OK I know this has been on here before but I am looking at making an aluminium/acrylic air trap something like this: http://www.aqua-computer.de/content/aquatube.htm Except there will be an acrylic tube between two pieces of aluminium. With a round arcylic port on top sealed by screws and an o-ring(very close the the one in the link). A plate will mount to the top of the case with a 92mmx92mmx1/8" plate with an 80mm hole for the acrylic top sitting outside supporting the trap just like the link. A friend suggested that a closed system like this will generate a vacuum and cavitate the pump. Will a 5" high x 2" diameter trap half full of water in a closed system really create a vacuum and not allow the water to circulate? Does the air trap have to be open on top? Will the suction of the pump make a whirlpool and suck air in anyway? i.e. how long of a tube do you need? Some of the bigger pumps will do 500 gph?!? Acrylic will take up to about 150 degF before it bends. I have yet to see any water system get that hot. Should I go with something else, lexan maybe, or will that be sufficient? Will acrylic crack under air trap usage?
Whoa. Steady. There will be no crazy-ass vacuum effects happening, that'll such your PC down a black hole. I mean, think about it: the Aquatube works, doesn't it? Water, as it warms up, expands. This would effect a pressure on the tubes and cause them to expand; when the PC is switched off, it contracts, and so would the tubes. Over prolonged use you'd get expand-contract-expand-contract-expand... you get the idea. No problem with silicon tubes, but a problem with PVC ones, so the story goes. An air trap thus has the additional function of giving the expanded water somewhere to go, supposedly not putting undue pressure on your tubes. Since the pump, combined with waterblock and rad flow resistance, already creates more pressure than that, I am not sure that water expansion is such a problem, really, so you can ignore that bit. However my point (and I do have one) is that if anything, water expansion will compress the air in the res slightly and a slight overpressure results, rather than underpressure. Besides, an underpressure or vacuum could only occur if more water was sucked out of the res than can flow in. But since we're dealing with a closed system, where would it all go? the pump can only suck as much water in, as it can push out, and even though water pushed by the pump is slightly more compressed (due to flow resistance), in the end it all balances out. So, in short: no worries, mate.
Thats what I would have thought. I have an alpha of it in my hand. But it is not ready for wet testing yet. I have loaned out my digital camera or I would post pics. It is very similar to the link posted above except the body of it will be an acrylic tube so those of us that run UV reactive systems will have more eye candy to make a case POP! I will try and get a pic or two and post them here for comments. I would like to know what people thing of the design at the link. I thought it was very cool and decided to make something like it for myself. That and the fact that I had air in my system. If there is enough response we have the resources to make them available for retail in the US...
The Aquatube? I am buying one... but I will swap the barbs for 1/2" ones. I'm keen to see your design... Sounds sexy.
Are you getting it from the german site? Are you US or UK? I REALLY like the aquatube. Our design will be very, very close to that sans the solid aluminium. The tube will allow you to see water from the side and top. The top is just like the aquatube with the screw down plate and the plastic/o-ring top. It is going to be a standard 92mm fan measurement with the actual tube housing being 80mm.
Try : Wizard Designs :, who are just starting out and are promising to sell the Aqua Computer stuff soon.
