I liked your 2 cm thick thermal insulation around the cold plate! It came to my mind that if use water cooled blocks with pipes facing downwards then can have more place for insulation from all 4 sides. Also why the heatpipes are worse - they do not allow to have thick insulation from two sides.
Thanks! I think the heat pipe cooler can be insulated properly as well. They are even selling polyurethane insulation foams specifically for Peltier coolers.
*Summary* - 0:00 Introduction to the cloud chamber project - 0:27 Built a cloud chamber from scratch due to issues with initial design - 0:32 Claims it is one of the best due to understanding of Peltier (P) coolers - 1:00 Others use compressors which require special tools and harmful chemicals - 1:30 The project is documented in detail on the creator's website - 2:12 The cloud chamber has a large surface area (20x20 cm) - 3:12 The chamber is actually a glass fish tank resistant to isopropyl alcohol - 3:32 Dimensions: 25 cm in all directions - 3:57 Could be lower but height helps with temperature gradient - 4:36 The bottom of the tank has felt, attached with magnets - 4:54 A large amount of isopropyl alcohol is needed for vapor saturation - 6:00 Custom-built bottom plate to hold Peltier coolers - 6:00 Off-the-shelf 20x20 cm, 4 mm thick aluminum plate - 6:50 Insulated with foam and dense forms for cooler alignment - 7:30 Water cooling blocks, each covering two P coolers, are used - 7:43 The blocks have their own water cooling loop - 8:56 A foil resistant to isopropyl alcohol is applied to the plate inside the chamber - 10:18 3D printed frame designed to hold the chamber and cooling assembly - 11:02 Cooling system includes: - 11:15 Submersible pump for water circulation - 11:35 Radiator with high static pressure fans for cooling the water - 12:52 Separate loops for each pair of P coolers - 13:15 Uses TEC2 1906 Cascade Peltier coolers for high temperature gradient - Detailed explanations of the assembly and components are provided - 14:23 Semiconductor building blocks are pre-wired for voltage input. - 14:38 Two individual Peltier (PA) coolers require careful power management. - 14:47 Bottom Peltier cooler takes higher power; top cooler takes less to prevent overheating. - 15:02 The system is designed for a single power supply instead of two. - 15:30 For detailed information, one can visit the speaker's website. - 15:46 Main power comes from a 24 V, 16.7 A power supply (400 watts). - 16:00 Power is split into three parts via two SZBK7 300W DC-DC converters and another smaller converter. - 16:35 Each pair of Peltier coolers is powered from one converter. - 17:04 A third, less powerful DC-DC converter powers the fan, LED strip, water pumps, and high-performance fans. - 17:43 Custom-designed DC power meters monitor the current and voltage to each Peltier cooler. - 18:09 Peltier coolers should not run at their highest nominal voltage to prevent Joule heating from overpowering the cooling effect. - 19:07 The system is capable of visualizing radiation with a cloud chamber setup using isopropyl alcohol. - 19:23 The chamber is filled with isopropyl alcohol-soaked felt pieces and a "spicy" stone as a radiation source. - 19:40 The system's performance will be benchmarked and documented with pictures and videos. - 20:29 Power meters show similar power consumption for both Peltier cooler rails. - 21:00 A fan is used to cool the DC-DC converters, which tend to get hot. - 21:11 Water cooling is used for the Peltier coolers. - 21:39 The cloud chamber shows active particle traces across its surface. - 22:27 A high voltage grid may be added to the chamber for improved results. - 22:41 A substantial amount of isopropyl alcohol is essential for creating enough vapor to visualize particle traces. - 23:28 The cloud chamber works effectively, producing visible particle traces. - 24:24 The speaker urges viewers to visit their website for component details and resources. - 24:47 Viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the speaker's channel for more content. - 25:18 Contact details are provided for further questions or serious inquiries.
