Eight-chip DIY verification

# Eight-chip DIY verification build

Status: sourced concept, not built or performance-verified. Compare it in the local calculator as **8-chip DIY · test**.

## Proposed construction

Two mirrored banks, each with four 40 × 40 mm TECs in a row. Per bank: 200 × 40 × 12 mm water block / thermal interface / four TECs / thermal interface / finned heat sink. Point both fin arrays into a shared air duct. Fit an end-mounted 60 mm fan with an adapter. The additional front/rear photos confirm one end-mounted fan and an open fin outlet at the opposite end. Its frame appears to be about 60 mm from the pictured 60 mm body width; the exact fan model is unknown. Airflow direction must be confirmed from fan arrows or a physical test. Blue pieces appear to be water blocks with hose connections.

Four modules span 160 mm, leaving 40 mm along each block for margins and clamping. Use a clamp frame with controlled, uniform loading; do not assume the water block can safely be drilled. Two 200 mm heatsinks with 46.05 mm-wide bases provide room for 40 mm modules, but clamping, flatness, fin spacing, shroud, and fasteners require mechanical verification. This is a functional mimic, not an exact dimensional copy.

Both hot-side blocks feed an outdoor radiator. A balanced parallel split is proposed; measure each branch or verify equal flow. A small aquarium pump may not deliver its advertised free-flow rate through this circuit. Keep radiator, hot-side pump and power-supply waste heat outside the room.

## Sourced parts

| Part | Qty | Source / evidence | Qualification |
|---|---:|---|---|
| TEC1-12706 modules | 8 | [User's 10-pack](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IUVSSHW); [HB manufacturer datasheet](https://www.hebeiltd.com.cn/peltier.datasheet/TEC1-12706.pdf) | 40 × 40 mm. HB specifications do not authenticate generic marketplace modules. |
| Aluminum water blocks | 2 | [User's DIYhz pair](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TDQ1M32) | Listed 200 × 40 × 12 mm; source dimensions previously cross-checked by matching ASIN. |
| 1.813-inch aluminum extrusion | 2 × 200 mm | [HeatsinkUSA](https://www.heatsinkusa.com/1-813-wide-extruded-aluminum-heatsink/) | 6063-T5; width 46.05 mm, fins 24.13 mm, base 7.62 mm. Order 8 inches with a 7.874-inch finished cut. Published natural-convection rating is not the forced-air performance of this assembly. |
| NF-A6x25 PWM fan | 1 | [Noctua specifications](https://www.noctua.at/en/products/nf-a6x25-pwm/specifications) | 60 mm fan; duct adapter required. Manufacturer free-air maximum is 29.2 m³/h; maximum input is 0.96 W. These do not establish flow through the installed fins or equivalence to the original fan. |
| 360 mm radiator with fans | 1 | [User's DIYhz B0D9S1KRZD](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D9S1KRZD) | 440 × 140 × 80 mm envelope. No measured heat-rejection curve located. |
| LRS-600-12 supply | 1 | [MEAN WELL manufacturer specification](https://www.meanwell.com/Upload/PDF/LRS-600/LRS-600-SPEC.PDF) | 12 V / 50 A / 600 W. Current-limited staged test; include branch fusing, guarded terminals, cable sizing and strain relief. Eight 6.4 A maximum module currents would exceed 50 A before auxiliaries. |
| PVC tubing | As needed | [User's 3/8-inch ID tubing](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07HF648M5) | Match actual barb sizes and secure joints. |
| Aquarium pump, split/return manifolds, clamps, interface compound, duct, insulation, drain tray | 1 lot | Exact pump and hardware not selected | Prove flow, contact pressure and condensation management. |

Costs in the calculator are editable budget allowances, not live quotations. Project volumes are component envelopes, not final installation clearance.

## What the data can and cannot verify

HB lists Qmax = 50 W at a 25°C hot side, with Qmax at essentially zero temperature difference. Eight modules therefore have a 400 W best-case datasheet sum for that manufacturer's modules, not a 576 W room-cooling rating. Real cooling falls with temperature lift, imperfect interfaces, fan restrictions and hot-side temperature. The listing's 576 W maximum and 12 V / 34 A stable-current language are not a cooling-capacity test.

The earlier 204 W estimate came from 408 W electrical × assumed COP 0.5. That has not been verified. It entails approximately 612 W hot-side rejection, before pump heat. At 3 L/min water flow, 612 W implies about 2.93 K water temperature rise. Whether the radiator can reject it at an acceptable hot-side temperature is unknown.

The new DIY test design starts with an explicitly assumed COP of 0.25, 408 W device input, and a 150 W air-side ceiling. These are test hypotheses, not sourced performance. The window AC's rated 5,000 BTU/h is approximately 1,465 W cooling at 455 W electrical; these are manufacturer ratings and are not directly equivalent to an untested TEC scenario.

## Bench verification

1. Pressure/leak-test the coolant assembly with electronics unpowered. Verify clamping and fan airflow. Use flow loss and hot-side overtemperature shutdowns. Insulate cold surfaces and collect condensation.
2. Calibrate paired temperature probes together in stirred water. Measure total flow downstream of the combined blocks using a calibrated meter or timed mass collection. Put temperature probes directly at the block-assembly inlet/outlet, before the pump or radiator, so their heat is outside this measurement boundary.
3. Start with one bank at low current. Log water inlet/outlet temperatures, TEC hot/cold face temperatures, branch currents, TEC terminal voltage, water flow, room inlet/outlet air temperatures, humidity, cold fan power, and total wall power. Increase current only while temperatures and flow remain controlled.
4. At steady state, calculate Qhot = 69.67 × flow(L/min) × ΔTwater(K). Ptec = terminal volts × total TEC amps. Qcold ≈ Qhot − Ptec. Net room cooling ≈ Qcold − cold-side fan watts, provided all other electrical losses remain outdoors. Include sensor uncertainty and ambient heat leakage; small ΔT can make subtraction unreliable.
5. Repeat at several hot-side temperatures and currents. Confirm with an independent air-enthalpy balance or insulated chamber with a calibrated heater. Dry-air temperature alone misses latent heat and condensate.
6. Use only a stable measured point in the calculator's verification form. Repeat a run near the desired 65°F indoor / actual outdoor temperatures. A result at one operating point does not verify the whole day's performance.

Suggested acceptance: measured net cooling exceeds the calibrated room load at the target, with repeatable results and a positive uncertainty margin. Record failures as well as successful points. Reaching the thermostat setpoint in this software is not evidence that a physical build can do so.