absorption chillers

[KarlH]

That's the generic term for the type of heat-pump that's used in LP-powered fridges. What's interesting about them is that they can be run from other heat sources: waste heat from an oil lamp, engine cooling water or a dedicated gasoline/diesel burner if you want to splurge.

There have been prototypes designed to air condition trucks or boats, but none for sale yet. The appeal of such a thing in a diesel RV is that you could avoid running a loud diesel generator and also avoid having to carry a second type of fuel for a gasoline generator. And if there's ever a perfluorocarbons(PFC) ban, you'd be un-affected.

The simplest ones aren't efficient, but that might not be such a problem when running them from waste heat or low-grade fuel. The efficient ones would be more complex to build, and they would need a small amount of electricity to power circulator pumps.

Is anyone here interested in this type of project?

 

[B and C]

The pipeline in Alaska uses absorption refrigeration on their pipeline pilings to help keep the ground frozen. They are powered by sunlight but are not small. Every piling has one so there are thousands. Of course they have sunlight all Summer long when they are needed.

 

[highdesertranger]

please define your abbreviations Karl. what is PFC? highdesertranger

 

[KarlH]

please define your abbreviations Karl.  what is PFC?  highdesertranger

Ugh. I just did a search to find the correct spelling of the name of the refrigerants I was referring to, and I realize now that the nomenclature is complex. I also can't find the article that I'd read about proposed refrigerant restrictions, so it is possible that I was confusing perfluorocarbons ("PFCs") and Hydrofluorocarbons ("HFCs"). On the other hand, there seems to be at least some talk of banning both.

I'll edit my post.

[Oops. It won't let me edit it anymore.]

 

[highdesertranger]

I will fix it for you. thanks for the definition. highdesertranger

 

[KarlH]

The pipeline in Alaska uses absorption refrigeration on their pipeline pilings to help keep the ground frozen.  They are powered by sunlight but are not small.

That's the main complaint I'd heard about them. I read that some of their bulk is related to the size of the passive condensers (often cooling towers on the big ones). The smaller ones have normal fan-cooled condensers, but that probably costs some efficiency.

 

[ZoNiE]

Kinda like a steam engine. Very large for relatively little output. If you are stationary, sure, it could be done but mobile? Gotta cargo trailer to haul it?

 

[Seminole Wind]

yup, not like you could power a small car with a steam engine...

 

[Weight]

I had a steam powered car. Stanley Runabout. It used kerosene and was dirty smoke, high maintenance, and water thirsty. But it did go like the wind.

 

[KarlH]

Kinda like a steam engine. Very large for relatively little output. If you are stationary, sure, it could be done but mobile? Gotta cargo trailer to haul it?

Here are some figures for a US Army prototype:

39" x 16" x 14"
162 lbs.
2,300 Btu/hr
10 amps @ 12 VDC
0.125 Gal/hr

https://rockyresearch.com/technologies/environmental-control-units-hvac
https://rockyresearch.com/images/TechnologiesPDF/ECUHVAC411.pdf

That's really inefficient - coefficient of performance (CoP) of something like 0.1. It's also an unusual solid-vapor system (an "adsorption" chiller rather than an absorption chiller).

So you are probably correct, since they wouldn't accept that CoP if the more-efficient chillers could be scaled down to this size.