I've developed a method to summarize video transcripts using GPT-4. Here's how it works: 1. Divide the video transcript into segments, each roughly 12 minutes long. 2. Input one segment into GPT-4 with the command "Summarize as a bullet list," like this: ``` Transcript 0:00 Welcome everyone, in this video I'm going to show... ``` You'll receive a summary with points such as: - 0:00 Introduction to the cloud chamber project - Built a cloud chamber from scratch due to initial design issues - Demonstrated deep understanding of Peltier coolers... 3. I then input this bullet list summary back into GPT-4, ensuring to include the timestamps from the transcript. The AI then refines the summary accordingly: The following bullet list is the summary of part of a video transcript: - Introduction to the cloud chamber project - Built a cloud chamber from scratch due to issues with initial design .... The transcript follows. Extract the starting timestamp from the transcript and prepend to each corresponding bullet point of the summary: ``` Transcript   0:00 welcome everyone in this video I'm going 0:02 to show ... ``` This technique is efficient, albeit a bit tedious, but it's faster than manual summarization. It's effective for videos with clear transcripts and a single speaker. The method is less reliable with poor quality transcripts or multiple speakers. Thankfully, I haven't noticed any instances of GPT-4 generating incorrect information ("hallucinating"). The cost is quite reasonable too. For your video I needed two segments and two requests for each segment. Each request consumes about 4000 tokens, and with the price of 1000 tokens being $0.01, the total cost for a full summary comes to approximately $0.16. This approach is versatile, suitable for longer videos and content in various languages, from political speeches to Chinese horoscopes.
Stumbled across your channel doing research on Peltier coolers, I am looking to design a helmet blower system for racing which can cool the air, not looking for super cold air, but something below ambient temp. Thanks for all the videos
also noticed an effect in winter when my colleague came to watch tracks then more tracks appeared than usually. He had a pullover that charged up electrostaticcally. We could see effect by rubbing a polystyrene food container against hair and bringing close to the chamber.
In winter the air is typically dryer, so the effect of static electricity is more apparent. I usually use a microfiber cloth and a plastic pipe around the chamber and it works fine.
Trying to replicate this with an automated pump system or a way to have it run for long without having using felt, id love to have just an alcohol reservoir or something I can just fill when needed so its more user friendly. Any recommendations that you havent written on your website?
Hi! I recommend you check out electromrk on IG. He built a very nice conpressor-based chamber, and he designed a great recovery system for alcohol. You can check his posts for inspiration.
Sorry, I have a few questions haha.... Do you think for a 30cm ^2 one, would using 9 coolers work better? Even for yours, would 6 be superior if you could power them all? Do cloud chambers perform better if you can reach closer to -40 C?
As long as you can reach below -25°C and you can maintain it, each additional cooler is just extra cost and complexity. It is not necessary, really. If you look carefully, my chamber is 20 cm x 20 cm, so it is 400 cm^2. And it runs with four coolers. 30 cm^2 is so tiny that you cannot even fit 9 coolers on it... Maybe something is wrong with your math.
Hi! Impressive build. I was wondering about the water block. Have you ever compared which one has better performance, the blue or the silver water block (like the ones you used) ?
Hi! Thanks! I would assume that the silver (unpainted/uncoated) is slightly better due to the lack of an extra layer. Hypothetically, the paint could act as a thermal resistance. But I have never compared them, so I don't have a real answer.
I was looking at your links and I see there are many options for different power supplies. Is there a specific reason to use the 24v power supply with the dc converters rather than directly connecting it to a 12v power supply? My project is lower power than yours so I was looking at the 200W specifically.
Hi! I wanted a larger headroom in voltage in case I need higher than 12 V to supply my Peltier coolers. Also, I had this power supply at home, so I just utilized what I have.
What do you mean by efficiency? Copper is a better thermal conductor, so from that perspective, it is better. Economically, however, it is "less efficient " because it is much more expensive. I don't see any justifications to use copper here.
@@CuriousScientist I just happen to have a sheet of 3mm copper sheet in the garage, all my cloud chambers have failed so far - great channel so I`m guessing it`s time to start building again.
Hi! I don't need a better TEC, because the ones I use are excellent for this task. Probably a fixed 12 V PSU would be enough. Actually, if you buy the PSU I use, you can slightly increase their output voltage to reach ~12.7 V.
