Reservoar like Tank-O-Matic (work in progress)

[trodas]

Everyone probably knows, that watercooling loop must be somehow filled with water and some aditives. When one gain experience it become clear, that the filling is not so easy and done it well and get all the bubbles out often took almost week to complete - in the worst case - no res/bad res, bad setup and tubing and restrictive look - well - could take month

I choosed external and beautifull Tank-O-Matic ( http://www.innovatek.de/conten...e/index.php?StoryID=89 ) as the best solution, even it's not exactly cheap one - being sold for about http://store.over-clock.com/Reservoirs.html - 47.79 GPB (that's x 1.84 in curently weak $ - a shocking 88$ !) - not conting the postage...

Well, at least it make filling my system easy job and cleaned the bubbles very well in very short time:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;d=1&id=38&c=8 - bubbles, bubbles
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;d=1&id=39&c=8 - no bubbles

Everything was good, but just to date, when after month and something in service is CRACKED! :|

http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;v=v2&d=1&id=5
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;v=v2&d=1&id=6
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;v=v2&d=1&id=7
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;v=v2&d=1&id=8
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...;v=v2&d=1&id=9
...it happens very likely because my temps are too high and the difference in thermal dilation in materials caused this - as you can see, even the little tube, inserted to the AL bottom or this RES, cracked

So, I replaced Tank-O-Matic with Danger Den round reservoir ( http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...p;c=8&d=1&v=v2 ), however temperatures go up by 3 - 6 degrees, removing air get problematic and mainly - water constantly disapearing from the loop, witch I DAMN HATED :|

And because there is no other similar nice-looking and functional reservoir sold anywhere in this world (I even asked DangerDen, if they could produce a little bit bigger and a little bit different version of the round res for me and for what price - but no reply on this topic...), I decided to make my own res, even the cost of making just one will be likely to get prohobitive. There is my first draw of this one:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/1.gif

...and there is first testing piece on my machine:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/res/45.jpg

As you can see, it prectically did not differ much from Tank-O-Matic, except it is optimized for the flow (Tank-O-Matic internal tubes are 8/10mm, mine are 14/20mm) and a little bigger too. The bottom threads are 1/4" NPT, witch is standard and allow connection of either 1/2" or 3/8" fittings. There is also not the 90 degrees bow, like Tank-O-Matic have, because it killing the flow (bending the tubes in longer diameter is not flow-resistant) and flow is all what matter in WC Thi bigger size helps as well, original is 240x50mm, and my version is 250x60mm (I even created a testing version that is 280mm long, but there is very little, if any benefit and the lenght is custom option anyway ) - more water helps to reach more flaflwss flow, perhaps even better filtration and for sure - less care about refilling

The top and bottom closings are made from 8mm plexiglass (as well as the holders), so the thread will hold very well. The NPT thread is also self-locking and used even in automobiles for oil pans so the sealing is perfect, just when I tighten these with my hand!
The holders could be also glued to "special positions" too

The top cap is the same (almost) as used in the DangerDen res, from same company, just using BSP thread instead of NPT. That's because BSP thread is not conical and self-locing, so ppls will not get troubles unscrew it (I get it and I have fairly strong hands) - and also the top cap is not as critical for sealing. I was somehow surprised that it never leaking anyway - it was never intented to be 100% nonleaking, it is supposed to stay "out of the water"

The pipes for this res are sold by only 2000mm lenghts (2m, aprox. 9 feets), so from one I can make 8 res pieces If anyone found this one nice and usefull enought, I will hapilly sell next nontesting pieces (at least when it's confirmed that decreasing the internal diamater of the closings eliminate the glue "cracks" witch just looking, well, nonpreffesional... tought it by testing apears to be just a design issue), so the one for me did not cost me all the work and stuff need to buy just for cutting the pipes

...to get some idea, how results from my work looks, there are couple of photos for you:

Work on my res project:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galeri...p=res&d=1&v=v2

my watercooling history
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galeri...p;c=8&d=1&v=v2

fanless server
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galeri...p;c=8&d=1&v=v2

Enjoy :thumbsup:

 

[gotensan01]

WOW, that's a very nice job. You have some great machinery and tools in your possesion too. I like the attention to detail on every step.

When are you going to start producing and selling these to the general public ? I think the huge size is a little overkill as you probably just want to make it big enough to remove the bubbles.

I also had the Danger Den round res and it does nothing to get rid of bubbles. I had to put a spong in there to remove the bubbles. It worked but it could have restricted flow because it had to either cover the intake or output barbs.

Great Work :thumbsup:

 

[trodas]

gotensan01 - thanks! Glad you liked it, man! My tools has to be good, because working with plexi glass is hard - every bad thing you do is visible. The not pictured is the friend CNC machine, used for making the tops/bottoms and holders... And scratches on res is not tolerable - it must look great
Production will start, when I get rid of the glue cracks from overtight top/bottoms gluing to the main body. At the moment it will be also long enought time of testing of the first testing version - my watercooling temps getting close to 70C, witch stress the res hard. As you can see, Tank-O-Crap gived up pretty badly and soon... :| ...and as you check bellow, even DangerDen rond res did not last long...

And yup, agreed on the useless of the DangerDen res. It's too small and pointlessly done. I stole the functional idea from Tank-O-Matic The creating idea is stolen from the DangerDen round res. I just used non cracking acrylyc material and that it is. Oh, yes, of course also the DangerDen fault is the side barbs into just 4mm thick walls - and from karbonate, witch is harder plexi glass, but also known being proly for cracking - as you can see on the picture I posted link to bellow...

Size could be modified, same as position of the holders and so on

Anyway, since I retired ma DangerDen round res, I could show what my temps have done to it and where it leak - please note that I not screw the fittings too tight and at first I leave it "as it come", I tighten them a little when it start leaking - but look now!!!
http://ax2.old-cans.com/show.p...p;c=8&d=1&v=v2

Im affraid that DangerDen used the wrong plexi glass type. It's definitively the hard and maybe shinier/nicer, but sure prone to cracking one!
Not used in my case, that's why my res holding pretty well my temps right now

 

[trodas]

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0095.jpg

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0096.jpg

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0097.jpg

http://ax2.old-cans.com/wc/0098.gif

...rest is there:
http://ax2.old-cans.com/galeri...p;c=8&d=1&v=v2

...and Im kinda happy with the resulting temps. They are recorded at 12:30, and the machine was folding (100% CPU load) from 8:30 + musis + surfing and so on...

Damn, I beat fanlessly most of the normal WC guys with fans!!! :evil: :thumbsup:

 

[lobadobadingdong]

nice, I'll have to look at it more later, you're site is a little on the slowish side.

 

[Idleuser]

hi again trodas I'll be gladly to take a reservoir when it goes into production how much do you estimate it being once it goes into production. Btw, the Tank-o-matic bleeds the system itself and get rid of airbubbles but filling the system when you turn on the pump.