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Cool that regulator ! — Parallax Forums

Cool that regulator !

Ole Man EarlOle Man Earl Posts: 262
edited 2009-04-21 18:39 in Propeller 1
Here is a trick I use to cool the 5v reg on the proto board. Make a roll of 10 pennies and tape them together leaving the top and bottom uncovered. Then balance the roll on the regulator and you have a simple $.10 temp heat sink !
Earl
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Comments

  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-04-19 19:25
    Hey Earl,

    What is your input voltage?

    OBC

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  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-04-19 20:48
    Input voltage? Who cares when you have a penny roll heatsink! [noparse]:)[/noparse]

    Awesome!
  • AleAle Posts: 2,363
    edited 2009-04-19 21:11
    Some of those copper coins can be soldered, and the metal plate of regulators too smile.gif
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-19 22:39
    Can you post a picture of how this is done? I would like to try it considering it is only a $.10 fix! smile.gif

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  • mctriviamctrivia Posts: 3,772
    edited 2009-04-19 22:46
    just make sure they are not canadian pennies after 2002 are new coins are steal not copper

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  • Oldbitcollector (Jeff)Oldbitcollector (Jeff) Posts: 8,091
    edited 2009-04-19 22:50
    American pennies were "mostly" copper until 1982.
    Now if you have .10 of copper pennies you have more than .10 worth of copper.

    OBC

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  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-19 23:02
    This is why this heat sink is such a deal!!!
    The money it would cost to manufacture one is more than what it would cost to build one OUT OF MONEY!!!! smile.gif

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  • mctriviamctrivia Posts: 3,772
    edited 2009-04-19 23:10
    before we switched to copper plated steel it cost 1.5 cents to make a penny

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  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-19 23:17
    I think with the rising price of copper it costs that much or even more now!
    The government should make pennies out of steel entirely or dump them.
    I won't go deep into this; this forum is not for political discussions!! smile.gif

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  • localrogerlocalroger Posts: 3,452
    edited 2009-04-19 23:23
    Post-1982 US pennies are made of zinc plated with copper. On a sunny day you can easily melt one with a 12 inch Fresnel lens. Pre-1982 pennies of copper laugh at this, though they will oxidize and discolor.
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-19 23:26
    Wow!! I have GOT to try that!! I used to collect coins so I knew that the pre-1982 ones where mostly copper, however, I didn't know you could do that with them!! smile.gif

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  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-04-19 23:54
    Another thing that you can do with NEW pennies...

    Go to any pool supply or a place that sells Hydrochloric Acid(HCl). Get a plastic container, pour a cup or so of acid into it. Get some pennies and make a TINY nick on the edge of each one so that you break the copper plating. Then get the pennies and put them in the acid for a couple of days. What's left? Hollow copper pennies...
  • Ole Man EarlOle Man Earl Posts: 262
    edited 2009-04-20 00:05
    My input voltage is 7.5 VDC. I was using 9VDC but it ran hotter. The reason for the heatsink is I am pretty much at the edge of limit because I am running :

    Barometer
    RC RX
    Ping Module
    Compass
    Nunchuck
    GPS Unit
    XBee at 25mw output

    Pretty soon, the reg out is gonna die !!!!!!

    YES ...The Pennie roll gets VERY warm...Don't put in pocket ....
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-20 00:05
    I don't know if I would be allowed to play around with our change jar and dumping all of our pennies into Hydrochloric Acid to watch them dissolve smile.gif

    I have been able to achieve this with 4 days in vinegar. Imagine how long it would take with Hydrochloric Acid shocked.gif

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  • Ole Man EarlOle Man Earl Posts: 262
    edited 2009-04-20 00:24
    Here is some pictures of my autopilot and quadrocopter, and my messy lab !
    Earl

    Edit at 6:42
    See the penny roll ???

    Post Edited (Ole Man Earl) : 4/20/2009 12:42:40 AM GMT
    4-19-09 001.jpg
    1600 x 1200 - 541K
    4-19-09 002.jpg
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    4-19-09 003.jpg
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    4-19-09 004.jpg
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    Penny.jpg
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  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-20 01:12
    You think that is messy? You should see mine! That quadrocoptor is cool, how did you make it light enough to fly??

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  • ElectricAyeElectricAye Posts: 4,561
    edited 2009-04-20 01:23
    Ole Man Earl said...
    Here is some pictures of ....my messy lab !
    Earl

    You call that messy? Dude, you have no idea.....


    shakehead.gif
  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-04-20 01:40
    In particular, I like the double-stacked keyboards. That raises the bar, earl. [noparse]:D[/noparse]
  • SRLMSRLM Posts: 5,045
    edited 2009-04-20 02:57
    Although, the penny heat sink is only good for non airborne applications, otherwise it's pretty heavy. One guy that I know just takes sheet metal, drills a hole in it and cuts it up into fins and gets a free heatsink. It's lighter, too, and probably more effective (more surface area, which is what cools). Perhaps you could glue your pennies in a spiral to increase the surface area. There are lots of good industrial glues for that.
  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-04-20 03:36
    Or just splurge and spend the extra $0.20 and get one of these.....
    http://futurlec.com/Heatsinks/TO220S.shtml
  • Timothy D. SwieterTimothy D. Swieter Posts: 1,613
    edited 2009-04-20 03:37
    I think Make Magazine has a page in their recent magazines that point out items that are easier/cheaper to make with money than to spend money to make it. This is a perfect example!!