Thanks for all your videos on Peltier cooling. I'm learning a lot and planning to build my own cloud chamber. What you do is elegant but one thing I wonder is why you try and do the whole process with Peltiers - pulling heat from +20C to -30C across a gradient that is only a few millimeters long. If you pumped ice water around then the temperature differential would be much lower (less than half?) for the Peltiers. This is the approach I will probably take at first as I have a much more efficient freezer in my kitchen that can get water down to near zero and I don't need the chamber to run continuously. Even a cheap ice making machine under the desk that you pump water too and from would work well and reduce the complexity of the actual chamber. What am I missing?
Hi! Yeah, if you have the cold side cooled with an ice bath, then you can reduce the temperature gradient between the hot side and the cold side which would allow you to run the Peltier coolers with a larger Qc. But I don't see it as a simplification to use an ice bath. I just flip a switch and within a minute I have the chamber up and running. I don't need to freeze water with another device, I don't need to carry that water and I don't need to worry about the melting ice...etc. Unless you replace the water cooling with a very powerful air cooling, this system cannot be more simple (in my opinion).
I have tried using cold tap water for cooling. In winter it works nice +4 C, but in summer no advantage. Some have a freezer, put car antifreeze container there and use as a chiller basically creating a home version of laboratory chiller. But it might not have enough power for 4 peltiers.
@@minhenes I've built a working 4x5 inch chamber now and I use 4 x 6 amp peltier plates wired in series pairs so they run at 6v and use about 5 amp total. They will pull a 30C reduction in temp and so the water needs to be under 10C for the chamber to start working, below 5C is best. A 1 kilo bag of ice from the local shop will run it for an evening session. So pretty much what you say.
I'll be making a project very similar to that 40x40mm cloud chamber you made a while ago, i am happy that it is working so well for you. What do you think about using a large potential difference on a grid above the chamber?
Thanks! It would be definitely useful! I bought a fly swatter a while ago and started to implement it in my chamber. Once it's done, there will be a video about it.
Hy, verry impressive build! I want to attempt the same (more or less.. approach), which do you thinks would work better for the cold plate, 4mm steel plate or a flat 2mm aluminium bottom from a cooking pan? Also, would 4 x TEC2 peltier be enough for 16x23cm surface?
Hi and thanks! If you said that you want to attempt *the same*, then why would you use different components and approach? It just does not make sense. Steel is a worse thermal conductor than aluminium anyway, so stick to the aluminium. However, 2 mm might be challenging when you try to cut threads in it. I don't think that the threads in a 2 mm thin plate could withstand the tension needed when you clamp down the Peltiers. Either you will "just" bend the plate or you will tear out the threads. 20x20 cm is 400 cm^2 whereas 16x23 cm is 368 cm^2. I hope this answers your last question. ;)
@@CuriousScientist Hy, i knew it was a smaller surface area, but my concern was that the smaller thickness woudn't be able to spread the cold evenly across the entire surface.. (and maybe have only local cold spots on the other side of the peltiers and gradient temperature inbetween..). Also the thermal mass would be lower, than the thicker plate, maybe heating up more easilly, but also getting down to temperature faster.. I don't have the "exact components" as yours, but what i could find that fits the job.. the approch is mostly the same. The peltier modules are the same tho, and the aluminium heat sinks wich are the most important. I wasn't concerning yet about the 2mm thickness being able to clamp the peltiers.. but it is true that it's quite easy to bend. I searched a lot to find a thicker plate that is not also expensive.. but they generally sell a full sheet not just 20x20 as i need.. In my thinking process of constructing this build, since i had a plate cooled down to 21C, i also thought to made it so that i could do fruit icecream on it, like that you can find on the beach, wich is made in front of you from natural strawberries and stuff.. That would be interesting to do, if the cold plate wouldn't heat up instead, transfering the cold to the fruits on top..
I don't really have much knowledge on this subject, neither a forum where to ask specific questions for my task.. so i try to copy and apply all the concepts that i can find in different builds already made online. At first i saw those type of chambers, a long time ago, and i was stunned. But now i decided to give them a try, as it would be nice to have one sitting in my workshop.. :)) Also, thanks for your fast answer..!
