My 2nd mini-cascade - 2x MP14 FB

[tiborrr]

As my original thread went to hell with the last data loss here at XS, I am reposting it (thanks to google's cache)

Components:
High stage:
- compressor: reciprocal ACC MP14FB (1/2HP)
- condenser: Empor 1.21kW + 16W 220Vac motor + 250mm fan
- filter/drier: Danfoss 60g
- refrigerant: R-507
- metering device: Alco TIS-SW thermostatic-expansion valve + 00 nozzle

Cascade HX:
- 12-plate stainless-steel HX

Low stage:
- compressor: reciprocal ACC MP14FB (1/2HP)
- desuperheater: Empor 0.21kW + 19W 220Vac 120x38mm fan
- oil separator: Denaline (non-floated) + Castel ball-valve for regulating oil return
- filter/drier: Danfoss 30g
- refrigerant: R-1150 - Ethen/ethylene
- metering device: TC-31 (0.031" ~ 0.8mm) cap tube
- expansion tank: Fach 1.6L reciever - modded
- 0.6m + 0.6m = 1.2m suction line
- evaporator: Dimastech V5 --- i used my own Maze GT1 evap lineset

Safety:
- Alco HP @ 25bar (low stage)
- 2x HP pressure gauge Wigam
- expasion tank 1.6L (low stage) --- not incorporated in finished unit
- HS-LS bypass

Building the case - backbone of this cascade:


The Dimastech V5 evaporator lineset i got from OC-bay for ~ 80€ brazed & shipped:


Essential goodies:


The heat-exchanging system:


Building the high-stage & initial charging it:



Mr. Frost visits the cascade HX


Completing the low-stage, only few connections are left to be done:


Brazed cascade:


Low stage is leak-free and charged with R-410A for the testing purposes, need to the wire the low stage compressor today though.

Best Regards,
Niko

[EvoCarlos]

very very nice i like it

[Dualist]

I like the way everything is held together with cable ties

[bazx]

tiborrr very nice build

i like the frame you constructed to mount all the parts

are you going to line the hx box with neoprene or expanding foam?

[scooter.jay]

Looks a very tidy build well done

[sdumper]

Where do you guys get all these awesome condensors/fans and shrouds?

[bazx]

Where do you guys get all this awesome condensors/fans and shrouds?

these are just normal shop bought items in most of the EU

have a look here @ cold_ice shop i think he will ship to the USA

http://www.kaeltetechnik-shop.at/First-page


if its not in English there is a tab at the top right to select english

[tiborrr]

Thanks guys!

My short vacation just ended today, tommorrow I'll start the second stage to see if it operates normally
@bazx: I'll fill the HX box with expanding polyurethane foam. I'll wrap the whole HX box into clear foil (normally used to pack food) and then fill the bottom of the HX box through the 'straw'. Foil will at keep the shape so the foam will expand upwards. The leftovers of this expanding foam will be cut with scalpel.

[piotres]

That compressors and layout of this unit remind me a bit old Sharp's unit .

How bypass will be working ? (I mean by what components You build it)

Keep going

[tiborrr]

Thanks for your kind words, Peter. About resemblence to sharp's cascade - hehe, not really, old sharp's cascade looked like a long coffin and it's single level, this one is two stories high, hehe :P My first cascade resembled more to old sharp's than this one.

Bypass will work via oil return from non-floated oil separator + ball valve directly to compressor suction port. Proven method, it goes down to ~ -55°C fairly fast.

I have tested the second stage with R410A, it does about -65°C uninsullated, HP ~ 3bar, LP deep vacuum :P. The heat exchanger was uninsulated, R410A was condensing at about -30°C (need to insulate the TXV bulb too). Will charge R-1150 this weekend if everything goes okay

Best Regards,
N.

[tiborrr]

Cascade already working for the testing purposes, by the time being on R-410A, where she does -72.5°C to -73°C, uninsulated

1st stage - R-507:
HP: 11barg
LP: 0.3barg
static: 8bar

2nd stage - R-410A:
HP: 3bar
LP: deeeeeep vacuum
static: 9bar

[tiborrr]

I got rid of the SLHX on the 2nd stage, test charged the second stage with CO2 + R-410A (dry ice flushing agent / oil carrier), properly charged she does -80°C without load, with Phenom II @ 4.75GHz around -65°C.

Hi-stage (R-507) HP: 12.5bar
Low-stage (R-744 + R-410A) HP: 8bar



Did some initial testing:

SuperPI 32M: 14m 32.875s


PiFast: 22.58s


And also some 3D:



3DMark2001SE: 30.836


3DMark2003: 9.462


Will charge ethylene, properly insulate (hell, even CO2 is breaking through this thin layer of armaflex) this weekend and report back!

Best Regards,
Niko

[crio]

I really like you mini cascade.I mean you did a very clean job + with proper insulation will give you better results.
So,again nice work

[tiborrr]

Thank you crio! Ethylene should give a nice boost to this poor clocker of mine, 5GHz Pi32M should be possible!

[sdumper]

I really like you mini cascade.I mean you did a very clean job + with proper insulation will give you better results.
So,again nice work

I second that Tiborrr does class "a" work!!

[lesstutrey]

love it, and i really like the color. I got runmc making me up a SS with similar colors. Cascades always give me green eyes (envious), so the green color works great

[tiborrr]

Thanks sdumper & lesstutrey!

I - again - did some modification to the cooling machine. I repiped the suction with a big U-turn which help preventing refrigerant floodback at idle. I have also improved my temperatures a bit, i'm now at -70°C with the same load as before. So the ethylene will wait for another week, for the sake of this performance improvement job:





I have also started work on my new project - the single-stage auto-cascade - and made a phase separator:


Best Regards,
Niko

[tiborrr]

Cascade #2 @ -100°C





CPU evaporator | High-stage (R-507) | Low-stage (R-1150)

[tiborrr]

Maiden voyage for this machine on R-1150: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/...4&postcount=31

Best Regards,
Niko