Fan powered SSR heatsink

[sandyeggoxj]

Has anyone used one of these on the exterior of a eherms build? I was thinking that I could cut a hole in the panel and flip this around so that the SSRs were inside and the rest of the heatsink and the fan were outside. I only need 2 SSRs for this build.

 

[iijakii]

I think you forgot a link?

But if your heatsink is venting outside, don't worry about a fan. I feel like youre trying to reuse a CPU HSF or something? I'm sure it'd work well as long as you can mount the SSR to it securely. Shouldn't be hard to tap.

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Ha! I did forget the link. http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2_48&products_id=337

There we go...

In terms of the fan... When my current panel runs for a long time the heat sink gets pretty hot. The garage air is usually dead and it is AZ so everything is hot. I wanted to keep SSR life as long as possible. I'm building this one for a friend. I should say that I am consulting? Anyway, learning from my mistakes. I did use thermal grease when I attached the SSRs. My HLT runs for about 90 minutes full bore to heat the 23-25 gallons of water up to temp. When I used my system up north I didn't have a problem. The air was cooler up there and windier too.

 

[iijakii]

Heat sinks get hot, oh well. How hot is the inside of the panel?

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Inside the panel isn't bad. I haven't taken a temp reading to give you a real number. Not a big fan of putting stuff in there when it has lots of potential cruising around and looking for a path to ground. You can't touch the heatsink when it is really loaded up. I turn on a fan in the garage in the general direction of the heatsink and it drops the temp to comfortable to touch.

 

[atoughram]

Seems kinda expensive but looks good...

 

[sandyeggoxj]

ha, I thought it looked good considering that it came with a fan. Just a heatsink? Maybe pricy, but wtih a fan? Not bad.

 

[augiedoggy]

ha, I thought it looked good considering that it came with a fan. Just a heatsink? Maybe pricy, but wtih a fan? Not bad.

keep in mind the fans are $4 with shipping from amazon or newegg.... I used two of the $3 shipped ssr heatsinks (the same ones aubrins sells for $10 a piece plus shipping) mounted inside of my enclosure with a 60mm pc 12v fan mounted to the side of my enclosure... basically I cut 2 3" holes in my panel ones has the fan mounted over it and pulls cold air inside and across the heatsinks while the other is for hot air to exit out the top... I have been using this to cool 3 ssrs for a year and a half and over 50 brew sessions with no problems... total investment... $6 plus a fan I stole from an old pc powersupply...

 

[sandyeggoxj]

But then I need a dc transformer in my panel as well? The attraction to the auberins fan was that it was ac powered. Less clutter to deal with.

 

[Humuleneman]

The only bad side i see is that with time dust can stick on the heat sink and reduce the cooling. If you drill holes in you panel to let air in dust will get everywere on and in your components. If you wish to keep this fan heatsink inside you panel you could connect the air input and output to you heatsink using 3" fireproof flexible duct. This way air gets in cools the heatsink and gets out. I was thinking doing the same for my built. The big plus will be the effectiveness of the heatsink but what scares me is if the 24 v fan breaks when your brewing.

 

[Humuleneman]

I just happen to get my hand on one of those heat sink. Is was used inside a panel to cool a 600v motor speen controler. The fan also work on 24v AC. Everything was covered in dust so it needed a good cleaning. After that it looks like that View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1430266118.121698.jpg

 

[sandyeggoxj]

Hmm. It looks like a guy could cut a hole in the panel and bolt the heatsink in place so that the body and fan are outside and the small 40-amp relays are inside. Just drop a bead of high-temp rtv to seal the panel up to dust. It would make it easier to blow the heatsink off periodically to keep it clean and efficient.

Basically I am thinking of flipping it "upside down" so that the part where you hand is holding would have all the holes, and relays, hidden inside the panel and you would just see 5 of the sides. It does leave the screw mounts on the far side of the heatsink visible. Maybe that would look bad?

 

[Humuleneman]

Mounting the heatsing up side down on the outside of your box seems a good idea to keep everything clean and accesible. You would also notice right away if the fan fails. For the looks!! Well I guess you could trim the finns where the mounting holes are . Maybe somebody who works in a metal workshop could give you an aesthetic approach!

 

[sandyeggoxj]

I guess I'm off to the neighbor to see if he will just mill off those little flanges. It would have raw aluminum accents.

 

[atoughram]

I found a 220V AC muffin fan on Amazon...

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007OOOK88/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

It's cooling the SSVR for the BK.