If you check my website, I wrote an extremely detailed article, with pictures, about the whole building process. I also shared most of the off-the-shelf parts on my website, so you can easily buy them. I am pretty sure you can get the same plate easily from Amazon or Aliexpress. Or in the worst case, there should be some local metalworking shop in your city who could make it for you for cheap, maybe for 1-2 drinks or something. Sometimes a small plate as 20x20 cm could be "too small" for those metal workshops, so they just scrap it. I would not risk it with 2 mm, especially because if you bend the plate, the thermal contact will be bad, but which is even worse is that you can break the Peltier cooler. It is a very sensitive ceramic device and if you clamp it just a little bit wrong, it will crack. I know, I cracked a few. :) If you are still stuck, just write me an email and I might be able to further help you. Cheers!
If you run the water into the radiators after the peltier cooling blocks, instead of before, you may get a better cooling performance because there will be a bigger temperature difference between the water and ambient air. The larger the delta T, the faster the heat transfer. :)
Why or how would it make a difference? In the current configuration, the warm water goes to the water tank first, then it gets pumped up to the radiator and then it goes to the blocks again. I don't see how swapping the tank with the radiator in the circle would change anything significantly.
I accept that the loop is very short. These subtle efficiencies are probably more relevant in ICE design. But I did write "may" for good reason. :) NIce chamber
Thanks, also for the clarification! I was just curious because maybe there's something that I don't know about or something that could improve the cooling. But I think we can agree that in this loop's case the differences are negligible.
I am just a hobby dude, not an expert, but thanks for the encouragement! If one day you decide to build a cloud chamber, I hope my content can make your life easier. Cheers!
Hi! Thanks! I don't have an exact figure in my head, but I listed most of the parts on my website (see the description of the video), so you can calculate it yourself. It is somewhere around 5-600 USD.
By powering the peltiers the Amps are more important than the voltage. A TEC1-12706 is rated max 6 amps short but continously max between 4.1 and 4.6 amp max. By the way nice video thanks for sharing.
Yes, and it is on the way. I just need to find a way to attach/connect things together and then I will make a new video with the additional high-voltage field generator.
@CuriousScientist thatd be amazing to watch, mainly beacsue i am constructing one on my own and i need to find a way to generate an electric field to flush out the ions from obstructing the trails.
one downside with this type of setup is the cooling block being in the bottom, because cold air flows downwards while warm air rises not what you want. moving the cooling block to the top of the container and the hot side block on top of the cooling block is more efficient.
Hi! I think you don't know how these cloud chambers work. I have never ever seen any cloud chambers with cooling placed on the top of the container. You won't be able to create and maintain the supersaturated alcohol vapor layer at the bottom if your cooling is at the top...
I liked your 2 cm thick thermal insulation around the cold plate! It came to my mind that if use water cooled blocks with pipes facing downwards then can have more place for insulation from all 4 sides. Also why the heatpipes are worse - they do not allow to have thick insulation from two sides.
Thanks! I think the heat pipe cooler can be insulated properly as well. They are even selling polyurethane insulation foams specifically for Peltier coolers.
*Summary*
- 0:00 Introduction to the cloud chamber project
- 0:27 Built a cloud chamber from scratch due to issues with initial design
- 0:32 Claims it is one of the best due to understanding of Peltier (P) coolers
- 1:00 Others use compressors which require special tools and harmful chemicals
- 1:30 The project is documented in detail on the creator's website
- 2:12 The cloud chamber has a large surface area (20x20 cm)
- 3:12 The chamber is actually a glass fish tank resistant to isopropyl alcohol
- 3:32 Dimensions: 25 cm in all directions
- 3:57 Could be lower but height helps with temperature gradient
- 4:36 The bottom of the tank has felt, attached with magnets
- 4:54 A large amount of isopropyl alcohol is needed for vapor saturation
- 6:00 Custom-built bottom plate to hold Peltier coolers
- 6:00 Off-the-shelf 20x20 cm, 4 mm thick aluminum plate
- 6:50 Insulated with foam and dense forms for cooler alignment
- 7:30 Water cooling blocks, each covering two P coolers, are used
- 7:43 The blocks have their own water cooling loop
- 8:56 A foil resistant to isopropyl alcohol is applied to the plate inside the chamber
- 10:18 3D printed frame designed to hold the chamber and cooling assembly
- 11:02 Cooling system includes:
- 11:15 Submersible pump for water circulation
- 11:35 Radiator with high static pressure fans for cooling the water
- 12:52 Separate loops for each pair of P coolers
- 13:15 Uses TEC2 1906 Cascade Peltier coolers for high temperature gradient
- Detailed explanations of the assembly and components are provided
- 14:23 Semiconductor building blocks are pre-wired for voltage input.
