I've been considering making a heat pipe rather than using a blower for a tower cooler.
I want to do this mainly because I have most of the materials, and it seems like an interesting experiment. It also uses no energy, has no mechanical parts that could fail over time, and doesn't generate heat.
Has anyone built one before?
I was considering one made from copper tube, with butane as the working fluid to fill it with, since the vapor pressure is close to 1 atm @ 0* C. I'm thinking it could be run from the tower, with the beer lines wrapped around it, into the kegerator, and then bent @ a 90* to one side.
I'm not sure what to use as wicking material, or as a filler to create the vapor cavity.
From what I've read, in most applications the heat transfer is limited by a combination of the wicking rate, and the thermal capacity of the working fluid. I don't think this will require very many BTUs to keep the tower cool, as long as it is reasonably insulated.
I want to do this mainly because I have most of the materials, and it seems like an interesting experiment. It also uses no energy, has no mechanical parts that could fail over time, and doesn't generate heat.
Has anyone built one before?
I was considering one made from copper tube, with butane as the working fluid to fill it with, since the vapor pressure is close to 1 atm @ 0* C. I'm thinking it could be run from the tower, with the beer lines wrapped around it, into the kegerator, and then bent @ a 90* to one side.
I'm not sure what to use as wicking material, or as a filler to create the vapor cavity.
From what I've read, in most applications the heat transfer is limited by a combination of the wicking rate, and the thermal capacity of the working fluid. I don't think this will require very many BTUs to keep the tower cool, as long as it is reasonably insulated.