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North Slope Chillers

Industrial Water Chiller Systems

Archives for September 2020

Semiconductor Cooling

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Very Cool Tech

Semiconductors are used in just about every computing device we use today. But how do semiconductors work? In order to understand semiconductor devices, we first need to review what a semiconductor is at the atomic level.

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What is a Semiconductor?

First, let’s start with electrons. Electrons live in orbits or shells that surround an atom’s nucleus. The electrons that live in the outermost orbit, or valance shell, are called valance electrons. A valance shell can hold a maximum of 8 electrons. These electrons can break free and move from 1 atom to another, which creates electrical energy. Electrons can be directed to move or flow in a guided direction, creating a flow of electrical current.

North Slope Chillers diagram showing what a semiconductor is

Conductors, Insulators, and Semiconductors

When an atom has 1, 2, or 3 valance electrons, it is known as a conductor. These atoms are highly conductive, and it is easy to move their electrons and create electrical energy. When an atom has 6, 7, or 8 valance electrons, it is known as an insulator. It is difficult to break their electrons away, which makes them highly insulative against electrical energy.

Semiconductors are atoms that have 4 or 5 valance electrons. As they occupy the middle of the spectrum between conductors and insulators, you can see that they are capable of both conduction and insulation against electrical energy.

Elemental and Compound Semiconductors

There are some elements on the periodic table that are semiconductors all by themselves, such as: silicon, germanium, tin, selenium, and tellurium. There are however other elements that become semiconductive when combined with other elements. These compound semiconductors include: gallium arsenide (gallium and arsenic), mercury indium telluride (mercury, indium, and tellurium), aluminum gallium arsenide (aluminum, gallium, and arsenic), and more.

North Slope Chillers diagram on semiconductors

Doping

Semiconductors can be made more conductive through the process of doping. Doping is accomplished by adding a small amount (typically 1 part per million) of atomic impurity. There are many elements that are used to dope a semiconductor, but the basic process is the same. When these impurities are added to a host of semiconducting atoms, either a free donor electron is released (creating a negative charge), or an electron hole is created (creating a positive charge).

What is a Semiconductor Device?

Now that we understand what a semiconductor is on the atomic level, we can take a look at how a basic semiconductor device (like a diode) works. These devices are composed of thin slices of semiconducting material: 1 side is a p-type (positive) semiconductor, the other side is an n type (negative) semiconductor. The space in between these 2 semiconductors is called a P-N Junction. A small electric pulse (like from a battery) excites the junction between these semiconductors and a current is created.

Semiconductor Applications

Semiconductor devices have an infinite number of applications in today’s digital world. Every microprocessor, transistor, resistor, diode laser, and circuit based device is made possible by semi-conductors. These devices vary in complexity based upon how it is used, and what electrical current is required for the application.

Semiconductor Cooling Methods

Truth be told, all electrical currents create some form of heat. As heat builds up within the semiconductor device, it will begin to break down and irreversibly malfunction if waste heat is not removed. Most semiconductors use some form of heat sink that collects the waste heat in 1 location for easier removal. From this point, there are multiple methods of cooling a semiconductor device.

Air Cooling

Some semiconductor devices generate such a small amount of heat, that simple layout adjustments allow natural air flow to remove waste heat. Strategically placed vents facilitate this air flow without the use of fans or forced air. 

Other devices need greater air flow velocity in order to remove enough heat to keep a semiconductor device functioning. Forced air has a much greater cooling effect than natural air cooling. 

Liquid Cooling

Liquids are an even more efficient method of transferring heat than air. Liquid chillers typically use a mixture of water and glycol to create a heat transferring medium. These fluids are pumped continuously to and from the chiller and the semiconductor device as it is running.

Immersion Cooling

This cooling method involves completely submerging semiconducting devices into tanks filled with dielectric liquid or oil. Dielectric fluids are specialized non-conductive liquids through which no electric current can pass. They can electronically insulate even high voltage equipment and prevent arcing. When this fluid is chilled, it also acts as a liquid coolant for the devices as they continue to operate. 

Spray Cooling

The method of spray cooling uses the cycle of evaporation and condensation to remove waste heat. Microjets spray inert fluids at the base of the semiconductor. Heat then transfers into the fluids, causing them to start a cycle of evaporation and condensation.

