I don't think so, in fact I think it would make the situation worse.
You've to remember that anyway without fans at all a flow of hot air will be created which will come out from the upper slits and which will be replaced at the same time by fresh air which enters from the lower slits creating a continuous flow, the hotter the air the faster the flow (within the limits imposed by the area of the lower and upper slits, of course).
When you place a fan you create a flow of forced air (and more dust).
So, keep in mind that what you have done so far is not cooling the amplifier cavity (really the air flow existing in the amp cavity), indeed you are cooling the heatsinks from inside the case through the amp cavity cooled by the forced air flow generated by the fans on the amp cover.
Try to place 4 fans on top of the external heatsinks only and the air inside the case (what you call the amp cavity) would be much less hot than you are measuring now, in other words, the cooling of the entire amplifier will be much more efficient not only on outside side (heatsink themselves), but also and above all inside it (the air flow of amp cavity).
However, good work and interesting results.
asking for permission - may I use that concept for ZML PR pamphlets, I'm, in desperate need to attract more of Audiophool crowd........
damn, are you making Particle Collider, or amp?
just use big case and give it space .........
^ "... damn, are you making Particle Collider, or amp?"
You forget... Physics background...
Particle collider... I had this internship in college working at a particle accelerator - no kidding-... My boss used to chill his sodas by tying a string to them and partly lowering the can into a vat of liquid helium. He NEVER dropped one....
You forget... Physics background...
Particle collider... I had this internship in college working at a particle accelerator - no kidding-... My boss used to chill his sodas by tying a string to them and partly lowering the can into a vat of liquid helium. He NEVER dropped one....
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What I'm finding out is the coupling between the heat flow between the internal cavity and the large heat sinks. With the large exterior fins you'd figure most of the heat would go outside, but with just the slightest bit of airflow internally, a lot of heat is dissipated into the cavity...
I need to figure out a test condition to run just air over the cooling fins that will not affect the thermal sensor. Right now the sensor is nestled between two fins, touching the metal every so lightly. I could likely tape it over it but I don't know what kind of tape to use because I don't want to leave a sticky mess afterwards. And to do this right, I would have to run fans over both heat sinks. Maybe some cardboard shrouds to make cooling "tunnels".
Hmm... Hmm.... maybe, clip on metal tunnels with a built in fan... make it so that you can clip it on as an 'aftermarket" item.... draw air from the front and exhaust to the rear? I realize the airflow will be perpendicular to the direction of the fins, not optimal, but it might be good enough.
Dust... in an industrial environment we always put air filters on line, but I can't recall seeing it in a residential environment. In my own house we run air HEPA air filters anyhow... and most homes have forced HVAC with its own air filters, so dust is not a problem. Indeed, those big Audio Research amps with fans don't run air filters either. Worst case, just open it up every year and blow some air into it.
@Zen Mod Yes, as a matter of fact, it is a darn experiment. You can't just put a Big Case and walk away from it... Darn it! We need empirical evidence! I might just have to do this in Degrees Fahrenheit.... my wife was curious why I was using Celsius.
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Heat flows faster to areas of greater temperature differential. So if the heatsink is to work more efficiently, the air around the heatsink fins should be at a much lower temperature. That can be achieved by moving the hot air next to the fins away from the fins.
Heat is bad for electrical components so good ventilation of the interior of the case is a good thing.
So if forced air is needed to reduce temperatures, it is good to move air that is inside the case and air that is at the heatsink fins.
Heat is bad for electrical components so good ventilation of the interior of the case is a good thing.
So if forced air is needed to reduce temperatures, it is good to move air that is inside the case and air that is at the heatsink fins.
I've sometimes used microscope clips for temperature sensors placed between the heatsink fins using a screw itself of the amp cover.
Since the sensors are cylindrical they often slip out of the clip while you are fixing them, but it can be done.
I wrote several times - I did tried everything what came to my ZMenormous Mind, got my conclusions
Presented them here, without actually writing proper Thesis, and that's it
Don't wanna spoil your fun ...... just couldn't resist when you mentioned thermal barrier
Immediately finding a place for recycle of old asbestos glass-wool, imagining nice miniature water-curtains, re-purposing those copper chimney heatsinks from can'trememberanameofamps - filling those chimneys with liquidwhatever
Possibilities are endless
It comes down to a balance, I guess.
What is the optimum temperature for those output devices? They can be chilled too much... Do we go to a two box affair... with a separate radiator or do make the main amp cool by building in, or adding on, active cooling devices.
Of, we could go ZM... and build a 10U, 700mm case and hope the landlord doesn't find the hole in the wall we had to make to fit the amp in the room.
What is the optimum temperature for those output devices? They can be chilled too much... Do we go to a two box affair... with a separate radiator or do make the main amp cool by building in, or adding on, active cooling devices.
Of, we could go ZM... and build a 10U, 700mm case and hope the landlord doesn't find the hole in the wall we had to make to fit the amp in the room.
Yep, I already mentioned that... I think it was this thread or the other thread about building a huge amp and cooling it.
My old buddy had a couple of oil filled cans that held the dummy loads he used for setting up his Ham Radio rig.
The problem is that he wasn't transmitting continuously for hours the way we run our class A amps.
My old buddy had a couple of oil filled cans that held the dummy loads he used for setting up his Ham Radio rig.
The problem is that he wasn't transmitting continuously for hours the way we run our class A amps.
That's awesome.... where can I find them... do you know what they're called.
It looks like I could "spiral" them into the cooling slots...
Worst case, I guess I could make my own clip and use the screws holding the amp cover to keep them in place and provide the elastic tension to keep the thermo sensor in place.
They are the clips that hold the slide under the microscope lens (slide holder).
https://www.amazon.com/jiulonerst-Stainless-Specimen-Biological-Microscope/dp/B07S3G473F
Edit to add some pics and the following:
As you can see in this case I didn't use any screws and I bent the clip to fit it perfectly to the heatsink by tightening it under the amp cover.
A tool such as a screwdriver with the tip bent at 90° is useful for lifting the clip inside the fins of the heatsink.
https://www.amazon.com/jiulonerst-Stainless-Specimen-Biological-Microscope/dp/B07S3G473F
Edit to add some pics and the following:
As you can see in this case I didn't use any screws and I bent the clip to fit it perfectly to the heatsink by tightening it under the amp cover.
A tool such as a screwdriver with the tip bent at 90° is useful for lifting the clip inside the fins of the heatsink.
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one can use piece of styrofoam or denser sponge, wedged between two fins, to keep probe in place
That's very true
, but my solution is much more effective since the sensor is cylindrical and so small and its cable is not very flexible and therefore if it is not pressed forcefully against a flat and smooth part of the heatsink it provides an unreliable and inaccurate temperature detection. 
there is one methodological mistake you're guys are making in last several days - you're taking it too serious
KISS.
If it is too hot to touch, cool it.
Then enjoy the music! 🙂
If it is too hot to touch, cool it.
Then enjoy the music! 🙂
I still have my Heathkit "Cantenna" dummy load. Resistor is immersed in god knows what kind of oil.......Hams of Yore did use bucket of oil