- 14:38 Two individual Peltier (PA) coolers require careful power management.
- 14:47 Bottom Peltier cooler takes higher power; top cooler takes less to prevent overheating.
- 15:02 The system is designed for a single power supply instead of two.
- 15:30 For detailed information, one can visit the speaker's website.
- 15:46 Main power comes from a 24 V, 16.7 A power supply (400 watts).
- 16:00 Power is split into three parts via two SZBK7 300W DC-DC converters and another smaller converter.
- 16:35 Each pair of Peltier coolers is powered from one converter.
- 17:04 A third, less powerful DC-DC converter powers the fan, LED strip, water pumps, and high-performance fans.
- 17:43 Custom-designed DC power meters monitor the current and voltage to each Peltier cooler.
- 18:09 Peltier coolers should not run at their highest nominal voltage to prevent Joule heating from overpowering the cooling effect.
- 19:07 The system is capable of visualizing radiation with a cloud chamber setup using isopropyl alcohol.
- 19:23 The chamber is filled with isopropyl alcohol-soaked felt pieces and a "spicy" stone as a radiation source.
- 19:40 The system's performance will be benchmarked and documented with pictures and videos.
- 20:29 Power meters show similar power consumption for both Peltier cooler rails.
- 21:00 A fan is used to cool the DC-DC converters, which tend to get hot.
- 21:11 Water cooling is used for the Peltier coolers.
- 21:39 The cloud chamber shows active particle traces across its surface.
- 22:27 A high voltage grid may be added to the chamber for improved results.
- 22:41 A substantial amount of isopropyl alcohol is essential for creating enough vapor to visualize particle traces.
- 23:28 The cloud chamber works effectively, producing visible particle traces.
- 24:24 The speaker urges viewers to visit their website for component details and resources.
- 24:47 Viewers are encouraged to subscribe to the speaker's channel for more content.
- 25:18 Contact details are provided for further questions or serious inquiries.
What, how the heck did you do this? This is amazing!
I've developed a method to summarize video transcripts using
GPT-4. Here's how it works:
1. Divide the video transcript into segments, each roughly 12 minutes
long.
2. Input one segment into GPT-4 with the command "Summarize as a
bullet list," like this:
```
Transcript 0:00 Welcome everyone, in this video I'm going to show...
```
You'll receive a summary with points such as:
- 0:00 Introduction to the cloud chamber project
- Built a cloud chamber from scratch due to initial design issues
- Demonstrated deep understanding of Peltier coolers...
3. I then input this bullet list summary back into GPT-4, ensuring to
include the timestamps from the transcript. The AI then refines the
summary accordingly:
The following bullet list is the summary of part of a video transcript:
- Introduction to the cloud chamber project
- Built a cloud chamber from scratch due to issues with initial design ....
The transcript follows.
Extract the starting timestamp from the transcript and prepend to each
corresponding bullet point of the summary:
```
Transcript   0:00 welcome everyone in this video I'm going 0:02 to show ...
```
This technique is efficient, albeit a bit tedious, but it's faster
than manual summarization. It's effective for videos with clear
transcripts and a single speaker. The method is less reliable with
poor quality transcripts or multiple speakers.
Thankfully, I haven't noticed any instances of GPT-4 generating
incorrect information ("hallucinating"). The cost is quite reasonable
too. For your video I needed two segments and two requests for each
segment. Each request consumes about 4000 tokens, and with the price
of 1000 tokens being $0.01, the total cost for a full summary comes to
approximately $0.16.
This approach is versatile, suitable for longer videos and content in
various languages, from political speeches to Chinese horoscopes.
