42.5cu.ft. double door chamber build

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Indaswamp
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42.5cu.ft. double door chamber build

Post by Indaswamp » Mon Jul 25, 2022 07:10

I put a long build thread on another forum, but thought you guys might enjoy reading it.
https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threa ... or.314028/


I gutted the original compresssor system and went with peltier technology for the cooling system. The TEM chiller uses a 180Watt air cooled CPU heat exchanger (to cool the hot side of the peltier chip), a 12V 180W 6Amp TEC1-12715 peltier chip, and a small 40x40mm aluminum fluid block (on the cold side). I have two small 12v. pumps that flow water through the system. After the water flows through the chillers, it is directed into the chamber to aluminum radiators to chill the air temp. down in the cabinet. I use PWM computer fans with the air speed controlled by a PWM controller to force air through the radiators in contact with the cold radiators. It is a closed loop system. I used 2 180W TEM chillers which give me around 220W of cooling power. I set the system up so that the airflow is rising underneath the salami pulling humidity to the top of the chamber where the humid air can enter the cold dehumidifer.

This system does not condense water on the cooling cycle like a compressor system. The cooling water is maintained at a constant 4.5-5*F degrees colder than the chamber temperature so the dew point is never reached, thus no condensation on the radiators. So I designed a cold dehumidification system using a small 1.7cu.ft. freezerless refrigerator (compressor system) with a vertical cooling plate and a drain. This system adds very little refrigeration to the Main cabinet, and there is no heat generation like with a small peltier dehumidifier.

I have total independent control of air speed, temperature, and humidity. The airflow can be controlled between 1.25-5 inches per second rising in the chamber.

The cost for this Cooling system is about 10% the cost of a new compressor refrigeration system. It is very simple solid state technology and parts are relatively inexpensive. The chips are like $5 bucks and have a 5-6 years life span. Even the CPU coolers and cheap relative to replacing the parts on a compressor system....$35-120 bucks. The aluminum fluid blocks are around $7 bucks.

So if you can get your hands on an old defunct commercial freezer with the inside in good condition, you can build one too! I did a massive amount of R&D for this chamber tweaking parameters as I went. I am posting this here for those interested to learn from my mistakes and benefit from that R&D.

I currently am using inkbird controllers but want to switch to auber wifi so I can check on the chamber when I am out of town.
Indaswamp
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Re: 42.5cu.ft. double door chamber build

Post by Indaswamp » Mon Jul 25, 2022 08:43

Sorry, the TEC chip is 15Amps, not 6Amps...the 6 amp is 120watts.
Indaswamp
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Re: 42.5cu.ft. double door chamber build

Post by Indaswamp » Mon Jul 25, 2022 17:50

I tried to post a picture of the cabinet, but file was too large. So here is a direct link to a picture of the finished cabinet posted in that thread:

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threa ... st-2348086
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