Date: Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:30:53 -0700
Reply-To: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Rocket J Squirrel <camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: [NVC] Create electricity-free cooler
In-Reply-To: <20110730104002.ZBZY9.580198.imail@eastrmwml36>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
A couple of times when we went camping with my old man he took us to a
private site where someone had built an evaporative cooler for food. I
can't remember most of the details, but seem to recall that it was a
wood cabinet, maybe the size of a dorm refrigerator, louvered all
around, with a pan on top and towels hanging down on all four sides.
There may have been two layers of louvers, with the towels sandwiched
between them. The pan would be kept filled with water which would
capillary down the towels, keeping them damp. Air breezes kept the evap
happening, chilling the towels and keeping the interior cool. I think
there was a tin tray under the thing to catch drippage. Four tall wood
legs kept the thing off the ground.
As you suggest, terra cotta is not an idea material to build a camping
cooler with, being both heavy and fragile. But it's a jumping-off point
for the tinkerer.
--
RJS
On 07/30/2011 07:40 AM, mcneely4@cox.net wrote:
> I posted my question just as a typical, rhetorical, smart-ass
> question like I see some others ask on occasion. Now, I wonder if
> anyone actually plans to make use of one of these? It might be that
> a shape other than that of flower pots might provide more useful
> cooled space for the purpose. Around here, one can get terra cotta
> planters in square shapes. Of course, for camping application, terra
> cotta would also be rather fragile. If the idea catches on, maybe
> one of the camping supply outfits will come up with a plastic
> material that has the water transfer properties of terra cotta.
>
> This past week in New Mexico, I just put my beer in the creek. On
> numerous occasions, that has worked fine. I cool watermelons that
> way, too. A stream at 55 F, when the air is at 85 F is just fine as
> a cooler, if one is not trying to keep milk or eggs cold for a week
> or more. A spring box would drop the temperature more (by
> evaporation). Maybe just immerse a milk crate with an inserted shelf
> above the water, and cover the whole thing with a terry cloth towel
> in the water.
>
> Of course, wildlife might find the thing, and it would be a definite
> violation of the "Store all food in a bear proof box or inside a hard
> sided vehicle" rule if left unattended.
>
> What think you folks? Anyone tried something like that, when camping
> in their VW Vanagon?
>
> mcneely
>
> ---- Rocket J Squirrel<camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>> Right, that's self-evident. Evap coolers, whether in the form of a
>> couple-a terra cotta pots or in the form of swamp coolers, are a
>> good choice in your arid areas, but not so much in your humid
>> areas.
>>
>> McNeely must-a thought I was posting the link because I thought
>> the setup was a one-size-fits-all thing, or haven't been around
>> much to not know how evap coolers work.
>>
>> I posted it because I'd never seen anyone build an evap cooler so
>> simply. And instead of writing,
>>
>> "Assuming that one needs a way to cool something down, like a
>> couple bottle of wine, doesn't have an ice chest or refrigerator,
>> but does have two terra-cotta flower pots, some sand, some water,
>> and a towel."
>>
>> I guess I should-a wrote,
>>
>> "Assuming that one needs a way to cool something down, like a
>> couple bottle of wine, doesn't have an ice chest or refrigerator,
>> but does have two terra-cotta flower pots, some sand, some water, a
>> towel, AND IT'S A DRY AND HOT DAY."
>>
>> But I thought that was self-evident.
>>
>> -- RJS
>>
>> On 07/29/2011 06:48 PM, Alistair Bell wrote:
>>> it's just an evaporative cooler. You can work out the heat used
>>> and the rate of water evaporated, knowing the air temp (and water
>>> temp) and the rel. humidity.
>>>
>>> It would be more effective in hot dry climates than in hot humid
>>> climates.
>>>
>>> Neither conditions can be found this summer up here on Vancouver
>>> Island. Max temp so far has been only around 27 C.
>>>
>>> alistair
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2011-07-29, at 6:06 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>>>
>>>> Nope, just asking a pertinent question. Follow up is up to
>>>> you, or not. mcneely
>>>>
>>>> ---- Vanagon<camping.elliott@gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>> What-you're giving me a homework assignment?
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my smartphone with tiny screen& even tinier
>>>>> keypad.
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 29, 2011, at 5:41 PM,<mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Sure, it will work. Have you done any experimentation to
>>>>>> determine just how cold this "refrigerator" will be
>>>>>> compared to ambient, at different relative humidity values?
>>>>>> mcneely
>>>>>>
>>>>>> ---- Rocket J Squirrel<camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>>>>>>> Possibly of interest for camping. Assuming that one needs
>>>>>>> a way to cool something down, like a couple bottle of
>>>>>>> wine, doesn't have an ice chest or refrigerator, but does
>>>>>>> have two terra-cotta flower pots, some sand, some water,
>>>>>>> and a towel. A fairly unlikely scenario, sure, but hey!
>>>>>>> Amaze your friends!
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> <http://lifehacker.com/5825676/create-an-electricity+free-refrigerator-with-some-flower-pots-and-sand>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
--
>>>>>>> RJS
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -- David McNeely
>>>>
>>>> -- David McNeely
>
> -- David McNeely
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