Wow, thanks for the careful explanation! I should look into this in the future and I should try to tap into the resources of GPT4.
Stumbled across your channel doing research on Peltier coolers, I am looking to design a helmet blower system for racing which can cool the air, not looking for super cold air, but something below ambient temp. Thanks for all the videos
Hi! I am glad that you like my videos. Let me know if you have any specific questions. You can drop me a line on IG, or via email, if you want to.
also noticed an effect in winter when my colleague came to watch tracks then more tracks appeared than usually. He had a pullover that charged up electrostaticcally. We could see effect by rubbing a polystyrene food container against hair and bringing close to the chamber.
In winter the air is typically dryer, so the effect of static electricity is more apparent. I usually use a microfiber cloth and a plastic pipe around the chamber and it works fine.
Trying to replicate this with an automated pump system or a way to have it run for long without having using felt, id love to have just an alcohol reservoir or something I can just fill when needed so its more user friendly. Any recommendations that you havent written on your website?
Hi! I recommend you check out electromrk on IG. He built a very nice conpressor-based chamber, and he designed a great recovery system for alcohol. You can check his posts for inspiration.
Sorry, I have a few questions haha.... Do you think for a 30cm ^2 one, would using 9 coolers work better? Even for yours, would 6 be superior if you could power them all? Do cloud chambers perform better if you can reach closer to -40 C?
As long as you can reach below -25°C and you can maintain it, each additional cooler is just extra cost and complexity. It is not necessary, really. If you look carefully, my chamber is 20 cm x 20 cm, so it is 400 cm^2. And it runs with four coolers. 30 cm^2 is so tiny that you cannot even fit 9 coolers on it... Maybe something is wrong with your math.
@@CuriousScientist ah, sorry I meant 30 cm by 30 cm!
I would probably try to squeeze in extra two, yes.
Is it necessary to use two radiator for heat dissipation?
In my opinion, yes. One radiator wouldn't be able to dissipate enough heat.
Hi! Impressive build. I was wondering about the water block. Have you ever compared which one has better performance, the blue or the silver water block (like the ones you used) ?
Hi! Thanks! I would assume that the silver (unpainted/uncoated) is slightly better due to the lack of an extra layer. Hypothetically, the paint could act as a thermal resistance. But I have never compared them, so I don't have a real answer.
@@CuriousScientist alright! Thank you so much sir 😊
I was looking at your links and I see there are many options for different power supplies. Is there a specific reason to use the 24v power supply with the dc converters rather than directly connecting it to a 12v power supply? My project is lower power than yours so I was looking at the 200W specifically.
Hi! I wanted a larger headroom in voltage in case I need higher than 12 V to supply my Peltier coolers. Also, I had this power supply at home, so I just utilized what I have.
Super design. Do you know the temperatue of the aluminum plate?
Thanks! Sure! It is -27°C within about 10 minutes. If I wait longer, it can reach -30°C.
Regarding the "Cold plate" - which would be more efficient Copper or Aluminium...?
What do you mean by efficiency? Copper is a better thermal conductor, so from that perspective, it is better. Economically, however, it is "less efficient " because it is much more expensive. I don't see any justifications to use copper here.
@@CuriousScientist I just happen to have a sheet of 3mm copper sheet in the garage, all my cloud chambers have failed so far - great channel so I`m guessing it`s time to start building again.
If it fails, it is not the cold plate but the way you cool it. Check my project carefully, it is a foolproof solution. 😎
@@CuriousScientist I was using a stacked coolers setup but having watched your videos, I think I was over driving the top cooler.
Yes, that's a common issue. One has to take it gently with a stacked setup!
And did you consider higher powered TECs like the TEC2-19010? THey seem to be more expensive by about twice as much
Also, and sorry about so many questions.With you current knowledge would you agree your setup could be simplified by just running the TECs at 12v?
Hi! I don't need a better TEC, because the ones I use are excellent for this task. Probably a fixed 12 V PSU would be enough. Actually, if you buy the PSU I use, you can slightly increase their output voltage to reach ~12.7 V.
