Silly Q on home made chiller, improving cameraman's design

[schema]

So, I found out the hard way what happens when your solution gets on the warm side, and right off the bat I seen cameraman's design on a chiller. Cool stuff, got a 300 gph pump, and some 1/2 inch pvc today.

Then I thought, ya know, PVC doesn't conduct heat very well. So, my question is, would there be any side effects if I replaced the pvc with aluminum? I would imagine I'd have to naturally anodize the aluminum tubing that goes it, but if I'm not mistaken, it stops conducting electricity. Does anything happen if I continue leaving it in there? Like, can I over-anodize it and cause problems with everything.

Seems like a silly question, but for the purpose of cooling, there's no comparison on which one is a better conductor.

Thanks guys, I'll post pics of my build as soon as I get this squared away, thanks for the idea cameraman!!

[destroyer125]

you would need to use titanium pipe, aluminum would be eaten by the acid. Titanium piping is rather expensive.

[schema]

Ahh, I knew it would have to be something. I'll see if I can improve on the design and post up. I went to the shop earlier just to replicate cameramans design and I'll post up any beneficial changes.

This is using 1/2 inch PVC, and a $16 submersible pump at 300+ gph I got from Harbor Freight. This is just a beta test to start seeing how everything works, built it right after I made the thread.

[schema]

[Tim Wiltse]

After having an anodizing set up for a few years now I am going to finally set up a chiller this coming summer. Don't forget that if you used aluminum tubing that it will not anodize during a run. As long as you don't have the positive power lead to it. Also if you use aluminum tubing you can use it as your cathode and kill two birds with one stone! My plans are to use a coil of small tubing wrapping the tubing into 3 or 4 inch coils. I would dare to think a one foot long piece of 3 or 4" tight coils would be plenty to cool a tank pretty good sized. It also would make it easy to remove at the end of the day. Hang it off the side of your tank and run air under it to circulate your acid. It would take a long long time for the acid at the strenghts we use it to eat through the aluminum tubing. Just my 2cents.

LAter,
Tim

[schema]

Tim, that's an awesome idea, to connect the aluminum tubing to the ground to prevent it from anodizing, and to use it as a cathode as well! You da man! I'll probably sit my lead cathode under the tubing, as I'm a bit more comfortable having that as my "premier" cathode source.

I'll revise this one during next week, picking up my welder tomorrow and I'll be playing with that non stop lol.

[schema]

darn, just thought of another thing. Aluminum will conduct electricity, thus conducting the water within, hence (possibly) causing 2 problems;

1) If the water conducts and is going through the pump, it may cause the pump damage.

2) The electrical current within the acid bath will become dilluted, since it is now providing a current to all the bath AND the water.


... I think, ideas?

[Tim Wiltse]

Humm...it shouldn't be any problem. Someplace, maybe in the Caswell Plating manual or someplace it tells of using Ti. tubing in this same way. For what it's worth lead is really pretty sucky as a cathode. Aluminum is a much better material. I use pieces of 6061 plate as my cathodes. There should be no problem with the pump. If the power from the tank was able to hurt it then reverse it and think that when the pump is running itself lets say in a backyard fish pond you don't see the fish getting zapped right. I am no electric expert but I am sure those things are all protected.

LAter,
Tim

[schema]

Hrmm, well, at most I'll lose out on a $16 pump, so I'll give it a go. Good point on the fish thing. I'll do a simple voltage test on the water to see if it's passing current. I'll post up results when it's done, this will be on the back burner till Wednesday and I'll post up more pictures.

Thanks!!

[destroyer125]

You will have to notice, Sulfuric acid eats aluminum, even while its anodizing. Your cathode/pipes idea will only work for a short time period. Lead makes a perfect cathode, if you could use that as a cathode and find old lead piping, it might suit you better.

Im guessing the shaft in your pump is steel, its not a corrosive pump, as you anodize your parts, the shaft is being dissolved away, not because of electricity but because sulfuric acid eats steel also. The reason electricity wont hurt the pump is because there is no circuit between the pump, the cathode, and rack.