sodium polyacrylate (snow powder) for led heat dissipation??

EL_HERB

Member
Hi, any thoughts on sodium polyacrylate for led heat dissipation. Filled in cheap light weight u channel to lower overall room temperature.( Cheap way )
 

Tolerance Break

Well-Known Member
Hi, any thoughts on sodium polyacrylate for led heat dissipation. Filled in cheap light weight u channel to lower overall room temperature.( Cheap way )
Id be worried about that stuff getting on or in your medium and fucking up your plants, but thats just me
 

EL_HERB

Member
What's your theory ?
Here temperature goes to 45c in Summers, In grow room led strips are main source of heat, and proper heatsink would be much expensive, so I'm thinking to use snow power filled in cheap u channel for heat dissipation and that might also help to maintain humidity in grow room.
 

Moflow

Well-Known Member
Whats your avg night time temps?
What size is the grow area?
How many watts will you be using?
What led strips will you be using?
Have you air conditioning?
 

MidnightSun72

Well-Known Member
This is the stuff inside of ice packs.

I could be wrong. But from my understanding of thermodynamics this will not work unless you put your light in the freezer/fridge everytime before use.

basically this material has a very high heat capacity so it can absorb a lot of heat, however since it's absorbing the heat it will keep the LEDs hot especially once saturated for temperature. Maybe one benefit would be it could improve the heat transfer from the led strips to the rest of the aluminum heat sink, but aluminum already distributes heat pretty well.

edit:also you might have to keep adding distilled water to the light since some should evaporate if the heat sink is not sealed.
 
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MidnightSun72

Well-Known Member
Here temperature goes to 45c in Summers, In grow room led strips are main source of heat, and proper heatsink would be much expensive, so I'm thinking to use snow power filled in cheap u channel for heat dissipation and that might also help to maintain humidity in grow room.
Just use the bridgelux strips at nominal amperage (0.7a or 700ma) and you won't need much heat sink. A simple u channel with no powder will be more than enough.
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
This is the stuff inside of ice packs.

I could be wrong. But from my understanding of thermodynamics this will not work unless you put your light in the freezer/fridge everytime before use.

basically this material has a very high heat capacity so it can absorb a lot of heat, however since it's absorbing the heat it will keep the LEDs hot especially once saturated for temperature. Maybe one benefit would be it could improve the heat transfer from the led strips to the rest of the aluminum heat sink, but aluminum already distributes heat pretty well.

edit:also you might have to keep adding distilled water to the light since some should evaporate if the heat sink is not sealed.
That's what I was thinking.
I couldn't find the thermal conductivity but it seems it has high heat absorption, not good for removing heat from the led .
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Here temperature goes to 45c in Summers, In grow room led strips are main source of heat, and proper heatsink would be much expensive, so I'm thinking to use snow power filled in cheap u channel for heat dissipation and that might also help to maintain humidity in grow room.
You could try something I was toying with , air cooled LEDs.
I never bothered in the end because I need the heat 70% of the year.

However if you made a large air-cooled hood , like you see with HID, but used a sheet of aluminium instead of glass and mounted strips or boards to that sheet , you could also place driver inside, then your removing a huge portion of the heat before it gets into the room.

I think chilled started off that way, but the reality is for most people it's not needed.
But certainly fairly easy if you have the tools and skills to form the aluminium
 

coreywebster

Well-Known Member
Also, it's never been that popular but there's been some brilliant water cooled systems using cobs back in the day.

Imagine fully welded aluminium or copper box tube with strips attached, you could even feed your hot water system with it to save energy
 
This is the stuff inside of ice packs.

I could be wrong. But from my understanding of thermodynamics this will not work unless you put your light in the freezer/fridge everytime before use.

basically this material has a very high heat capacity so it can absorb a lot of heat, however since it's absorbing the heat it will keep the LEDs hot especially once saturated for temperature. Maybe one benefit would be it could improve the heat transfer from the led strips to the rest of the aluminum heat sink, but aluminum already distributes heat pretty well.

edit:also you might have to keep adding distilled water to the light since some should evaporate if the heat sink is not sealed.
I think the primary effect here would be evaporative heat loss. The polymer would simply dry up as the water escapes. This material is essentially inert. It retains water (hydrophilic) and expands as it absorbs water. I wouldn't waste your money on the 'artificial snow'.... any cheap polyacrylate polymer will do the trick... see "diaper absorbent"
Nitrous
 

1212ham

Well-Known Member
Also, it's never been that popular but there's been some brilliant water cooled systems using cobs back in the day.

Imagine fully welded aluminium or copper box tube with strips attached, you could even feed your hot water system with it to save energy
I not only imagined it, I built it. I only run in the winter now so the water isn't used, it just runs passively. I thought about doing the same thing with larger square tubing and circulating air through it.
 
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