I’m working on a project involving a thermoelectric cooler, and options for small aluminum or copper blocks have been few and far between. However, I found many cheap aluminum and copper blocks on Amazon designed for water cooling CPUs. I know that these aren’t solid blocks; they are hollow with fins to disperse heat to a stream of water which would run through it. Would such a block be effective at transferring heat between a heat source and a heatsink on the other side of the block? There will be no water running through it.
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1$\begingroup$ do you need anything other than a simple block of aluminum or copper? Like from a metal shop? $\endgroup$– Tiger GuyCommented Mar 2, 2022 at 20:53
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$\begingroup$ Tradition is to put fins on the air side, not the water side, The air has lower heat capacity so more contact area is needed. $\endgroup$– blacksmith37Commented Mar 2, 2022 at 21:23
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$\begingroup$ Well I won’t be watercooling any part of the project. I want to see if I can thermal paste a water block to a TEC and then thermal paste a heatsink to the water block in the hopes that it will conduct heat effectively. Ideally I would have a solid block, but this might be a cheaper solution. $\endgroup$– That Programmer JackCommented Mar 2, 2022 at 21:59
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$\begingroup$ So you want to use it as a heat spreader? Not a heat exchanger? You would almost be better off just filling it up with water and plugging it up. $\endgroup$– DKNguyenCommented Mar 2, 2022 at 22:07
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$\begingroup$ Well I plan to put one on the cold side also and I can’t have the water freezing up. And yes, I want to use it as a heat spreader. The reason I don’t want to just throw a heatsink onto both sides is because I want to have some space between the hot and the cold side for insulating material like a thick styrofoam panel. I’ll have the TEC, a block on both sides, and heatsinks attached the the blocks. $\endgroup$– That Programmer JackCommented Mar 2, 2022 at 22:25
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1 Answer
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Will it work at all? Yes
Will it work as good as a solid chunk of aluminium? No
Expect the performance to be about one-fourth as effective as a solid chunk of aluminium.
Why? Because this thing has channels for water, that don't conduct heat, and that are not oriented favorably for your use.
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$\begingroup$ Thank you for the explanation. I probably won’t use a water block, then. Another comment suggested finding aluminum blocks on McMaster-Carr, so I think I can purchase a bar and cut it down to size. $\endgroup$ Commented Mar 3, 2022 at 12:29