Date:         Thu, 18 Jun 1998 19:47:50 -0500
Reply-To:     "Mark B. Magee" <condor2@FLASH.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Mark B. Magee" <condor2@FLASH.NET>
Organization: Condor Efficiency
Subject:      Re: Idea for A/C and camping
Comments: To: Craig Standley <cstand@U.WASHINGTON.EDU>
Comments: cc: Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii

Craig Standley wrote:

> How about taking the working parts of a fridge, rigging it to mount in on
> of the sliding windows(above the stove, close to the propane) so that the
> cold part is inside and the warm part is outside?  Rig a fan to blow over
> the cooling fins, and you've got a good AC unit that runs on propane and
> doesn't drain your battery (except for the blower, which could run off a
> solar panel).  I think this would work great.  Maybe I'll even start
> scouring the junkyards in search of an old fridge.

 Craig, Volks et. al.,
I don't think we would have the necessary BTU's in this case to cool down a
Westy: HOWEVER, my sometimes zany mechanic is convinced that an A/C system
can be fashioned for autos using ammonia as the working fluid, and the
cat-converter as the heat source. This would use the same principle as the
propane fridges, yet use a free heat (power) source while engine is running.
Of course the downside is the danger of a "refrigant", ammonia, leak in the
cabin.  Could put you to sleep (dead) real fast. This risk could be minimized
by thick guage stainless tubing in the cabin.
With the heat absorber located beneath the cat converter, you could just get
a Coleman stove burner to cook on it while at camp! All electrics run by batt
charger as mentioned earlier in this thread.
I could handle an A/C pulling 0 HP, in terms of performance and simplicity.
I know, I know, this is -way- out, but apparently, theoretically, possible.
All original "Ice Houses" in the turn of the century used this principle to
make ice.
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Shalom
Mark B. Magee
87GL
91 Westy
96 Suzuki 4WD Sport
Kemah TX USA
John 14:6