You might want to take a look at one of the commercial cooled CCD cameras for amateur use then to steal some ideas that work well. If you cascade them and remember that the outer one has to pump everything the small one dissipates plus the heat it moves from the CCD then it isn't too hairy. Might be worth trying CO2 dry ice - that sublimes away.
I was thinking of some sort of once-use tank, like a propane cylinder, that wouldn't need a compressor and stuff. Gas from tank goes into expander/cooler and then gets dumped, not circulated.
Compressed air is often available, but tends to be wet and would gunk up an expander.
Water would be a great cooler for the peltier, but it's messy.
--
John Larkin Highland Technology, Inc
lunatic fringe electronics
Hmm a TEC seems perfect here. I want decent thermal control... And from reading some literature (on spad's) the important thermal range is ~ -20 C to +10 C. I guess a multi stage TEC would be ideal, except then I've got to put in in vacuum... cause I haven't seen any multi stages with an epoxy/ RTV coating on the edges to keep moisture out.
(The smaller single stage also have no coating, mostly 'cause the coating is a thermal short that has to be over come.)
One solution with the condensation solved, would be to use CO2 cartridges (like for seltzer bottles); the expansion creates cooling, AND displaces any moist air. The cost of the cooler is l ow, but you do need the consumables as well.
Higher cost consumables include various freeze-mist products. No budding scientist or electronics troubleshooter ought to be unfamiliar with those.
If I have a sealed container, (o-ring) but no pumping/purging valves. And some cold plate that is kept below 0 C, (maybe stick some more surface area to the cold plate...fine wire-mesh?) Then all the H2O should want to stick to the cold part.
Hey, If I put salt in the water, I can depress the freezing point.
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It's also a science project, with salt. :^)
What's a typical freezer temp?
With no power I stick in my can of salty frozen water. Heat flows through the TEC and cools down my copper/brass(?) getter.
I guess it would be OK to have the TEC cooling.
I'm betting there are a million (given styles and logo's and ...) foam beer cozies out there.
Apparently that's spelled with a k?
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I need an extra tall one that I can stick a cap on.
This seems like a cool idea... Don't ya think so?
George H. (fight water vapor with salty ice. :^) and o-rings
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