Electronics > Projects, Designs, and Technical Stuff
DC load using a CPU cooler
void_error:
I initially wanted to use a CPU cooler for my electronic load but then I remembered I had these in my junkbox (80x80mm fan for reference):
A modest CPU cooler can handle up to 100W if you use enough MOSFETs to improve heat transfer.
SeanB:
Patrick Norton did a water cooler using an old truck radiator as the thermal dissipater. Basically did not need a fan to blow air through it, it was so large compared to the heat input that convection alone worked.
I did a machine conversion to cool water using a condensing unit I bought as a spare part for a display counter, the base plate, accumulator and condenser coil on a plate. Just used the condenser and made some fittings to go to 12mm nylon pipe on one end and the other end to dump back into the tank. Has about 2C temperature drop across it water wise and works well.
Spikee:
I currently have a board under way from china that i designed to be a programmable dc load.
It uses IXYS L2 fets that are laying flat (metal tab up). A normal intel775 heatsink bracket is designed to fit.
In my design i used the Artic freezer 7 pro rev 2 cpu cooler. It is verry quiet and can handle around 175W using the stock fan. One needs to but an additional fan or a faster one on it to handle more heat.
My project is called Megaload. Some details are somewhere on this forum. Will post more details when the board comes in.
Balaur:
The CBA uses a rather modestly-sized cooler with a fan. Have one, works very well.
microbug:
Spikee, your project sounds pretty interesting... I just selected the Arctic Cooler 13 (200W) for my load; I'm using 3 D2PAK 100W rated FETs and I'll add a thermal cutoff on the heatsink. How did you design in the bracket? Is it just a set of holes or is there a part you can buy?
With the 3 100W FETs, I could get a 300W load with the Arctic Cooler 13 Pro, but I don't really need the extra power. It would be quite easy to upgrade if I did though, just stick in the larger cooler.
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