Xeon th MG Pony
05-06-2006, 12:11 PM
Well I finally got all the parts I ever needed! So now it is time to BUILD! (Please keep in mind I don’t give a squat about super low temps, I’ll be happy to hold a nice +-0C constant, in fact that is my main goal is to simply keep it at a nice cool +-0C and perhaps for fun lower if I feel the need. So please no bashing or ranting at how it won’t get Über cold, I all ready know this nor do I care!)
Here's the parts list:
- Copland R-12 Medium temp compressor
- 1/2 Ton TXV American control Company
- Sporlan 1/4SAE Flare, Solenoid Valve (NC)
- Sporlan Filter/Dryer
- Sporlan Sight Glass
- Ranco Low pressure trigger
- Home made receiver
Tubing Size:
- 3/8th
- 1/4th
Evaporator:
- Helically wound 3/8th Tubing (This is not certain I am still thinking on this)
Refrigerant:
- An Azeotropic Mix of 80/20% by Mass weight of R-134a & R-600a (This is said to out perform R-12, and is Listed as a drop in replacement)
History:
This all started when I found an old vending machine, before that point I was all ways interested in phase change, and I managed to pull the plant out of it, this finally gave me a chance to mess around with the idea. Well years later and TONs of learning I slowly started to collect parts and plot a killer build, well due to a good friend and some luck I got all I needed.
OPERATION:
Obviously it will be pointless if I have to sit there and flick a switch one and off and it would all so be murder to the hydro to leave it running all the time! So how do I get it to cool well yet not short cycle or run 24/7?
The solution? Copy a large-scale systems way of doing it! not creative in of its self but very clever way to deal with the issue at hand non the less
Lets start at the solenoid valve, When the water gets too warm the thermostat makes a call to the Normally-Closed Valve telling it to open, this will allow liquid refrigerant rush into the TXV, the TXV then meters the refrigerant to the needed level to keep the evaporator at a constant temp.
This whole operation starts very fast, but wait! The compressor isn't running at this point! The thermostat only told the solenoid valve to open
this is where the low side trigger comes in, it sees the sudden rise on the low side and then tells the compressor to turn on! The system will run until the thermostat is happy again at which point it shuts of the solenoid valve and the suction vacuum will increase to the cut off point of the low side switch (This is because even though the thermostat shut of the valve, the compressor is still running).
The reason for this is better efficiency from the refrigeration system, any leaked refrigerant during the off cycle will evaporate raising suction pressure to the trigger point, at which the system will pump down and, while at it, further chill the water without needing a full out cycle and negate the need of an accumulator...
Work to do & Don:
So fare I need to build a Receiver, and to figure out final wiring. I have the low-pressure switch connected to a homemade L bracket and wired to the compressor.
The main thing on my list though is to get the compressor flushed & refilled with clean mineral oil as the old oil was beyond salvage. I have fabricated a ½ SAE Flare to 3/8th Copper solder connecter for the TXV to Evaporator mount.
My goal for now is to finish the Compressor Plant and have it fully oiled and wired and at a running state before I start making the evaporator. Aside from needing a couple things, yet to arrive, in the mail this is nearly complete unless I should need to replace the high side service valve as I fear I may well need to do!
Real picks soon to follow, but for now I nice MS-Paint on to hold you through!
http://img114.imageshack.us/my.php?image=compressorplant4kc.jpg
Solenoid Valve, R-xxx-x Can tap arrived
Bought a Can of R-134a and five feet 1/2Copper. I have the low-pressure unit hooked up and wired into the compressor. Still need to order Mineral Oil and Make the receiver
April 23rd 2006
Ordered a receiver on ebay that is perfectly suited for the application, and managed to find some cheap POE oil. After a good couple years of fighting the dammed rotolock manifold & service port bolt I finally got the thing loos and repositioned it the way I’ve all ways wanted, of course this meant I needed to reform the vacuum side switches capillary sensor. I may alter the receiver section a bit, I may braze the receiver directly to the condensers discharge and just use the receivers access port, and use a braze type sight glass as the count of flare connections is getting uncomfortably high, thing will leak like a sieve even with well don flares at that kind of count, and the plus side of this I can get rid of the old leaking access port that has been on it since 1973!
May. 6th, 2006
True to irony I found a free receiver that is even better then the one I found on Ebay ah well I’ll keep the ebay one for a future project. I got the salvaged one installed it fit flawlessly. I removed the old High Side service valve and drilled out the pipe as sadly it did not come out cleanly :( and got a new section of 1/4th soldered in and the other side flared perfectly :) I am still amazed at how perfectly it fit in. Now all I need to do is decuple the compressor and flush the condenser and receiver with Acetone to clean it out. The best part about the salvaged receiver that its connecter to the condenser is a 1/4th flare rather then braze type which leaves great room for moding the system when ever I so decide to do so. :D
I have about a pound of R-134a in a cylinder ready for when the plant is finished, waiting for the MK-1 Coil to arrive for the valve and some silphos. My gauges arrived that I bought on Ebay, they’re nice and should serve me well for a good time to come. I got an old Danfoss compressor set up as a vacuum pump I need to make it a oil cooler still how ever. On another nice point I scored another TXV & Sight glass along with the receiver and got another whole plant. I am still how ever waiting to buy some oil as I am now not too sure which Refrigerant I’ll be using, no matter what the system will need a very thorough clean & flush. Bought some nice shiny Chromed Vanadium Wrenches built just for SAE Flare bolts, I got 2 of them, and two drill bits, 1/4th & 3/8th to ream out bores should de-brazing fail. On an end note I REALY wish RX11 Flush was cheaper <_<
I decided to just repost the whole thread as it is more efficeint and keeps the clutter down
Here's the parts list:
- Copland R-12 Medium temp compressor
- 1/2 Ton TXV American control Company
- Sporlan 1/4SAE Flare, Solenoid Valve (NC)
- Sporlan Filter/Dryer
- Sporlan Sight Glass
- Ranco Low pressure trigger
- Home made receiver
Tubing Size:
- 3/8th
- 1/4th
Evaporator:
- Helically wound 3/8th Tubing (This is not certain I am still thinking on this)
Refrigerant:
- An Azeotropic Mix of 80/20% by Mass weight of R-134a & R-600a (This is said to out perform R-12, and is Listed as a drop in replacement)
History:
This all started when I found an old vending machine, before that point I was all ways interested in phase change, and I managed to pull the plant out of it, this finally gave me a chance to mess around with the idea. Well years later and TONs of learning I slowly started to collect parts and plot a killer build, well due to a good friend and some luck I got all I needed.
