Hillbilly laser cooling ?

[zmm1]

Hi guys: I have a laser that at max output creates about 95000 BTU hr of heat load. I dont wont to run a chiller as the building the machine will go in is near max on KVA. So, I was thinking about using our well supply water for the cooling.. I have heard of possible galvanic issues long term but this is to get by for a year perhaps.

The only chiller specs Ive seen for this size laser is 75psi @ 8 gph at 60F. That sounds like alot of water as well as pressure. Could the high pressure be to prevent bubbles/steam on hot sections?

Im guessing this has been done before. Anyone have a little insight or derision

 

[IRstuff]

Your typical shower or faucet dumps 2 gpm, so 8 gph = 0.13 gpm is a pretty low flow, all and all. And, you're talking about removing 28 kW of heat generation. Nonetheless, I think your flow value seems a bit low, but that depends on how the heat is exchanged into the environment, I guess.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[zmm1]

Yes, yes you got me, 8 GPM is the chiller spec. I think our current well pump runs at 6.0 GPM. So what about these pressures and flow? Is this in fact what is ran in the field for a 2500 watt co2 laser.

At any rate what does it take at a minimum to pull off 95ooo BTUhr?

Many tanks, as they say in the army....

 

[IRstuff]

We have a forced air exchanger that dumps 400W across a 5°C delta at 1 gpm. So, ostensibly, 8 gpm could dump 3200 W across the same 5°C delta. 95000 BTUh is equivalent to 28kW, which is 9 times higher, so one could ostensibly dump 28kW at 8 gpm with about a 45°C delta. That all assumes some fairly prodigious air flows through the exchanger, though.

Of course, if you're just dumping the water and getting fresh water, that's a different matter.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize

 

[zmm1]

Yes the plan is to use fresh water and dump the hot. It looks like I can get 6 GPM at 60F, sorry I dont know how many BTUhr that will remove.

Im curious if the 75 psi rating is to control steaming in a very hot section of the laser. Do most all brands of industrial lasers run at these pressures? Prc amada Mitz trumpf?

I could add a booster pump near the machine to get the 75 psi.

 

[IRstuff]

Hillbilly, or not, having effluent temperature at over 160°F is a BAD idea; the temperature is sufficient to cause nearly instantaneous scald burns on skin, and amy adversely affect the biome of wherever you intend to discharge the water. You may need to get an ME to design a cooling tower or somesuch, to protect both people and the environment.

Since you posted in a laser forum, most of the MEs that do heat exchangers are unlikely to be here, but natural well water is generally loaded with minerals that would love to precipitate into your exchanger, so you may need to look at how to prevent fouling in your pipes.

TTFN

FAQ731-376
Chinese prisoner wins Nobel Peace Prize