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Thread: ESC cooling

  1. #1
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    Default ESC cooling

    I pulled apart a couple dead ESC to see how they were built. Disassembled a Flycolor 150 and a Turnigy 180.

    The FC is complete encased in silicone inside it's plastic case. I was able to chip/scrape/peel off most of the silicone.

    The Turnigy was potted completely inside what I assume is an electronic friendly epoxy. The case was a bugger to remove and forget about getting that potting off.

    I did discover a common problem with both units though. The cooling blocks are pathetic at best. The water isn't really moving heat in my opinion on either of them. I plan to add some cooling to the a Flycolor. Simple blocks made of simple K&S tube applied right to the fets. Then spray with conformal and throw away the case.

    I don't have a fresh 180 to mess with.

    I'll get some pics when I get it done.
    Noisy person

  2. #2
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    Good to know info Terry. I have added a small cooling plates to the Flycolor top heatsink plate with some success. Scraping away the anodizing and using two part Artic Silver. On our 6S 4074 setups it seems to help the overheat cutoff a bit. The top seems to be a heatsink somewhat akin to the Old Castle's.
    Mic

    Mic Halbrehder
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  3. #3
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    Those Flycolor are never quite right again after they thermal one time. After that they shut down, I think, too early. The interesting thing to me on those is how little the water is actually doing. The water passes through those two outside edge tubes. The cooling effect gets nowhere close to where the actual heat is concentrated.
    Noisy person

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    When I got a Stumpfab cooler I had to find a new heat-sink pad for it. I haven't run it yet and I won't until I fix it up better. The pad I used was even thicker than the factory stuff which shredded when the old cooler came off.
    Nortavlag Bulc

  5. #5
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    Is the Flycolor 150 your referencing the same form factor as the OSE 150?

  6. #6
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    Terry, stump fabrication makes better cooling plate for OSE/flycolor 150.
    https://stumpfabrication.com/collect...cooling-plates

    All you do is unscrew the 4 screws holding the cooling plate and then gently pry off the old cooling plate. Making sure not to tear the thermal pad, unthread the nipples off the old cooling plate, thread the nipples on new cooling plate. You will have notch the casing for the cooling lines for the new plate. Last just bolt the new cooling plate down

  7. #7
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    IMO Stumpfab should include some thermal compound or glue since the old thermal tape is a mess. I mentioned it to them but no response.
    Nortavlag Bulc

  8. #8
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    That's a much smarter design.

    Mike, yep. Same thing. I think the OSE version has an additional cap bank.

    They all have low heat threshold. The protection shuts it down at what seems a relatively low temperature. BUT! That's external temp. The water never gets close to the real heat. Who knows what the internal temps really are. Clearly a bunch if they're shutting down. Once they thermal one time they're never quite right right again. Happened to me at the 18 nats. Limped it home.
    Noisy person

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by longballlumber View Post
    Is the Flycolor 150 your referencing the same form factor as the OSE 150?
    Yes however Steve’s are updated with a cap pack and longer wires.
    Nortavlag Bulc

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by ray schrauwen View Post
    IMO Stumpfab should include some thermal compound or glue since the old thermal tape is a mess. I mentioned it to them but no response.
    You can get thermal compound on amazon. Same thing happen to me on my 150.

    Quote Originally Posted by T.S.Davis View Post
    That's a much smarter design.

    Mike, yep. Same thing. I think the OSE version has an additional cap bank.

    They all have low heat threshold. The protection shuts it down at what seems a relatively low temperature. BUT! That's external temp. The water never gets close to the real heat. Who knows what the internal temps really are. Clearly a bunch if they're shutting down. Once they thermal one time they're never quite right right again. Happened to me at the 18 nats. Limped it home.
    I had seaking 180 V3 in my p mono, kept randomly shut down while racing on me. Had the cut off turned off, then added a bec and still was cutting out on me. Threw in castle xl2 that I water cooled.
    Done with 180 V3’s. Wish seaking would pro version of the 180 or do away with 180 and do pro version 200a. I have seaking 160 pro and been great esc.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by eric113 View Post
    You can get thermal compound on amazon. Same thing happen to me on my 150.


    I had seaking 180 V3 in my p mono, kept randomly shut down while racing on me. Had the cut off turned off, then added a bec and still was cutting out on me. Threw in castle xl2 that I water cooled.
    Done with 180 V3’s. Wish seaking would pro version of the 180 or do away with 180 and do pro version 200a. I have seaking 160 pro and been great esc.
    I have an XL2 also and never got it wet yet. I'm putting it in my P mono also. How did yo program yours? Did you add a cap bank?

    Since it's been 20 years since I had one, I suck at Castle esc programming. No idea what version of software to D/L and use???

    I have thermal epoxy and if I don't want it to cure and be like plain thermal compound, I mix it wrong to keep it soft.

    ------------------

    I did notice that the case on the Raider/Fly esc comes off pretty easy when I did the cooler.
    Nortavlag Bulc

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by ray schrauwen View Post
    Since it's been 20 years since I had one, I suck at Castle esc programming. No idea what version of software to D/L and use???
    Ray,

    Do yourself a favor and get a castle link for program the castle. Besides, you will want the castle link to download the logged data anyhow.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by T.S.Davis View Post
    Mike, yep. Same thing. I think the OSE version has an additional cap bank.
    Thanks, I have a couple of the FlyColor labeled versions. Its the first time I've used anything outside of a castle in many years. I will need to look at the cooling on these.

    Another thing I noticed on the FlyColor I was using last week; the controller was sending 8.X volts to my receiver. The label clearly states 5.5v BEC, but the telemetry on my radio is telling me it's 8.x volts. I am curious if you guys have seen that on the OSE versions. Next time I get out to the pond, I am going to try a separate voltage regulator (BEC).

