My brain is smoking

[lterry]

"Evaporative cooling raises the internal humidity level significantly"
So I guess what I need to know is whether or not the fan with the copper coils is an evaporation cooler or not because I really don't need to add humidity to the air in my van. There will be plenty of that in there naturally. There was a thread already with this fan idea but someone called into question the name he dubbed it - whether it was a evaporative or nonevaporative cooler.

Help please?

 

[VJG1977]

"Evaporative cooling raises the internal humidity level significantly"
So I guess what I need to know is whether or not the fan with the copper coils is an evaporation cooler or not because I really don't need to add humidity to the air in my van. There will be plenty of that in there naturally. There was a thread already with this fan idea but someone called into question the name he dubbed it - whether it was a evaporative or nonevaporative cooler.

Help please?

What was referred to in the other thread is not an evaporative cooler or swamp cooler.  The water circulates through a closed system and does not evaporate.  There could be some evaporation if the container is not closed.  

A cooler full of ice water with a fan will add moisture to the air.

 

[lterry]

What was referred to in the other thread is not an evaporative cooler or swamp cooler.  The water circulates through a closed system and does not evaporate.  There could be some evaporation if the container is not closed.  

A cooler full of ice water with a fan will add moisture to the air.

Perfect! Thanks so much for your help

 

[ascii_man]

If you use a setup with a heater core, you can actually remove humidity from the air. With those fan setups, you could possibly also remove water from the air by putting a drip pan under them.

 

[29chico]

The small diameter copper tubing will suffer very slow water flow due to the long length of the tubing and a lot of friction thru the tubing.   So heat exchange will be very limited.  I would not be surprised if the heat put off by the fan motor used up a fair percentage of the cooling effect of the device. Using a heater core would work much better, but you would go thru a bunch of ice trying to cool even a small space.

Auto race car drivers do use ice to cool themselves and it works very well.  But they cool themselves only, NOT the air around them.  See the link below for an example.

https://www.pegasusautoracing.com/productselection.asp?Product=CS403

For a simpler and possibly cheaper option google "cool vest phase change".

 

[lterry]

The small diameter copper tubing will suffer very slow water flow due to the long



Heater core? Wouldn't that be additional electricity? I'm already using elec for the fan and a pump for the water...or would you still need a pump if you're using a heater core?

The shirt idea isn't going to work for me, though that's an interesting invention.

 

[VJG1977]

The small diameter copper tubing will suffer very slow water flow due to the long



Heater core? Wouldn't that be additional electricity? I'm already using elec for the fan and a pump for the water...or would you still need a pump if you're using a heater core?

The shirt idea isn't going to work for me, though that's an interesting invention.

A heater core is like a small radiator, no electricity but you still need the fan to move air through the core.  

You might look at a transmission cooler and fan instead.

 

[VJG1977]

You mentioned not using a generator and AC.  During the day, could it be possible to plug into an outside outlet at work?  Maybe you could rent a parking space with electric in someones driveway.

 

[lterry]

You mentioned not using a generator and AC.  During the day, could it be possible to plug into an outside outlet at work?  Maybe you could rent a parking space with electric in someones driveway.

No, there are no outlets that we're allowed to use at work. I need my van to drive to work, so parking it at a friends house and plugging in wouldn't be effective while I'm at work.

 

[lterry]

If you use a setup with a heater core, you can actually remove humidity from the air.  With those fan setups, you could possibly also remove water from the air by putting a drip pan under them.

I'm warming up to the heater core idea 

 

[ascii_man]

My gut says you need this:

1. Power
1.1 a battery bank
1.2 (possibly) an uprated alternator for bulk charging
1.3 solar panels for the top-off phase of the charging

2. Cooling
2.1 A fan: this will keep your interior at NO MORE THAN the ambient temperature for a fairly low cost
2.2 air-conditioning one of:
2.2.1 5200 BTU/h window unit (there is a Frigidaire Energy Star unit with a slow-start system that people have successfully run off batteries on Amazon)
2.2.2 a split system
2.2.3 an ice-based system with a heater core

I haven't run the numbers on 2.2. You have to compare the cost / availability of ice to the non-stealthiness of the other two.

 

[lterry]

My gut says you need this:

1. Power
1.1 a battery bank
1.2 (possibly) an uprated alternator for bulk charging
1.3 solar panels for the top-off phase of the charging

2.  Cooling
2.1 A fan: this will keep your interior at NO MORE THAN the ambient temperature for a fairly low cost
2.2 air-conditioning one of:
2.2.1 5200 BTU/h window unit (there is a Frigidaire Energy Star unit with a slow-start system that people have successfully run off batteries on Amazon)
2.2.2 a split system
2.2.3 an ice-based system with a heater core

I haven't run the numbers on 2.2.  You have to compare the cost / availability of ice to the non-stealthiness of the other two.

I have a battery bank and generator as well as an upgraded alternator.
I have a window unit - I just didn't want to run my generator in order to run the unit the entire time I'm at work...or the entire time I'm anywhere during a southern summer. (And I have a Fantastic fan)
Yes, I think the ice-based system with the heater core is the winner.

 

[debit.servus]

...
Yes, I think the ice-based system with the heater core is the winner.

To be cost effective, one needs a very cheap or free source of ice.

 

[lterry]

To be cost effective, one needs a very cheap or free source of ice.

Free is best, right? Yes, I have a streaming, if small, source of ice.