Cryofreezer hath been revived!

[sysfailur]

Well for those of you who followed it on hardforums, I am still working on my Cryofreezer. Got some pics to show and some questions that need answering. Hopefully you guys can help.

Basically what I have on my hands is, I have to reinsulate everything in the setup, and before I do that I have to clean it. Today I ripped out the old stanky insulation that was literally falling apart. I found a piece of paper in the control panel door that said "1977" and "last updated 1984"... it was some kinda compressor spec sheet or something.

In any case, it's old, and it needs cleaning and reinsulation. The rest I shall explain with pictures.

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/in_garage_small.jpg (http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/in_garage.jpg)

As you can see it is in my garage, the big beast that it is :P

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/top_view_small.jpg (http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/top_view.jpg)

Here I have an overview of the setup just so you can see that angle. On the left the piping is where I took off the old stanky insulation. I'll show a better pic of the piping in another picture.

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/right_side_small.jpg (http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/right_side.jpg)

This is the right side which didn't have any insulation on it b/c I presume it's not cold :P It really needs some cleaning!!

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/left_side_small.jpg (http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new2/left_side.jpg)

This is the left side where I took of the insulation. You can still see the huge thing of insulation on the end. I didn't rip that off cus I can't really get in there with good leverage right now.

**************

That's all the pics. Now my questions...

How can I clean this thing!?? Can I just hose it down???? Or must I just take a wet paper towel to everything? Either way it doesn't matter to me. But I just wanna know what the easiest way would be. Would I damage it by hosing it down?

I geuss really that's all. I will be purchasing some insulation for this @ home depot pretty soon. And that's it for now. If you have any suggestions or comments please do post up. I don't want this to be a flame fest of "omg DIY OWNS YOU SUCK OMG OMG H4x" like what happened on hardocp.

THANKS! :smileysex

[aenigma]

Okay first of all I suggest making sure it works before going to any trouble cleaning and reinsulating it.You can just wash it down with a hose, just try to dry it off afterwords, looks like the compressors already has some rust on it.Or really orange dust. :)
Mmmmm gotta love autocascade.

[sysfailur]

K, thanks for the info. For some of the parts that have rust I'm gonna try some OXI-CLEAN after I hose it down thoroughly. OXI-CLEAN has worked really well on other stuff--hopefully it can get rid of some of the rust.

I also noticed that on all the walls there was insulation but it was literally disintigrating (sp)... so I'll need some more there too. But first like you said, I'll make sure it works.

[aenigma]

Yeah the rust looks pretty light, it will probably just wash off with water.Shouldn't be too hard to get off.Do you have 220v to test it yet?

[sysfailur]

Originally posted by aenigma
Yeah the rust looks pretty light, it will probably just wash off with water.Shouldn't be too hard to get off.Do you have 220v to test it yet?

Nope, cryo got put on hold for quite a while. :P I've had it in my house since Turkey Day though. I am gonna try to have a 220v line installed by the end of the week. I'm sure I can find someone to do that pretty quickly.

[aenigma]

Yeah your washing room might have 220, just drag it in there and test it.If it doesn't reach, make an extension using speaker wire.Wait, on second thought, don't. :D

[sysfailur]

Originally posted by aenigma
Yeah your washing room might have 220, just drag it in there and test it.If it doesn't reach, make an extension using speaker wire.Wait, on second thought, don't. :D

Hahah if washing room was downstairs I'd do that, but it's on the other side of the house *sob*

[sysfailur]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

She works! :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana: :banana:

I am noticing however, that it doesn't seem to be cooling uhh, at all :P The "cold lines" going into the freezer are @ like 8-10C. I think I need more juice in it. Yes? Sounds correct?

If so what coolant would I use? The most powerful?

[sysfailur]

-20C internal temp and going lower.....

Pipes @ much less than -20C.... slowly but surely getting there.

[aenigma]

Hope it works out :)
Need to get a temp probe on these pipes.
By the way, how loud is the compressor?

[sysfailur]

Originally posted by aenigma
Hope it works out :)
Need to get a temp probe on these pipes.
By the way, how loud is the compressor?

Ohhhhh it's about this loud: http://www.maximumoc.com/cryofreezertest.avi

:)

PICS.......

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new3/-20c.jpg

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new3/vary_cold1.jpg

http://www.maximumoc.com/img/hardware/cryofreezer/new3/vary_cold2.jpg

[LORD]

Looks like the old girl has life in her still.

:)

[BigDov]

fear your cryofreezer...... fear it!!!! Glad to see this thing taking off again.

[Jeff]

Well it's about fu@#ing time sys... :D Can't wait to see what she can do for you.

:toast:

[DR. YT]

so what r u going to do with it put the whole computer in there or just use it to cool some sort of liquid?

[sysfailur]

Originally posted by BigDov
fear your cryofreezer...... fear it!!!! Glad to see this thing taking off again.

Heheh ;)

If you haven't seen... http://www.maximumoc.com/guides/cryofreezer.html

Did a little write up on it w/ things I've covered on forums for all to see. A guy contacted me after seeing the article saying that if you notice there is a large space on the bottom of the freezer. That is for the 2nd compressor. If I installed another my temps would go much lower. So... I might need to do that. In other words, it may be charged fully. So unless I strip it down I won't be getting lower than -40C temps.

[sysfailur]

Originally posted by docyt
so what r u going to do with it put the whole computer in there or just use it to cool some sort of liquid?

Big ol water chiller ;)

[aenigma]

Hmm yeah it may not be an autocascade system, judging by the compressors model number it is a relatively small compressor.It must just be set up to be used as a cryogenic freezer if you wan't that 'option'.

I just assumed it was cryrogenic freezer because you called it that.But I couldn't actually see the internals to tell if it was autocascade or not.
I thought it was kind of funny that the low stage refrigerant would just 'leak' out.

So basically you have a big huge 220v chest freezer that does what a 110v quiet compressor can do. :P

I would love to make it a cascade system for you, that would be a kickass project :D
I have a similar compressor(a bit bigger) that would make a nice high stage compressor.Mmm yes.
But it has been sitting outside all winter, and is probably full of water corroding away.I will have to test that this summer.

[sysfailur]

@ aenigma: MMMmm that'd be fun :) You don't live in near Allentown, PA do ya? hehe

Do you think if I stripped it and had the bare pipe touch the liquid I would be cooling it would be colder?

If I were wanting to make it a cascade setup what extra parts would be needed?

[aenigma]

Nope I don't ;)
The coolant will only get to -40c max.Considering evap temp is only -40c.

You would need an efficient heat exchanger for the cascade system, like a coaxial design.A condenser, compressor, and another TXV or some capillary.

[full loaded]

sounds like a nice project.
A little time ago I was searching for propaan or r404a but couldn't find one of them, the propaan (c3h8) was not clear enough, most time 50% of it was butaan (c4h10).
I am wondering what kind of watertemps you could get.
maybe put a radiator beween the pipes and put it into the water so the contact is great and the water should arrive at -20 or something. (just a little guess)