Indel B 12v Air Conditioners

[RogerD]

I didn't realize this, but Indel B makes several 12v AC units.

Scroll down about 60% and look for where it says Sleeping Well.

http://www.indelb.com/media/files/513_It-En-De-Indel-B-Automotive-Brochure.pdf

Looks like they are adjustable from 2240 BTU - 3250 BTU and says they pull 15 aH - 29 aH

The portable unit says it's 36 aH

I'm sure they aren't cheap. I requested info on a couple of the units.

 

[Riverman]

I rather have a 5000 btu window unit.

 

[RogerD]

I rather have a 5000 btu window unit.

I agree if using a generator.

However, it sounds pretty cool if using solar. I would gladly trade off some BTU for lower amp hours.

I know there is a 12v 5000 BTU split unit that is adjustable that's 36 aH max. I think it's upwards of $4K. So I'm curious how the Indel b units are priced.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Those 'amp/hour' ratings are confusing, and not expressed correctly which is common on manufacturer websites. Amps are never 'divided' by an hour, they are multiplied by an hour, or hours. The '/' symbol means 'divided by' which is incorrect.

'ah' means 'amps times 1 hour'

What you actually need to know, is, either amps while running, OR ah per hour (amps times 1 hour, per hour) 

I assume they mean ah per hour. Because if they don't state the rating AND the time, 15 ah could be the instantaneous draw, the hourly rate, or the daily rate, which is why the full rating is needed. 

A 15 ah per hour rating means 15 amps, for a full hour, then times the number of hours you run it, say, 10 hours, which will mean that it will pull 150 ah from a battery bank in that 10 hours. 

That's how you arrive at sizing a battery bank and solar array for the A/C unit.

BTW those units are pricey. For the same outlay in cash, you can buy an off-the-shelf 120v A/C unit, and inverter that will power it, for much less money.

 

[maki2]

I suppose a trucker can justify the cost of the unit versus an unemployed van dweller. Companies that make these products are marketing to the truckers, not to po-boys.

 

[tx2sturgis]

They have a niche market...I don't know about the rest of the world, but 12 vdc air conditioners are very rare in the USA transportation industry. There are SOME battery powered no-idle climate control systems, but they are expensive and heavy, and have a limited run-time.

Engine-powered and APU-powered air conditioners are well-proven and cost-effective here in the good-ol USA.

 

[RogerD]

I assume they mean ah per hour. 

That was my assumption too and would make the most sense.
I do plan to verify that because of my assumption that it consumes 15-29 aH is the only reason it has my interest.

 

[jimindenver]

It means it pulls 29 amp possible. That means your battery bank has to be big enough to support 29 amps for how ever many hours that you want to run it. Also that your solar system can produce/replace that kind of power.

600 watts would be a comfortable amount for producing that kind of power. 29 x however many hours you want to run it is how much battery that you need. Times that by 2 if using flooded lead acid batteries since only 50% of those batteries is truly usable. four 6 volt batteries would be comfortable for running it 6 hours.

 

[becida]

Those 'amp/hour' ratings are confusing, and not expressed correctly which is common on manufacturer websites. Amps are never 'divided' by an hour, they are multiplied by an hour, or hours. The '/' symbol means 'divided by' which is incorrect.

I often use the "/" symbol to mean "per"... 10 miles/gallon

 

[tx2sturgis]

I often use the "/" symbol to mean "per"... 10 miles/gallon

Yeah in casual printed shorthand that works fine, but in math, electronics, and electrical ratings, it means something else: divided by or sometimes, divided into.

'miles per gallon' makes sense.

But 'amps per hour' 'volts per hour', 'watts per hour' and  'ohms per hour'  make no sense in electronics...unless you multiply by the time (usually one hour) over which that quantity is consumed, produced, or changed.

In electronics, or math in general, when you place one symbol next to the other, with no slash bar, (/) it means 'multiplied by'. (Ex: ah, kwh, wh)

We've all seen it stated 'amps per hour' or amp/hour or a/h or 'watts per hour' etc, ... but when sizing a system, the exact power required is something we need to know.