North Slope Chillers Semiconductor Cooling Solutions

North Slope Chillers’ industrial cooling solutions will cool down your operation without interrupting the layout of your current system. North Slope Chillers provides several levels of industrial water chiller systems, fluid chillers and proprietary chilling accessories to provide precise temperature control that is compact, yet efficient. Easy to install, remove, and relocate, you will be happy to have a fluid chiller unit that is painless and easy to use. Contact us to find the right semiconductor cooling solution for your needs at (866) 826-2993 or [email protected]

Keeping Carboys Cool

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Carboys are really nothing fancy: just a large plastic or glass container, usually with a narrow neck and opening. It’s what’s on the inside that’s important. Carboys are often used in lab settings to store ionized water and solvents and in brewing for fermentation. In each of these applications, carboys may require some assistance in keeping their contents cool. While there are several cooling methods to choose from, some are easier to use and more precise than others. 

Carboy used for brewing

What is a carboy?

A carboy, also called a demijohn, is a large glass or plastic container with a narrow neck. These containers typically have a capacity of about 1 to 6 gallons. Most often, carboys are used to store and transport liquids like water and chemicals. They are also used for home brewing of beer and wine during the fermentation process. 

Carboy Sizes and Terms

Standard carboy sizes range from range 1.1 to 6.6 gal (4 to 25 L). The term carboy itself most often refers to a 5 gal (19 L) carboy. A 1.2 gal carboy  (4.5 L) carboy is sometimes called a jug. A 15 US gal (57 L) carboy is usually called a demijohn.

What are carboys used for

Carboys and Brewing

Glass carboys are king during the fermentation of alcoholic beverages like wine, mead, cider, and beer. They are typically  fitted with a rubber stopper and a fermentation lock during this process to prevent bacteria and oxygen from entering. 

While a primary carboy is used during the fermentation step of homebrewing, a secondary carboy is sometimes used for the following step: conditioning, or secondary fermentation. Beer can also be transferred directly to bottles for this step. 

Carboys for Laboratory Use

In laboratory settings, carboys are used to store liquids like solvents and deionized water. These carboys often have a spigot near the bottom for east dispensing. Today, laboratory carboys are most often made out of polypropylene but traditionally have been made from ferric and other shatter-resistant glasses. Plastics today, however, offer immunity to acid corrosion and halide staining, both traits that were missing from older plastic formulations. 

Besides carboys, other common large-quantity liquid containers in laboratories are Jerry cans, bottles, jars,  and bucket-like containers. 

Carboy Cooling

How to Cool Carboys

Ambient Air

In laboratory settings, carboy contents most often rely on carefully controlled ambient air to maintain a proper temperature. 

Refrigerators

Also in laboratories, when carboys contain liquids that require lower temperatures, the containers can be placed in lab refrigerators. This is, of course, limited by the size of both the carboy and the refrigerator. 

Using a Cool Towel

In home brewing, using a wet towel is the most common trick for taking the corboy temperature down a notch or two. This method takes advantage of the cooling effects of evaporation. 

A wet towel is wrapped around the carboy and held in place with a tie or bungee cord. Additionally, the carboy is often placed in a basin containing an inch or two of water. The water is gradually and continually wicked into the towel as evaporation occurs. 

While this method is extremely affordable and fairly simple, it requires regular monitoring and doesn’t offer precise temperatures. 

Ice Bath

For this cooling method, the carboy is placed in a basin with enough water to surround most or all of it. Ice is added as needed to maintain the target temperature. This method is simple but requires a bit of figuring out to avoid any drastic temperature swings. 

Ice box

This method utilizes an insulated box and blocks of ice. The boxes can be made from cardboard, plywood, etc, and are often lined with styrofoam or builders insulation. The ice blocks are periodically replaced to help maintain the target temperature. Like ice baths, this method requires a bit of messing around to get the hang of it. It requires frequent monitoring for the first several hours to determine how much ice is needed and how often it will need to be rotated.

Fan and Air Conditioning 

This method simply takes advantage of any nearby air conditioning units that are already running. Either a vent is directed toward the carboy, or a fan is used to help direct the chilled air. This is another extremely simple method; however, it offers little precision. 

Specialized Chillers

Specialized chillers are available for both laboratory and homebrew applications. This option offers the advantage of more precise temperature control and typically involves less hands-on work than other cooling methods. 

Cooling Carboys with Fluxwrap

Fluxwrap works to keep carboys cool via a proprietary multi-channel fluid path within its layers. The blanket-like device is wrapped around the carboy and cooling liquid flows through the fluid path, absorbing unwanted heat from the carboy.  The wrap conforms to the shape of any carboy, even uneven surfaces, creating full-coverage cooling. 

Unlike traditional carboy cooling methods, Fluxwrap is extremely easy to install and doesn’t require constant monitoring, rotating, or adjusting. It also takes away the guesswork and ensures target temps.

Fluxwrap offers the best of everything: simplicity, ease of use, and precise temperature control. 

For more info on Fluxwrap, or if you have any questions about carboy cooling, give us a call at (866) 826-2993.