I want to cool the external chassis-actually the heatsinks-of this Class A biased audio power amp https://passlabs.com/products/amplifiers/xa.5/xa30.5 I intend to operate below its 30wpc rating so as to enjoy the sweeter sound quality of its Class A bias region. However, in that power range, its heatsinks will reach temps between 53 and 55 degrees C. I hate having that much heat in my not-so-large listening room and kicking on the air conditioner-nor contributing to global warming.
Incidentally, though the amplifier uses 200 watts at all times, I really only get time for music listening on the weekends and maybe once during the week. And as one of the roofs of my split level home is all solar panels, most of our electricity is free and green.
This firm had great success for cooling cpu chips Mobo maker builds 'powerless' processor cooling fan ? The Register but they had the luxury of building the stirling engine right on top of the CPU chip. I can only collect the heat emitted from the external heatsinks-I would never risk any internal re-engineering, at least not on my own. So I thought of affixing the right amount of this expensive 3M thermal conducting tape http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtU4x2v4x_Gev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS-- )
to at least 3 of the 6 heatsink fins per side and then somehow converging them to stick on to the heat accepting end of a stirling engine like this one
ThinkGeek :: Stirling Engine Kit
Can anyone put me in touch with a design engineer who can offer an earth-friendly way for me to enjoy this otherwise beautiful sounding amplifier by converting its heat output to any other kind of work ?
Incidentally, though the amplifier uses 200 watts at all times, I really only get time for music listening on the weekends and maybe once during the week. And as one of the roofs of my split level home is all solar panels, most of our electricity is free and green.
This firm had great success for cooling cpu chips Mobo maker builds 'powerless' processor cooling fan ? The Register but they had the luxury of building the stirling engine right on top of the CPU chip. I can only collect the heat emitted from the external heatsinks-I would never risk any internal re-engineering, at least not on my own. So I thought of affixing the right amount of this expensive 3M thermal conducting tape http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtU4x2v4x_Gev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS-- )
to at least 3 of the 6 heatsink fins per side and then somehow converging them to stick on to the heat accepting end of a stirling engine like this one
ThinkGeek :: Stirling Engine Kit
Can anyone put me in touch with a design engineer who can offer an earth-friendly way for me to enjoy this otherwise beautiful sounding amplifier by converting its heat output to any other kind of work ?
I would go with a good 3/8" or more thick base plate instead of a heatsink and use Arctic Cooling Thermal Epoxy to glue the Stirling engines to the base plates.
However I don't know how well even 3 of these engines per side would cool the amplifier.
However I don't know how well even 3 of these engines per side would cool the amplifier.
Base Plate? Do mean like drilling/bolting and/or thermal epoxying slabs of copper to one or more of the heatsink fins? Please know, I'm talking about this pre-built and tested amplifier
Pass Labs XA30.5 Stereo Power Amplifier - Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
And what I explained that I'm looking for is someone to determine what, if
any solution can be implemented to convert most of the heatsink radiation to mechanical work, suggest someone who can do the work and then give me a ballpark figure on the cost. Trust me, if I had the time and the know-how, I'd do it myself.
Pass Labs XA30.5 Stereo Power Amplifier - Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity
And what I explained that I'm looking for is someone to determine what, if
any solution can be implemented to convert most of the heatsink radiation to mechanical work, suggest someone who can do the work and then give me a ballpark figure on the cost. Trust me, if I had the time and the know-how, I'd do it myself.
Offers a great solution AKVABLOK ??????????? ???????????? ??????????? - YouTube and even roller ??????????? ???????????? ???????????. ?????2 - YouTube
Wow.
When having 200W to dissipate, there is all gone for any "earth-friendly" way to dissipate this. Unless You have a thermal converter to put the dissipated heat into and thereby "recycle" your consumed electricity.
You could eat less meat, chicken needs 4.4kWh to produce one pound, pork 12.6 and beef 31.5, it doesn't take much meat abstinence to run an environmentally friendly class A system.
Louder, more effective (dB/W/m) speakers.
I use at moment a 2 x 3 Watt se. Dissipates less than 50 W. A dream. I do not need more power. Volume is not a problem.
