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DELETED (Inactive)
56 Posts |
 Posted - Dec 03 2003 : 11:09:49 PM
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Sorry about the solar trip folks. I thought I'd blab to you about a project that I've been working on for a little bit.
Backround: I live in Arizona, USA. Temperatures inside vehicles get to be around 180F or so. It takes about 15 mintues for the AC to clear out the hot air inside the vehicle, before it finally starts cooling the interior.
I've been playing around with a fan, similar to a CPU fan that is powered by a solar panel that sits on the dash. The fan is ducted to a cracked window, while the other side window allows for air-entry. So far it works alright. The challenge that I have right now is getting enough amps to the fan in order to get high RPMS.
I thought I would throw this idea out there in case you have solar panels and a fan that need to be put to work.
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Kale
Nobel Prize Winner
Canada
795 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2003 : 2:20:43 PM
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If your outside temperature is really high, a little fan isn't going to be able to exchange enough air to make much of a difference. You can however, buy solar-powered mini-AC units that sit on the dash of your car. They have just enough power to run a little thermo-electric cooling unit to keep the inside of your car cool. You might want to google for that.
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DELETED (Inactive)
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2003 : 2:41:31 PM
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good point Kale. I didn't know that a mini AC unit could run off of such little amperage. I guess I tossed out the idea of an AC unit before examining the possibilities.
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cirvin
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1542 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2003 : 7:17:21 PM
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You could put those reflective shade things in your windows, that really cuts down the heat, then your fan devic should prroduce more of an effect. light apolstry colors also help. if you hav a sunroof th all the hot air should rise.
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2003 : 8:25:27 PM
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Mini AC!? sounds interesting, where does it vent the heat to? I know that you can buy thermoelectric coolers at Radio Shack for pretty cheap (like less than $20)
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DELETED (Inactive)
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2003 : 8:59:21 PM
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I think everyone here in Arizona owns one of those reflective sun shades that go in the front windows. It helps, cuts down on dash wear, but the heat is still there.
I wonder why vehicle manufacturers haven't installed roof vents for hot climate vehicles. I mean besides sun and moon roofs. As stated, hot air rises, why not put a vent on the top of the roof? If it was done correctly, you could probably get a pretty good convection going, that is if you had vents near the floor. I imagine there are some cost and noise and effectiveness issues that intercede with that decision. Despite the idea, I don't think I'm ready to go burning holes in my roof. :)
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DELETED (Inactive)
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 04 2003 : 9:02:59 PM
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oh also, you'd be surprised to see all of the dark interiors and dark shaded paint here in Arizona. I guess you get so used to the heat that the colors really don't matter any more, its going to be hot either way.
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Kale
Nobel Prize Winner
Canada
795 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2003 : 11:10:07 AM
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Interestingly enough, stereotypical arab desert robes work on the convection principle. The robe is very big, black, and heavy.
The thick cloth acts as an insulator to help keep heat OUT. The black cloth does absorb energy from the sun, but there is a lot of air space inside the heavy robe. As a result, the hot air inside the robe quickly rises out the top. This leaves a vacuum which pulls cooler air from just above the ground into the bottom of the robe. The wearer effectively becomes a human thermal chimney with his/her own private convective microclimate. I suppose roof vents in a vehicle would help, as long as you had some kind of floor vents as well to pull in cooler air from beneath. Of course there are safety hazards with having vents UNDER the vehicle: An exhaust leak could poison you...
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n/a
DELETED (Inactive)
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2003 : 2:57:55 PM
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I think I saw a show on Arabic clothing. I think they did this when the whole Afghanistan issue occurred. Most people, including myself would simply think, "They're crazy going out in the heat with all of that cloth blanketed around them!". It's pretty impresive to see the adaptations these people have made, and the climates that they live in.
good point about the exhaust leak situation.
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Dec 05 2003 : 9:15:54 PM
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You could probibly use the body as the heat sink on one of those thermocoolers, and somewhat cool the air comming in. and ive heard of CO2 sensors, and those could let you know if you have an emmisions problem
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da-g-dog
Mad Scientist
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2003 : 09:58:48 AM
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quote:
and ive heard of CO2 sensors, and those could let you know if you have an emmisions problem
Actually, they wouldn't. You would need a Carbon Monoxide, CO, sensor for this application
hike master kyle |
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Kale
Nobel Prize Winner
Canada
795 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2003 : 3:45:01 PM
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Yeah, CO will kill you a lot faster than CO2 will. Of course CO monitors are commertially available and somewhat cheap since they are sometimes used to monitor home furnaces.
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2003 : 4:08:07 PM
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both would work, having elevated levels of either CO2 or CO would mean you have a problem.
What if you were to use water, and have a small oilcooler under the seat with a fan, then use a thermocooler on the outside to pull out the heat
Edited by - beatonno1 on Dec 06 2003 4:09:46 PM |
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DELETED (Inactive)
56 Posts |
Posted - Dec 06 2003 : 6:07:19 PM
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Now that is an interesting idea BEatonNo1.
That type of work reminds me of a project my Dad tried when I was a little kid. Kind of wacky, so Im sharing it.
My Dad had the idea of creating a cooling fan. He took a box fan, coiled copper tubing around the rear of the box fan, then ran the tubing to the kitchen sink nozzle. He figured that the cold water would cool the copper tubing enough to create a cooler air flowing through the fan. Thus, cooling the house.
Unfortunately, the "cold" water in arizona is about luke-warm during the summer times. The modified fan didn't make much of an impact, if any.
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BEatonNo1
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1133 Posts |
Posted - Dec 07 2003 : 01:04:15 AM
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Yeah thats how our water is in the summer here in Texas. Those misters bring the temperature down quite a bit, and the type that are on the fan work really good.
Back when I was in band, I considered making a watercooled suit...the part I couldnt get was sewing the tubes into the shirt and pants...im not skilled enought in that area.
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cirvin
Nobel Prize Winner
USA
1542 Posts |
Posted - Dec 08 2003 : 5:11:36 PM
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Heavy instrament + Suit filled with water = Pain in the ass.
if you still have the box fan, drill a bunch of reeeeeeely small holes in the pipe. you can make a nice refreshing mist/breez machine!
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Solar vehicle ventilation