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  • Carl HayesCarl Hayes Posts: 841
    edited 2009-04-20 16:08
    Philldapill said...
    Another thing that you can do with NEW pennies...

    Go to any pool supply or a place that sells Hydrochloric Acid(HCl). Get a plastic container, pour a cup or so of acid into it. Get some pennies and make a TINY nick on the edge of each one so that you break the copper plating. Then get the pennies and put them in the acid for a couple of days. What's left? Hollow copper pennies...
    I always have HCl on hand -- trying this now.·· Who could resist?

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  • rokickirokicki Posts: 1,000
    edited 2009-04-20 17:35
    Melting pennies sounds like fun!

    But what are the final chemical products of this reaction? What's a suitable way to dispose of them?

    I certainly wouldn't want to put anything like this down the drain, and I'm not sure the garbage man
    would take something marked "copper and hydrochloric acid experiment waste".
  • mctriviamctrivia Posts: 3,772
    edited 2009-04-20 18:52
    if I remember my chemistry right(and i did not do well) you can mix in baking soda to neutralize the acid but the reaction can be fast

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  • Jimmy W.Jimmy W. Posts: 112
    edited 2009-04-20 19:15
    Earl,

    I noticed that your copter is very close to my design, how do you orient it? ( x ) from the front or ( + ) ? I ask because I did a bit of looking into using the + design for very fast maneuvering of angles @ 90s ie hard left, hard right, hard forward, hard back. I eventually went with an x design with 2 motors cw, and the other 2 opposing corners going ccw. I am interested with your use of electric engines. I am using 4x Erickson FE120's, I get about 42lbs of thrust and she can can off like a rocket! I am to the stage now where she can hover level and slowly change directions but no high speed anything, except for takeoffs! she gets out of radio range in about 23 seconds of full throttle, max altitude clocked right now is only 9k feet but that's a software restriction. Tell us more about your please, I love to hear alot about other peoples projects and see if I can maybe avoid an expensive goof of my own !

    Jimmy
  • Carl HayesCarl Hayes Posts: 841
    edited 2009-04-20 19:34
    rokicki said...
    Melting pennies sounds like fun!

    But what are the final chemical products of this reaction? What's a suitable way to dispose of them?

    I certainly wouldn't want to put anything like this down the drain, and I'm not sure the garbage man
    would take something marked "copper and hydrochloric acid experiment waste".
    The reactants and products are:

    Hydrochloric acid HCl.· There's lots of this in human barf (your stomach produces it to digest food).· Perfectly safe in the drain, as long as diluted.

    Baking soda for neutralizing the acid when you're done.· Use this just as a rinse after dumping the acid and washing everything off with a hose.· If you pour it directly in the acid, it will react quickly and possibly cause acid to fly around.

    Cupric chloride.· This is very soluble in water.· There will be very little of this anyway; if the HCL attacked the copper the process wouldn't work.· If you have any copper pipes you run a little down the drain daily.· Your water heater probably is connected by copper pipes.

    Sodium chloride (from the neutralization of hydrochloric acid with baking soda).· That's common table salt.

    Zinc chloride.· If you have galvanized pipes you run a little of this down the drain daily.· Not to worry.

    Hydrogen gas H2 (from the reaction between HCl and zinc).· It's the bubbles produced in the acid.· This is flammable and can explode, so do the experiment outside on the patio to avoid collecting hydrogen in the house.

    Carbon dioxide (from the neutralization of hydrochloric acid with baking soda).· Perfectly safe.

    Be sensible and don't spill HCl where it will burn you or damage your clothing or household furnishings, and it will be pretty safe.· Don't breathe the fumes, which will have HCl in them too.· Wash everything with a solution of baking soda in water, or at least rinse it off thoroughly in running water,·before taking it back in the house.

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    · -- Carl, nn5i@arrl.net

    Post Edited (Carl Hayes) : 4/20/2009 9:50:37 PM GMT
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-20 21:59
    @rokicki: Don't label it, and it won't matter smile.gif

    Sill haven't tryed the heat sink; but fanning them out to get more surface area out of them sounds like a good idea.

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  • PhilldapillPhilldapill Posts: 1,283
    edited 2009-04-20 22:38
    Carl, CO2 is not safe anymore... Remember, it's now a Pollutant afterall.......
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2009-04-20 22:57
    I'm sure the planet won't explode if you make some CO2 in your backyard.
    It is strange that what has naturally existed on earth for thousands of years is now believed to destroy the planet smile.gif

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  • mctriviamctrivia Posts: 3,772
    edited 2009-04-20 23:19
    the problem is not co2 it is how much co2. it is needed but 2 much is bad. look at venus for why

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