Project Black Narcissus: 2006 FIN:

Thanks, that is just the look I was going for HeLL on EaRtH..
Justa "heads up" for all the Aqua-Fans out there. Aqua-Computer has a new reservoir coming out soon. The AquaBox:

the unit will accept four LED's

They also have a new video H20 block coming out, the AquagratiX 1800:

the picture is that of a prototype. I would think the production units will be black (as are the rest of the AC video-block family)..

 

Great project.

One week to read your thread...

 

You would be right about that....

A-C Berlin has them for sale... (Franz too)...

 

Thanks for the update mj...(I guess I am behind the times)...
Aqua-Computer has new Black (powdercoated) EVo radiator grills as well.



Happy Holidays.......

 

Those new grills are sure nice looking. I'm rather surprised they don't have a 7800GT block out... I'm hoping I can retrofit my modded 6800GT cooler (effectively turned into the AquagraFX6800 LE block) to one if I end up picking one up. That of course is the fundamental problem with one-card blocks.

That said, they are certainly pumping out some very cool new products. Seems their new Aquaboxes are out, also in a 5.25" variety, as well as the 2x3.5" one we saw eariler. I've never particularly loved bayresses, but these at least should do a decent job of bleeding the system, just like an aquajet/aquatube combo.

 

They do have a 7800GT block. Merry Christmas to all! Worked today and will be working tomorrow as well.

 

Problems:

First off, lets go back (about 3 months) to the day I started using this machine on a daily basis. At that time, the Aqua-Computer Aquaero VFD and there flow meter gave a "respectable" 0.9 l/m of flow.

This is the "unmodified"--"restrictive" flow meter. All things considered, I was happy with that flow rate.
As time passed that 0.9 l/m number slowly decreased. Yesterday @ bootup I was getting 0.6 l/m..It was time to locate the problem. I was aware something was "happening" to my flow-rate, but as it happened soo slowly I was not "super" concerned. Perhaps it was just wishful-thinking "it can't get any worse than 0.7 l/m"..
So today, I had the time to drain the loop and try to trouble-shoot my flow-issue. My plan was to also "bore-out" that AC flow-meter, something I should have done from day one. This is a major undertaking. Not that it's a problem to drill-out the flow meter, but it's mounted behind my AC Aquaero VFD, which would need removal as well.
BUT, it needed to be done..and so I did. The loop took "forever" to drain via it's (low point) drain valve. Lets have a look at that Aqua-Computer flow meter:



PLUGGED....

..All but solid, with "something"!!
Just what it is, I have no clue..

Brownish/gray "rubbery" stuff....Perhaps Teflon tape? I have no way of knowing (and never will)..
I then by-passed the flow meter, and used my compressor to blow about 10psi of air through the loop. Everthing seems "good"..Whatever that stuff is/was, it seems to have collected in the flow meter and never made it's way any further into the loop.
It's time to bore-out that flow meter:


YES, I bored out both inlet and outlet to the same size.!! IMO, a flow meter really needs to show a consistent flow number and nothing more. If that number is a accurate reflection of actual l/m is unimportant to me. Better flow is my only concern.
As I had to remove/disconnect the AC Aquaero VFD in order to get at the flow meter, it was a "golden opportunity to upgrade it from the (now antiquated) v3.07 and firmware 3.10 (along with that versions useless software) to the new-stuff:



The new AquaSuite software is good.

but still not without problems:

I am not sure (have not had time to investigate) this error..That being said, the new AquaSuite software is MASSIVE step in the right direction..
Lets "set-up" that flow meter:

I used the "magic" 232 pulses/liter number (originally provided by Mr. Nexxo) and guess what:

That's about right!! I (may have) shown that it's not necessary to do "all that" only bore out the inlet, then go backwards through the flow-meter gobbledygook that all the AquaFiles have declared..The loop begun life with a 0.9 l/m flow rate and I now have 0.85-86 l/m. If I had to guess, I would say the flow-rate is close to accurate..
SO what have we (I) learned from all this:

*A flow meter in your H20 loop can/is a great tool for preventing real problems.
*If you think there is something wrong..there is something wrong.
*[BEWARE of the BLOB!!]

