any one make something like this?

[Blue88Comanche]

Dad works at a pipe welding/ spooling base as a safety medic and was riding around the stations checking on everyone when he saw this A/C homebrew contraption on one of the weld inspectors engineer carts. Has anyone here made an ice chest A/C unit before or could offer suggestions as to how to improve this one? I think Dad wants me to make him one now...

 

Here are the core parts list that was given to dad:

Transmission fluid cooler

Bilge pump

Universal radiator fan

Cooler

4 inch elbow pipes

 

and it all need to run off a 12v system

 

 

 

 

 

 

the first thought to make it cool better was salt, but depending on the radiator and pump used it may corrode them internally. The next thought was to make a closed system with 2 radiators (one to cool the air and the other in the ice water to cool the coolant) then any corrosion from salt water would be on the exterior.

 

the guy that had the actual set up wanted to try Dry ice, but then the dry ice would need to be separated from the air cooler/blower because of co2.

 

 

Anyway we thought it was neat, and wanted to know if anyone here has done something similar

[mountainman]

Can you explain what this is for? and what it does?

I mean, if it was to blow cool air for humans, great idea. but.... why is there a trans cooler of sorts IN the ice chest?

what are they cooling with it in this application? Seems like its not for human cooling in this app.

[Joop]

A little hard to see from the pictures only, but looks like it draws in hot air by the fan an then push it trough the oil cooler, witch is cooled by the bilge pump circulating ice wate from the tank. Then the cooled air is pushed trough the pipe bends towards whoever needs it. A simple and good idea, if you have enough ice water.... Having worked at a melting plant where air temperatures often raised above 80*C and then later on as a AC/refrigeration engineer I now understand both the importance off good AC and the complexity of making it work at thoose temperatures! Tell me what you want and how you want it to work and maybe I can crunch some numbers for you and give you some ideas what to do :brows:

[dancome433]

Never made a AC unit, but I did, along with a couple buddies, make a solar powered radio out of a cooler, using of course a cooler, a solar panel(with battery and everything to give power) a marine radio deck and marine speakers. It worked out great, especially when we used it to float down the Guadalupe River. Ill see if I can find some pics and post them.

[COFFMAN]

Cooler for tig welder :dunno:

[Dadinator]

Looks like a human cooler to me, but I would think it wouldn't last very long.

 

Neat idea.

[Blue88Comanche]

Can you explain what this is for? and what it does?

I mean, if it was to blow cool air for humans, great idea. but.... why is there a trans cooler of sorts IN the ice chest?

what are they cooling with it in this application? Seems like its not for human cooling in this app.

Looks like a human cooler to me, but I would think it wouldn't last very long.

 

Neat idea.

yes it is meant to cool people. where Dad works the heat index is almost always over 115 in the yard, and the ac in his "office" does not work. he liked the idea and wants to make one now

 

 

A little hard to see from the pictures only, but looks like it draws in hot air by the fan an then push it trough the oil cooler, witch is cooled by the bilge pump circulating ice wate from the tank. Then the cooled air is pushed trough the pipe bends towards whoever needs it. A simple and good idea, if you have enough ice water.... Having worked at a melting plant where air temperatures often raised above 80*C and then later on as a AC/refrigeration engineer I now understand both the importance off good AC and the complexity of making it work at thoose temperatures! Tell me what you want and how you want it to work and maybe I can crunch some numbers for you and give you some ideas what to do :brows:

That is how it works. We thought this might be a good project to include my little brother on as it should be fairly easy and cheap to make. We were looking for ideas to make it work better but still keeping it on the cheap side as well. I think they have an ice machine on site so ice refills shouldn't be a problem.

[richasco]

ArticAir

These guys have been around for a while, and their units work very well.