Cooling of Large Water Volume

Kange, i just read a few lines of that link, and one thing they say is it will only work 100% in low temp, low humidity environments. Durban in February is unfortunately neither of those....

To run the two chillers looks a little expensive. Maybbe i should run piping underground in a shady part of the yard as a starter, and see what happens from there.
 
true story that about the humidity in Durbs
 
Dober Man said:
To run the two chillers looks a little expensive. Maybbe i should run piping underground in a shady part of the yard as a starter, and see what happens from there.
Click to expand...

Good Idea I think. Apparently it's best to run pipe at least 2m deep.
 
That will be a good starting point, i'll use black irrigation piping and use it coiled up nicely a fair bit under the ground. I'm sure this will slow down the heating up in summer immensely.
 
so how many meters of piping you plan on using underground ej?and how many mm?
 
Hi EJ, i would do all the insulation with fans etc and only run one AM chiller, i am sure it will be more than enough to chill the tank and if the room is properly ventilated and insulated it wont have to work that hard. Glynn runs his 8000L on one chiller.
 
Agreed i know of a 3500l tank with 3 x 400w halides and other flourescents, just uses a big fan. No chiller.

For you, use big fans (cheep to put in and cheep to run). Chillers use huge electricity so have one for when the fans aren't coping, but without halides I dont see big heat probs.
 
Yip agree with Alan and Rob, also EJ if you did go with underground piping I would be weary of irrigation piping and phosphate leaching.
 
True anthony.

What the plan is, is to insulate the room properly, use twirly fan thingys on the roof, and a large fan blowing onto the tank. If i find that the temp is still out, i'll then use a chiller to help.
 
HI Doberman, I'm an absolute novice as far as this hobby is concerned but as an ex milk producer and cheese manufacturer I would like to say the following: Evaporative cooling is the cheapest way too cool anything. The problem with this method is the same as with aircons, they all cool air, but the heat exchange factor is almost nil when it has to transfer cool air into warm water.
The principle that works with milk pasteurisers is the same that will work in your tank:Transfer temperature at the highest efficiency coeofficient(hard to say and spell for a dutchman) A standard chiller offers the most efficient heat transfer method possible purely because most use the most suitable heat exchangers possible.(Gas cooled surface against the water area seperated by a very thin titanium film.)
I would like to say: Use a evaporative cooler(6-8degrees temp reduction) and then cool the water using a suitably sized chiller. We must remember if the ambient temp is 40deg. the chiller of a certain size can for arguments sake lower the water temp by 10 degrees, but if the ambient temp is30degr the chiller could quite possibly lower the water temp by 15-18degr. these are only estimated figures, but the heat exchanging factors will stay the same. USE A WELL DESIGHNED CHILLER IT HAS TO BE CHEAPEST.
I am in the process of building a glass heat exchanger and should test it when summer arrives.
Lotsa words that has many hours of research behind them.
Herkie
 
Nice info Herkie, please keep us updated on how the heat exchanger works.
 
heatexchanger.jpg

A basic heat exhanger

You could run this with one of those DIY coil in fridge systems, however I would use a freezer with Clycol or antifreeze in the coil liquid. I would use a Jabsco pump to circulate the coolant. Also the longer you make it the more effecient it would become.'

It would not be too cheap, however you could chill huge amounts of water if it was done correctly
 
That looks perfect Kanga, i will contemplate that. I think that Alans idea of using only one chiller, + the twirly things on the roof and 1 inch polystyrene on the walls to insulate will do the trick.
 
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