Oct. Stereophile - Liquid cooled power amp

[Powell]

Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
a power tube outside the design parameters for
heat and the materials science for the
metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
$28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
even. I'd have to think about that :)

[Robert Morein]

"Powell" > wrote in message
...
> Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
> submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
> tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
> a power tube outside the design parameters for
> heat and the materials science for the
> metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
> of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
> doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
> charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
> $28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
> even. I'd have to think about that :)
>
It doesn't get to the point, which is that tubes fail when cathodes fail,
and they operate at a high, fixed temperature.

The plates of a 6550, unlike an Eimac transmitting tube, do not dissipate
heat by conduction to the exterior. They cool only by radiation.

I fail to see how liquid cooling could do any more than save the glass
envelope from puncture, but that occurs only when the tube is drawing far
more current than the absolute maximum rating.

[Sockpuppet Yustabe]

"Powell" > wrote in message
...
> Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
> submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
> tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
> a power tube outside the design parameters for
> heat and the materials science for the
> metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
> of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
> doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
> charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
> $28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
> even. I'd have to think about that :)
>

I hate to ask this, but, what kind of liquid?!




----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

[Arny Krueger]

"Sockpuppet Yustabe" > wrote in message

> "Powell" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
>> submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
>> tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
>> a power tube outside the design parameters for
>> heat and the materials science for the
>> metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
>> of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
>> doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
>> charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
>> $28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
>> even. I'd have to think about that :)
>>
>
> I hate to ask this, but, what kind of liquid?!

In character with the of the rest of the product:

Snake Oil!

Bada Boom!

[The Stainless Steel Boob Orchestra]

On Tue, 14 Oct 2003 19:22:17 -0400, "Arny Krueger" >
wrote:

>Bada Boom!

Do you have a lawyer yet, Arnii? Certain people are most interested in
these proceedings. There's a squeaky clean guy out there just waiting
to land you with the lawsuit of your life. Stay tuned!

--
td

[Sockpuppet Yustabe]

"Arny Krueger" > wrote in message
...
> "Sockpuppet Yustabe" > wrote in message
>
> > "Powell" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
> >> submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
> >> tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
> >> a power tube outside the design parameters for
> >> heat and the materials science for the
> >> metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
> >> of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
> >> doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
> >> charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
> >> $28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
> >> even. I'd have to think about that :)
> >>
> >
> > I hate to ask this, but, what kind of liquid?!
>
> In character with the of the rest of the product:
>
> Snake Oil!
>
> Bada Boom!
>
>

Tubes are not snake oil
Immersing them in some liquid probably is.
I have done well enough without that added dimension.




----== Posted via Newsfeed.Com - Unlimited-Uncensored-Secure Usenet News==----
http://www.newsfeed.com The #1 Newsgroup Service in the World! >100,000 Newsgroups
---= 19 East/West-Coast Specialized Servers - Total Privacy via Encryption =---

[Arny Krueger]

"Sockpuppet Yustabe" > wrote in message

> "Arny Krueger" > wrote in message
> ...
>> "Sockpuppet Yustabe" > wrote in message
>>
>>> "Powell" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
>>>> submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
>>>> tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
>>>> a power tube outside the design parameters for
>>>> heat and the materials science for the
>>>> metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
>>>> of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
>>>> doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
>>>> charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
>>>> $28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
>>>> even. I'd have to think about that :)

>>> I hate to ask this, but, what kind of liquid?!

>> In character with the of the rest of the product:

>> Snake Oil!

>> Bada Boom!

> Tubes are not snake oil

Next time you visit RAO sockpuppet Yustabe, be sure to rent a sense of
humor.

> Immersing them in some liquid probably is.

Ironically, I've seen tubed equipment immersed in at least 2 different
liquids for sound technical reasons. Neither was a power amp.

> I have done well enough without that added dimension.

Some people are really easy to please.

[Robert Morein]

"Arny Krueger" > wrote in message
...
> "Sockpuppet Yustabe" > wrote in message
>
> > "Arny Krueger" > wrote in message
> > ...
> >> "Sockpuppet Yustabe" > wrote in message
> >>
> >>> "Powell" > wrote in message
> >>> ...
> >>>> Von Gaylord has a new power amp which
> >>>> submerges what appears to be 6550 Sovtek
> >>>> tubes in liquid. One would think that operating
> >>>> a power tube outside the design parameters for
> >>>> heat and the materials science for the
> >>>> metal/adhesives/glass used in the construction
> >>>> of a tube would be problematic. OTOH, if it
> >>>> doubled the tube life I could save the $750 ARC
> >>>> charges for re-tubing. Lets see... (amp cost)
> >>>> $28,000 / $750 = 37.3 change-outs to break
> >>>> even. I'd have to think about that :)
>
> >>> I hate to ask this, but, what kind of liquid?!
>
> >> In character with the of the rest of the product:
>
> >> Snake Oil!
>
> >> Bada Boom!
>
> > Tubes are not snake oil
>
> Next time you visit RAO sockpuppet Yustabe, be sure to rent a sense of
> humor.
>
> > Immersing them in some liquid probably is.
>
> Ironically, I've seen tubed equipment immersed in at least 2 different
> liquids for sound technical reasons. Neither was a power amp.
>
> > I have done well enough without that added dimension.
>
> Some people are really easy to please.
>
Why was the immersion practiced? Sounds interesting.

[Arny Krueger]

"Robert Morein" > wrote in message


> Why was the immersion practiced? Sounds interesting.

(1) Extremely high voltages were involved and the fluid provided improved
electrical insulation. The example I had in mind was a Crockcroft-Walton
voltage multiplier using vacuum-tube diodes. Of course the designers were
sane people, and as soon as suitable silicon diodes became available (30+
years ago), the tubes were history.


(2) The electronic components were constructed to support cooling by means
of conduction, and the fluid helped dissipate heat. For example, the Eimac
"CX" series of transmitting tubes (e.g. 4CX5000) provide anode cooling by
exposing the back side of the anode to the environment. Tubes are still
widely-used when *really* high power and high frequencies are involved such
as in radio transmitters. However, solid state is encroaching and has
encroached significantly. Nobody with a brain uses tubes unless they really
have to.