cooling fans

[Keeper]

Not sure if this is in the right forum...

I'm starting a DYI canopy that will house 4x96 [acronym:6dddab2ff1="Power compact fluorescent"]PC[/acronym:6dddab2ff1] light system. Should I install two cooling fans (one at each side creating a wind tunnel sort of thing) or do you think 1 will be sufficient to kinda "suck" the hot air out?

[acronym:6dddab2ff1="Thanks in Advance"]TIA[/acronym:6dddab2ff1]

[grimlock3000]

I would put two fans at one end blowing in the same direction. Those lights are going to output a lot of heat. Putting one in and one out at each end will not get you far, the volume of air moved by fans is somewhat fixed and air movement does not add up if they blow in the same direction:

40 cfm fan -----lights----> 40 cfm fan
= 40 cfm of airflow over the lights

40 cfm fan -----lights----> open vent
40 cfm fan -----lights----> open vent
= 80 cfm of airflow over the lights

That is assuming your lighting enclosure is relatively well sealed up. If you can get 12v power to the fans, there are a lot of very low noise output options like Panaflo 80mm fans.

[Keeper]

The Panaflo fans? Are those the ones that are used for computer cases? If so, how would you wire those up to 12V? I have seen the "ice cap" fans but they are like $70 canadian.

[michealprater]

I bought my fans at radio shack. Is the back of your canopy open? If so you may not need fans.

[grimlock3000]

Yep, Panaflos are usually for computers, but they have good output and very low noise levels so they can end up in a lot of other stuff too. Any 12v [acronym:ec9d666632="Direct current"]DC[/acronym:ec9d666632] power supply can be used to run the fans. You can use an old computer power supply to run the fans if you have one laying around (some wiring skills required, should be cake for someone builing their own canopy). I have seen small 110v [acronym:ec9d666632="Activated Carbon"]AC[/acronym:ec9d666632] fans too, but can not think of a place to get them cheap :P

[Keeper]

"some wiring skills required, should be cake for someone builing their own canopy"

I wish. Not too bad at woodwork...tend to electrocute myself on a regular basis. Anyway, is it possible to wire the fans into the ballasts providing you use resistors? (only cuz i'm too lazy to unplug them everynight)

Sorry for all the questions....thanks for all the help so far...much appreciated

[grimlock3000]

I wish. Not too bad at woodwork...tend to electrocute myself on a regular basis.

Hrmm, might not be the best idea... But here is one way to do it:

http://www.marcee.org/Articles/PCPowerSupply.htm

When its all done you can get something like this that you could build into the canopy to power some 12v fans:



That might be a lot of work just to use some computer fans. Checking around for small 110v fans might be a good idea if you are making a closed canopy