specific details about the TEC modules used in the Freezone, but it’s safe to assume these Peltiers probably have a Vmax (maximum working voltage) of 12-15 VDC.  Operating them at a greatly reduced voltage increases efficiency and minimizes the amount of waste heat generated by the TECs.

 

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A temperature sensor is mounted on top of the upper chiller waterblock, which monitors the water temperature of the system.  The Thermal Control Module uses this temperature data to regulate the system water temperature.

 

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A small MAG style 12 VDC pump is mounted to the front of the chiller assembly.  The pump circulates water through the system to transfer heat from the CPU waterblock to the chiller module.  A small reservoir/expansion tank is built into the pump housing.  The pump incorporates dual sapphire bearings which are flooded in coolant for long, reliable service and it comes fitted with a 3-pin fan header with a tachometer signal.  The Freezone Installation Guide says to plug the pump directly into the motherboard’s CPU fan header to allow monitoring the pump speed.  During testing I measured the pump motor current at 0.704A, which works out to 8.5 watts.  As a rule of thumb, I use 3 watts as the maximum for connecting devices to a motherboard fan header.  Many of todays modern motherboards can probably handle more than 3W but unless you are sure about your motherboard’s rating, I would recommend using a 4-pin Molex to 3-pin fan adapter with remote rpm sense lead.

 

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