  14. #14
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    I have that covered but some things I’ve heard way back were like you could use the boat software on it not the car software as it was designed.

    Do I just use the XL2 software and shut off things like any current limiting it may have?
    Nortavlag Bulc

  15. #15
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    Ray, I used my castle link to program it and also check data logging. When I get home I will see what version I’m running and all the setting and screen shot them for you. I been loving it so far. Mine isn’t waterproof either. I can’t decide to use corrosion x or silicone conformal coating?

  16. #16
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    I've modified the existing cooling blocks. Milled out as much as possible from the under side and plugged up the holes to make as big a cavity as could be made. Then glue the cooling block back on. I use glue because the tiny screws usually break trying to unscrew them.

    I think most of our water cooling systems are miles away from where they are needed. Even the motors. It's like we cool the hood of the car trying to cool the engine block.

    Mike
    Attached Images Attached Images

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by eric113 View Post
    Ray, I used my castle link to program it and also check data logging. When I get home I will see what version I’m running and all the setting and screen shot them for you. I been loving it so far. Mine isn’t waterproof either. I can’t decide to use corrosion x or silicone conformal coating?
    Excellent, thank you! I used DP270 from Steve at OSE.
    Nortavlag Bulc

  18. #18
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    I think the whole case of the esc is a heat sink. So the two pipes coming down the side take all the heat from the heat sink, paste, post. so the more cold water you move through the pipes the more heat you remove.
    Sooooooooo Made a manifold out of pvc pipe ( boat stand stuff ) two in lets from the rudder four outlet for the esc and motor then four outlets on the outside of the boat . Temps are 90* on the esc, 95* on the motor, 104*on the end bell bearings, 100* on the motor esc connectors. 1500kv, 2016/3 PL wildthing mono.
    3.5 min run.
    Cheers, Jay.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by H&YRACING View Post
    I think most of our water cooling systems are miles away from where they are needed. Even the motors. It's like we cool the hood of the car trying to cool the engine block.
    I concur. The can on these motors doesn't produce any heat. The dream would be pipes passed through the stator itself. Not very practical though. We new a guy that built a cat with the motor mounted in the tunnel so that it got water and air splashed all through it. Was nutty but ran cool for sure.

    Mike, I never looked at the BEC voltage on the FC. I think my receivers do that too. Just haven't been looking for it. I've been trying to stick with Castle for the interchangeable factor. I drenched one in the mono on Sunday. Water line. DOH! Was able to swap speedo between a couple boats to keep me racing because everything is the same.

    My reason for messing with these at all is cost factor. Flycolor and the Raider are inexpensive but they have to work. We're overheating them at less than their ratings. Well.......I think we are. I haven't logged......checked......and then swapped in an FC. I may have time to fart around with one tonight.

    Ray, I always use this crap when I'm putting cooling on my XLX. I would use it on the FC too. Way better than the thermal tape.

    Thermal adhesive
    Noisy person

  20. #20
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    Now that I think about it..........the stator is held in place in the can with a tiny bit of glue that's wicked in between the stator and the can. So the actual transfer of heat will vary from can to can and from motor to motor. It's not a perfect contact point in there by any stretch.
    Noisy person

  21. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by ray schrauwen View Post
    Excellent, thank you! I used DP270 from Steve at OSE.
    Ray, here how I set mine up.





  22. #22
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    The stumpfab version looks sweet but this costs maybe $6 total.[
    ATTACH=CONFIG]170440[/ATTACH]
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Noisy person

  23. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by eric113 View Post
    Ray, here how I set mine up.




    Thank you
    Nortavlag Bulc

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by T.S.Davis View Post
    The stumpfab version looks sweet but this costs maybe $6 total.[
    ATTACH=CONFIG]170440[/ATTACH]
    Nice.
    Nortavlag Bulc

  25. #25
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    Well. All for naught.

    Ran it Saturday. Thermalled on the cool down lap. The 150 slows down instead of stopping like some do. Checked the temp. 121 degrees. Next run the power cut out happened on the 4th lap with less prop. Toss that one in the dumpster.
    Noisy person

  26. #26
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    Terry, here is a raider super cooler I knocked out based on Mikes idea above.I have no empirical evidence of “super cooling”. I could make another for you if you get desperate.

    AD5E6709-7024-4E07-9046-217899F02F3C.jpg
    Last edited by trigger; 08-24-2020 at 08:43 AM.

  27. #27
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    I just wanted more reliability out of these. I was going to try better cooling to get it. Didn't work for my application.

    There's a shortage of Seaking right now. Rumor is that all the stock is being bought up by one guy that works out of his garage. So nobody but he has them or can get them. Zero chance I'll buy them there. I could put Castles in everything but that's pricey, overkill, and almost as hard to find as a Schulze these days. Yayyyy covid! Nice to have data logging though.
    Noisy person

  28. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by T.S.Davis View Post
    I just wanted more reliability out of these. I was going to try better cooling to get it. Didn't work for my application.

    There's a shortage of Seaking right now. Rumor is that all the stock is being bought up by one guy that works out of his garage. So nobody but he has them or can get them. Zero chance I'll buy them there. I could put Castles in everything but that's pricey, overkill, and almost as hard to find as a Schulze these days. Yayyyy covid! Nice to have data logging though.
    Terry, what you running the 150 in?

  29. #29
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    Mean Machine with a Proboat 2000 motor.
    Noisy person

  30. #30
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    Looking around what is available, seems high price or comes on the slow boat.... and yes I would not either...

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