OPERATION:
Obviously it will be pointless if I have to sit there and flick a switch one and off and it would all so be murder to the hydro to leave it running all the time! So how do I get it to cool well yet not short cycle or run 24/7?
The solution? Copy a large-scale systems way of doing it! not creative in of its self but very clever way to deal with the issue at hand non the less
Lets start at the solenoid valve, When the water gets too warm the thermostat makes a call to the Normally-Closed Valve telling it to open, this will allow liquid refrigerant rush into the TXV, the TXV then meters the refrigerant to the needed level to keep the evaporator at a constant temp.
This whole operation starts very fast, but wait! The compressor isn't running at this point! The thermostat only told the solenoid valve to open
this is where the low side trigger comes in, it sees the sudden rise on the low side and then tells the compressor to turn on! The system will run until the thermostat is happy again at which point it shuts of the solenoid valve and the suction vacuum will increase to the cut off point of the low side switch (This is because even though the thermostat shut of the valve, the compressor is still running).
The reason for this is better efficiency from the refrigeration system, any leaked refrigerant during the off cycle will evaporate raising suction pressure to the trigger point, at which the system will pump down and, while at it, further chill the water without needing a full out cycle and negate the need of an accumulator...
Work to do & Don:
So fare I need to build a Receiver, and to figure out final wiring. I have the low-pressure switch connected to a homemade L bracket and wired to the compressor.
The main thing on my list though is to get the compressor flushed & refilled with clean mineral oil as the old oil was beyond salvage. I have fabricated a ½ SAE Flare to 3/8th Copper solder connecter for the TXV to Evaporator mount.
My goal for now is to finish the Compressor Plant and have it fully oiled and wired and at a running state before I start making the evaporator. Aside from needing a couple things, yet to arrive, in the mail this is nearly complete unless I should need to replace the high side service valve as I fear I may well need to do!
Real picks soon to follow, but for now I nice MS-Paint on to hold you through!
http://img114.imageshack.us/my.php?image=compressorplant4kc.jpg
Solenoid Valve, R-xxx-x Can tap arrived
Bought a Can of R-134a and five feet 1/2Copper. I have the low-pressure unit hooked up and wired into the compressor. Still need to order Mineral Oil and Make the receiver
April 23rd 2006
Ordered a receiver on ebay that is perfectly suited for the application, and managed to find some cheap POE oil. After a good couple years of fighting the dammed rotolock manifold & service port bolt I finally got the thing loos and repositioned it the way I’ve all ways wanted, of course this meant I needed to reform the vacuum side switches capillary sensor. I may alter the receiver section a bit, I may braze the receiver directly to the condensers discharge and just use the receivers access port, and use a braze type sight glass as the count of flare connections is getting uncomfortably high, thing will leak like a sieve even with well don flares at that kind of count, and the plus side of this I can get rid of the old leaking access port that has been on it since 1973!
May. 6th, 2006
True to irony I found a free receiver that is even better then the one I found on Ebay ah well I’ll keep the ebay one for a future project. I got the salvaged one installed it fit flawlessly. I removed the old High Side service valve and drilled out the pipe as sadly it did not come out cleanly :( and got a new section of 1/4th soldered in and the other side flared perfectly :) I am still amazed at how perfectly it fit in. Now all I need to do is decuple the compressor and flush the condenser and receiver with Acetone to clean it out. The best part about the salvaged receiver that its connecter to the condenser is a 1/4th flare rather then braze type which leaves great room for moding the system when ever I so decide to do so. :D
I have about a pound of R-134a in a cylinder ready for when the plant is finished, waiting for the MK-1 Coil to arrive for the valve and some silphos. My gauges arrived that I bought on Ebay, they’re nice and should serve me well for a good time to come. I got an old Danfoss compressor set up as a vacuum pump I need to make it a oil cooler still how ever. On another nice point I scored another TXV & Sight glass along with the receiver and got another whole plant. I am still how ever waiting to buy some oil as I am now not too sure which Refrigerant I’ll be using, no matter what the system will need a very thorough clean & flush. Bought some nice shiny Chromed Vanadium Wrenches built just for SAE Flare bolts, I got 2 of them, and two drill bits, 1/4th & 3/8th to ream out bores should de-brazing fail. On an end note I REALY wish RX11 Flush was cheaper <_<
I decided to just repost the whole thread as it is more efficeint and keeps the clutter down