 

thats interesting to say the least.. hopefully you won't see a "blob" again

 

Well, that blob thing is absolutely disgusting. I hope it never shows up again! Best of luck figuring out the last couple of glitches with the Aquasuite... I might need some advice about it soon ("Your order was shipped today " from Franz makes me very happy)

It's really getting there, close to the end. I'll be sad to see it finished - if a mod is ever truly finished - but I'm sure we'll be able to expect more amazing work from you.

 

If I saw stuff like that in my loop I would probably completely disassemble my loop and see where it came from. You might want to flush the system with isopropyl alcohol just to be sure.

Sorry to tell you but there is a valid scientific reason for boring out the intake hole and using the output hole for your intake. The liters per minute that the flow meter puts out in impulses per liter is highly dependent on the intake hole size. Even a few thousandths of an inch can make dramatic changes in reported flow rates. This is because opening up a hole say .050 (which doesen't sound like a lot, right?) increases the cross-sectional area much more. That is why a single 3/8" tube has roughly the same flow capacity as about three (3) 1/4" tubes.

The AC flowmeters are made by a Swiss company that primarily uses them in vending machines where it is critical that only a certain amount of liquid "A" is mixed with a certain amount of liquid "B". The way they control the flow is by making them with different size holes. Thus you see the small intake hole and the bigger output hole. The size of the output hole is really unimportant as the controlling factor is the intake.

This why it is recommended that you use the output hole as your intake after boring out the original intake hole. Now if you had a mill where you could accurately bore the hole then it really wouldn't matter, but most people don't. BTW, I suspect you actually have way more than .85 liPM now...probably up around 2-3 LPM minimum. The only way to find out is to actually measure your output.

 

Indeed, the area changes a lot - the square of the new radius minus the square of the original radius, to be precise. I think in this case, however, it's more a matter of making sure water actually IS flowing and not adding unnecessary restriction into the loop, not so much for the accuracy of the reading.

 

The flow meter measures the flow by spinning the prop then by calculating rotations. Boreing out the holes only makes the flow faster by removeing the restrictive holes. This only makes thes the flow meter more accurate unless you bore to a large ID than te tubeing.

 

Actually there was a discussion earlier, probably in another thread, about how it's not just flow that affects it. Changing the diameter modifies the pressure exerted on the impeller (or whatever, spinney thing) by the water, changing the RPM. Also, to a lesser extent, where the flow is coming from and where it 'hits' the impeller. That's why you have to modify the values in software to compensate for the difference in hole size.

 

How did you come up with the 232 pulses/liter?

 

*If* there is not a single piece of acrylic in touch with the water. Acrylic and alcohol do not mix...

 

revlimit: 232 pulses per litre is the spec of that particular flow meter.

modsquad: DO NOT USE ALCOHOL! It reacts with all sorts of plastics and has a way of making other stuff coagulate. Distilled water is the way to go.

Flow meters are indeed, in my experience, indispensible, especially with impingement blocks that can clog up quickly. Starbuck3733T has already found that his SF800 made him aware of a clogging problem in his loop. Flowmeters are the daddy.

 

I clean all my acrylic parts with reagent grade isopropyl alcohol and never ad a problem. Though I would add that AC says not to do it. YMMV

 

Thanks for the feed-back Bit-techers..
I would be afraid to use alcohol in the loop (but by-no means am I afraid of alcohol for other purposes)..(medicinal)..
YEs, Sir a flow meter is a "must-have".. As firehed said (and I agree) for what "we-do" the main purpose of a flow meter is to show FLOW (a consistant flow). If that flow rate is accurate in terms of l/m is of little importance (to me). That being said, it would be interesting to do a flow-test (like the one ShoNuff did). Perhaps I will..
PS:
I was also reading about this stuff Fluid XP+
Anyone have any experience using this stuff in place of H20 and your favorite corrosion inhibitor?

 

I've read it works about as well as water regarding performance, and in case of a spill gives you a pretty good chance of not sustaining damage (same with the Danger-den stuff). I remember someone tested one of those "no-short" fluids, and it was non-conductive enough to let a normal power cord plugged into the wall not catch fire when dropped in. Hard to explain in text, but I can't be bothered to find the review where they did that.

However, chances are if your loop doesn't leak quickly, it's not going to just come loose, so it's probably not necessary.

 

Avoid it like the plague.