Or use tubes.
Or use the radiators of your room. Disconnect heating system, set a little pump, set the transes at a profile, connect with hoses and enjoy the coolness,-)
I use at moment a 2 x 3 Watt se. Dissipates less than 50 W. A dream. I do not need more power. Volume is not a problem.
Or use tubes.
Or use the radiators of your room. Disconnect heating system, set a little pump, set the transes at a profile, connect with hoses and enjoy the coolness,-)
Watercool the amps and use hot water for any useful purpose, such as taking a shower, washing clothes with hot water which is more efficient or using the preheated water as a starting point in boiling water for cooking or at least some tea.
Replace finned heatsinks with vertically perforated aluminum blocks , say 8mm diameter holes or thereabouts, connect top and bottom using PVC pipes to a water tank which sits on a shelf at same or higher level than amplifier.
Top tubes to tank middle height, bottom ones to tank bottom.
Convection will circulate water the right way without wasting energy pumping, so your amp will be warm but not *hot* .
Cover the water tank on all sides with 2" styrofoam so heat is kept there and not wasted heating the room up (what you want to avoid, otherwise you'd plain use fins).
If the tank has 20 liters capacity, enough for a shower with some hot water left over just in case, your constant 200W dissipation will rise water temperature by 30C (from room temperature 20C to very hot 50C) in 3.5 hours.
So you can listen to music for 3.5 continuous hours, then you (or any Family member) can take a guilt less shower and feel happy about beating the System.
Which you actually did, by the way 🙂
Why I chose scorching 50C as a goal?
a) you won't really reach that in 3.5 hours, insulation is not perfect and you'll inevitably waste some.
b) in any case, at the shower room you can only adjust it down, by adding cold water, you'll definitely not waste more energy to heat it up than what you already did.
c) you will also lose energy in pipes connecting tank to shower, even if you also insulate them (you should, of course).
Replace finned heatsinks with vertically perforated aluminum blocks , say 8mm diameter holes or thereabouts, connect top and bottom using PVC pipes to a water tank which sits on a shelf at same or higher level than amplifier.
Top tubes to tank middle height, bottom ones to tank bottom.
Convection will circulate water the right way without wasting energy pumping, so your amp will be warm but not *hot* .
Cover the water tank on all sides with 2" styrofoam so heat is kept there and not wasted heating the room up (what you want to avoid, otherwise you'd plain use fins).
If the tank has 20 liters capacity, enough for a shower with some hot water left over just in case, your constant 200W dissipation will rise water temperature by 30C (from room temperature 20C to very hot 50C) in 3.5 hours.
So you can listen to music for 3.5 continuous hours, then you (or any Family member) can take a guilt less shower and feel happy about beating the System.
Which you actually did, by the way 🙂
Why I chose scorching 50C as a goal?
a) you won't really reach that in 3.5 hours, insulation is not perfect and you'll inevitably waste some.
b) in any case, at the shower room you can only adjust it down, by adding cold water, you'll definitely not waste more energy to heat it up than what you already did.
c) you will also lose energy in pipes connecting tank to shower, even if you also insulate them (you should, of course).
If you want to be "green", don't use Class A. Do you really think you can hear the difference when transducers have distortions in the order of 5%?
"And as one of the roofs of my split level home is all solar panels, most of our electricity is free and green."
Oh, you mean you exported your pollutants in the manufacture of the panels to China?
"And as one of the roofs of my split level home is all solar panels, most of our electricity is free and green."
Oh, you mean you exported your pollutants in the manufacture of the panels to China?
O.M.G. Before you wreck it, SELL IT to somebody who does not have your concerns. Why take a Lamborghini, and drop a 4 banger into it for better mileage?😱
There's a simple thing you can do that will negate the environmental impact of every single thing you do in your lifetime. Don't have kids. The cumulative effect of generation after generation dwarfs any possible waste of energy or anything else you can possibly manage on your own.
That said, I've no idea how to make an environmentally friendly class A amplifier, which is the very definition of wasted energy.
That said, I've no idea how to make an environmentally friendly class A amplifier, which is the very definition of wasted energy.
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