Thanks for all your videos on Peltier cooling. I'm learning a lot and planning to build my own cloud chamber. What you do is elegant but one thing I wonder is why you try and do the whole process with Peltiers - pulling heat from +20C to -30C across a gradient that is only a few millimeters long. If you pumped ice water around then the temperature differential would be much lower (less than half?) for the Peltiers. This is the approach I will probably take at first as I have a much more efficient freezer in my kitchen that can get water down to near zero and I don't need the chamber to run continuously. Even a cheap ice making machine under the desk that you pump water too and from would work well and reduce the complexity of the actual chamber. What am I missing?
Hi! Yeah, if you have the cold side cooled with an ice bath, then you can reduce the temperature gradient between the hot side and the cold side which would allow you to run the Peltier coolers with a larger Qc. But I don't see it as a simplification to use an ice bath. I just flip a switch and within a minute I have the chamber up and running. I don't need to freeze water with another device, I don't need to carry that water and I don't need to worry about the melting ice...etc. Unless you replace the water cooling with a very powerful air cooling, this system cannot be more simple (in my opinion).
@@CuriousScientist Yes I was thinking simpler in construction rather than in operation.
I have tried using cold tap water for cooling. In winter it works nice +4 C, but in summer no advantage. Some have a freezer, put car antifreeze container there and use as a chiller basically creating a home version of laboratory chiller. But it might not have enough power for 4 peltiers.
@@minhenes I've built a working 4x5 inch chamber now and I use 4 x 6 amp peltier plates wired in series pairs so they run at 6v and use about 5 amp total. They will pull a 30C reduction in temp and so the water needs to be under 10C for the chamber to start working, below 5C is best. A 1 kilo bag of ice from the local shop will run it for an evening session. So pretty much what you say.
If you build a proper system like me, you don't need that mess with ice and pre cooled water for the Peltier coolers...
I'll be making a project very similar to that 40x40mm cloud chamber you made a while ago, i am happy that it is working so well for you. What do you think about using a large potential difference on a grid above the chamber?
Thanks! It would be definitely useful! I bought a fly swatter a while ago and started to implement it in my chamber. Once it's done, there will be a video about it.
Hy, verry impressive build! I want to attempt the same (more or less.. approach), which do you thinks would work better for the cold plate, 4mm steel plate or a flat 2mm aluminium bottom from a cooking pan? Also, would 4 x TEC2 peltier be enough for 16x23cm surface?
Hi and thanks!
If you said that you want to attempt *the same*, then why would you use different components and approach? It just does not make sense.
Steel is a worse thermal conductor than aluminium anyway, so stick to the aluminium. However, 2 mm might be challenging when you try to cut threads in it. I don't think that the threads in a 2 mm thin plate could withstand the tension needed when you clamp down the Peltiers. Either you will "just" bend the plate or you will tear out the threads.
20x20 cm is 400 cm^2 whereas 16x23 cm is 368 cm^2. I hope this answers your last question. ;)
@@CuriousScientist Hy, i knew it was a smaller surface area, but my concern was that the smaller thickness woudn't be able to spread the cold evenly across the entire surface.. (and maybe have only local cold spots on the other side of the peltiers and gradient temperature inbetween..). Also the thermal mass would be lower, than the thicker plate, maybe heating up more easilly, but also getting down to temperature faster.. I don't have the "exact components" as yours, but what i could find that fits the job.. the approch is mostly the same. The peltier modules are the same tho, and the aluminium heat sinks wich are the most important. I wasn't concerning yet about the 2mm thickness being able to clamp the peltiers.. but it is true that it's quite easy to bend. I searched a lot to find a thicker plate that is not also expensive.. but they generally sell a full sheet not just 20x20 as i need.. In my thinking process of constructing this build, since i had a plate cooled down to 21C, i also thought to made it so that i could do fruit icecream on it, like that you can find on the beach, wich is made in front of you from natural strawberries and stuff.. That would be interesting to do, if the cold plate wouldn't heat up instead, transfering the cold to the fruits on top..
