Custom Thermoelectric - Peltier

Water Block FAQ

 

Q. Can you make your water blocks (or cold plates etc) out of stainless steel?
A. Although we can make our water blocks out of stainless steel, it is a very poor conductor of heat. For example, the thermal conductivity of stainless steel is 13.8 watts/meter Kelvin (W/mK). The thermal conductivity of aluminum is 204 W/mK and copper is 386 W/mK! Therefore the stainless steel may not accomplish what you hope to achieve. We can, however, quote you on making the parts out of stainless steel.

Q. Are your Aluminum water blocks anodized or raw aluminum?
A. Our aluminum water blocks are clear anodized for corrosion protection.

Q. Can your Copper water blocks be plated with Nickel or Tin?
A. Normally, our copper water blocks are shipped without plating or any surface treatment. We can however, plate them in Nickel, Tin, or other finishes on special request. Please call or email us for more information.

Q. Can you customize one of your Water Blocks to fit my needs?
A. Please send us a drawing of what you want with as much detail as possible. We will be happy to quote your requirements

Q. Why do some of your Water Blocks have a simple "U" flow path and others a more complex flow path?
A. The main difference between the simple "U" flow path and the more complex flow paths is surface area.  The simple "U" flow path lets the water flow in and out of the water block quickly with minimal pressure drop.  The more complex flow paths have 3X to 5X the surface area making them more efficient at heat transfer.  The downside to this increased surface area is increased pressure drop and cost.

Q. What is the term Pressure Drop mean?
A. The term Pressure Drop refers to the amount of pressure loss occuring when pushing a fluid through the water block.  For example; your source of fluid is flowing with a pressure of 20 PSI (Pounds per Square Inch).  As the fluid enters the water block, it begins to encounter friction and resistance to flow because of all the flow path bends and restrictions.  By the time the fluid exits the water block, it has lost some of its original pressure. This loss in pressure is called Pressure Drop.  Note also that Pressure Drop increases with an increase in flow rate.  You will find a Pressure Drop graph for each of our water blocks.