Rapid cool down loop

[Andrew Robinson]

Seeing how I dont post all that many pictures, I figured I would at least post this so you guys know I am still alive haha. Just finished working on a rapid cool down loop for my ethylene glycol cooled diff pump. Here are a few pics of the assembly process. The heat shield didn't come out as nice as I would have liked at least by my standards. I may bring the rejected parts up to HEAS this year. I have several useable pieces that I would be willing to let go.

The loop was designed to be slightly smaller than the body. The copper coil springs open then slides on the base, but not before sandwiching a thermal transfer material which expands and creates more surface area connecting the base and transfer loop (not seen in these pictures). The chocks then align perfectly and secure with bolts which also then aligns the bolt holes for the heat shield.

That statement above may sound smooth and painless, but I can promise you it is not haha. Although I do like most of my finalized design, this is quite a pain in the butt to assemble

Comments welcome. Thanks all! See ya in October everyone!

Forming the rapid cool down loop from copper.

6061 chock blocks for the loop.

Chocks partially assembled on body.

Top view of diffusion pump.

First attempt at curving heat shield on roll press.

Front of partially assembled system just for viewing.

Back of partially assembled system just for viewing.

Drop out for thermally protected conduit.

CAD front right view.

CAD front left view.

CAD back left view.

CAD back right view.

CAD 45 degree sectioned view.

[Richard Hull]

Nice stuff, Andrew! It is good to see plus-ultra stuff done where the steeds are not spared.

Richard Hull

[Andrew Robinson]

Thanks Richard for the kind words. See you in a few months.

[Dennis P Brown]

Very impressive shop work. Luckily, my DP has an internal water cooling line. For me, machine work is using a ruler and making mostly eye judgments to machine parts/O-rings - lol. Amazing my stuff works and gets my systems down to the low 10^-6 torr; but real machine work is such a sight to see. And the CAD software - well beyond my approach (a piece of paper, pencil and in the end, my crude drawings never agree with what I did end up making ... .)

[Andrew Robinson]

Thanks Dennis. Don't feel bad. I eyeball things all the time. A lot of my designs start off as "meh, that looks good" solutions.