I don't really have much knowledge on this subject, neither a forum where to ask specific questions for my task.. so i try to copy and apply all the concepts that i can find in different builds already made online. At first i saw those type of chambers, a long time ago, and i was stunned. But now i decided to give them a try, as it would be nice to have one sitting in my workshop.. :))
Also, thanks for your fast answer..!
If you check my website, I wrote an extremely detailed article, with pictures, about the whole building process. I also shared most of the off-the-shelf parts on my website, so you can easily buy them. I am pretty sure you can get the same plate easily from Amazon or Aliexpress. Or in the worst case, there should be some local metalworking shop in your city who could make it for you for cheap, maybe for 1-2 drinks or something. Sometimes a small plate as 20x20 cm could be "too small" for those metal workshops, so they just scrap it. I would not risk it with 2 mm, especially because if you bend the plate, the thermal contact will be bad, but which is even worse is that you can break the Peltier cooler. It is a very sensitive ceramic device and if you clamp it just a little bit wrong, it will crack. I know, I cracked a few. :) If you are still stuck, just write me an email and I might be able to further help you. Cheers!
@@CuriousScientist Thank you for your help! Cheers!
I would very much like to pick your mind about a project of my own i have in the works regarding peltier coolers. The application is for motorsports.
Hi! I am available for consulting via email.
If you run the water into the radiators after the peltier cooling blocks, instead of before, you may get a better cooling performance because there will be a bigger temperature difference between the water and ambient air. The larger the delta T, the faster the heat transfer. :)
Why or how would it make a difference? In the current configuration, the warm water goes to the water tank first, then it gets pumped up to the radiator and then it goes to the blocks again. I don't see how swapping the tank with the radiator in the circle would change anything significantly.
I accept that the loop is very short. These subtle efficiencies are probably more relevant in ICE design. But I did write "may" for good reason. :) NIce chamber
Thanks, also for the clarification! I was just curious because maybe there's something that I don't know about or something that could improve the cooling. But I think we can agree that in this loop's case the differences are negligible.
@@CuriousScientist And don't forget that you've built a cloud chamber, and I have not. That makes you the expert! :)
Keep on playing!
I am just a hobby dude, not an expert, but thanks for the encouragement! If one day you decide to build a cloud chamber, I hope my content can make your life easier. Cheers!
This is definitely the best DIY version I've seen. Really want to build one in the summer. How much is the total cost?
Hi! Thanks! I don't have an exact figure in my head, but I listed most of the parts on my website (see the description of the video), so you can calculate it yourself. It is somewhere around 5-600 USD.
@@CuriousScientist Are you planning on updating the design in the near future? Updated video?
Hi! No, this is the final version. Maybe I will add a high voltage grid in the future, but that's all.
@@CuriousScientist A 25x25x30cm aquarium popped up on FB marketplace. Would that 30cm be too high for this project?
@robinoja Not necessarily. You will just need a bit more IPA.
By powering the peltiers the Amps are more important than the voltage. A TEC1-12706 is rated max 6 amps short but continously max between 4.1 and 4.6 amp max. By the way nice video thanks for sharing.
Thanks. While it is true, the driving voltage governs the current. You can't drive the Peltier cooler at 1 V and 10 A.
Ah, and have you considered adding some way to generate a strong electric field
Ah sorry, I rewatched your video and see that you mentioned this!
Yes, and it is on the way. I just need to find a way to attach/connect things together and then I will make a new video with the additional high-voltage field generator.
@CuriousScientist thatd be amazing to watch, mainly beacsue i am constructing one on my own and i need to find a way to generate an electric field to flush out the ions from obstructing the trails.
@@attackoramic8361 I ordered a bunch of small high voltage supplies form AliExpress . Soon I’ll Make a video comparing:)
@@attackoramic8361 stun gun or electric fly seatter supplies have been used before :)
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one downside with this type of setup is the cooling block being in the bottom, because cold air flows downwards while warm air rises not what you want. moving the cooling block to the top of the container and the hot side block on top of the cooling block is more efficient.
Hi! I think you don't know how these cloud chambers work. I have never ever seen any cloud chambers with cooling placed on the top of the container. You won't be able to create and maintain the supersaturated alcohol vapor layer at the bottom if your cooling is at the top...