Solar powered AC air conditioning, a bummer or a challenge?

[Hkalan]

Hello,

Evaporative cooling (swamp coolers) only work is dry climates... I am basing this in climates with 70% to 80% humidity.

Alan

[Sunking]

Alan you do not get it. If it took 170 watts x 24 hours to keep the room cooled for 24 hours you would have used 4 Kwh. Had you used conventional evaportive cooling you could have done the same thing with 1 Kwh and 3 extra Kwh to use for something else.

[Hkalan]

Hello Sunking,

My first goal is to have air conditioning (a basic sized bedroom to be at 21C with humidity around 47%).

Lets say I have 1,200w of solar and a 800Ah 24v bank, and spent $209 USD on building the DC Air Conditioner.

Using the small unit I made, that consumes 170w and 7 DC amps per hour, and continually runs during daylight hours to equalise the temperature of everything in the room to a consistent 21C and 47% humidity (in a small size bedroom).

Lets say we are in a perfect world, and I have made 50 amps per hour for 7 hours... I am able to put 350 amps into my bank.

The small unit has consumed 49 DC amps the panels produced over the 7 hours (7 amps X 7 hours).

If I go to my local appliance store and buy a 230VAC window air conditioner for $399 USD. Lets say is consumes an average of 5 AC amp's per hour. That would mean the inverter would draw 52.9 DC amps per hour (370.3 DC amps in 7 hours) to power the AC unit.

An AC unit will cool the ambient air much faster, and yes everything inside the room will equalise to a 21C temp faster. So lets say that the AC unit will only require to run 1/4 of the time as the DC unit. That would be 370.3 X 0.25 = 92.575 DC amps.

DC unit consumed 49 DC Amps and ran for 7 hour.
AC unit consumed 92.575 DC Amps and ran for 1/4 the time

An AC unit has Locked Amp draw as the compressor kicks on, that has not been considered.

As I base my numbers on the actual test results of the DC unit on my vessel, and the basic math from the label on a small AC window air conditioner.

Assist me in your meaning of an AC powered unit being "1/5th" the cost and 1/4 the power, and the DC unit a waste of money, power, and time.

I am not trying to trick anyone, I am only on the search, and physically trying new things for an alternative solution to AC powered units. The laws of physics clearly show a Bee has wings to small to allow the ability to fly, but it does !!! Thus I will keep a positive attitude in my search !

Your feedback is greatly appreciated !

Thanks,

Alan

[Sunking]

Alan everything you have done can be done a lot less expensive with 1/4 the power. Simple physics. I am not saying it cannot be done, but extremely expensive and inefficient. You can do what you have done with 1/5th the cost an duse 1/4th the power. Your just spending money and burning power for nothing gained. You could have used all that money and power for something else. Personally I do not care what you do, but folks on this forum are very gullible an dneed to know what you are doing is a waste of money, power, and time.

Hello,

I did speak wrong in the video of the large unit... it is 3 times the size, not double of the smaller unit.

The Peltier and Seebeck theory have been around since the 1800's, but the N-Type and P-Type Semiconductors have drastically changed since the 1960's. I am not using basic TEC Peltier module you buy on eBay. I spent quite a bit of time with factories, and I'm trying a few different things... Being this close to all the China factories... My company has a contract with Foxconn that builds Apple and Motorola, and those engineers are some of my best friends. They continue to push me in the right direction for this... can't hurt to try.

The DC amp draw from my 24v battery bank for the 8,000w inverter to run a standard AC window air conditioner is rather high. When I only have room for 1,200w of panels on the boat, this type of Air Conditioning could work to keep the main cabin cool for sleeping when the air is dead-calm, and humidity is insanely high. Just the fact of the solar panels powering a unit unit all day (a comfortable climate in a cabin), while still keeping my batteries topped up for the evenings consumption of power is a step in the right direction.

It works for my beer fridge. No one ever calls my DC Peltier fridge a waste of time when they pull out a very cold beer on a hot summer day while at anchor enjoying the deep blue water... HaHaHaHa

I'm a "Glass half Full" kind of person... SMILE

Thanks,

Alan

[Hkalan]

Hello,

I did speak wrong in the video of the large unit... it is 3 times the size, not double of the smaller unit.

The Peltier and Seebeck theory have been around since the 1800's, but the N-Type and P-Type Semiconductors have drastically changed since the 1960's. I am not using basic TEC Peltier module you buy on eBay. I spent quite a bit of time with factories, and I'm trying a few different things... Being this close to all the China factories... My company has a contract with Foxconn that builds Apple and Motorola, and those engineers are some of my best friends. They continue to push me in the right direction for this... can't hurt to try.

The DC amp draw from my 24v battery bank for the 8,000w inverter to run a standard AC window air conditioner is rather high. When I only have room for 1,200w of panels on the boat, this type of Air Conditioning could work to keep the main cabin cool for sleeping when the air is dead-calm, and humidity is insanely high. Just the fact of the solar panels powering a unit unit all day (a comfortable climate in a cabin), while still keeping my batteries topped up for the evenings consumption of power is a step in the right direction.

It works for my beer fridge. No one ever calls my DC Peltier fridge a waste of time when they pull out a very cold beer on a hot summer day while at anchor enjoying the deep blue water... HaHaHaHa

I'm a "Glass half Full" kind of person... SMILE

Thanks,

Alan

[Sunking]

I realise the numbers on paper are a baseline to show it is futile... Just actually trying a real life experiment with some of the new technologies in Peltier modules.

Nothing new about Peltier as it has been around since 1834. It has its uses like cooling lasers and instrumentation with precision, but completely useless for room cooling. It could be done but would cost a fortune and uses massive amounts of power.

[PhillyTitan]

Hello,

Not trying to "BS" anyone !

I realise the numbers on paper are a baseline to show it is futile... Just actually trying a real life experiment with some of the new technologies in Peltier modules.

I am one that does not always believe what I read.

It is fun, and just wanted to share my adventure.

Alan

Alan first question: Why was the larger unit running 600 Watts and the smaller unit running at 1/3 of that?
You did not mention the BTUs of the larger unit but just supposing that they were twice that of the smaller, then roughly 600 Watts for roughly 2400 BTUs is way less efficient than an AC unit running off an inverter.

I really appreciate you sharing your experiment, but it doesn't seem to be the answer.

[Hkalan]

Hello,

Not trying to "BS" anyone !

I realise the numbers on paper are a baseline to show it is futile... Just actually trying a real life experiment with some of the new technologies in Peltier modules.

I am one that does not always believe what I read.

It is fun, and just wanted to share my adventure.

Alan

[Sunking]

Hello,

As I live off-grid, and I have had this same dilemma of air conditioning (I am in sub-tropical climates). I have taken the bull by the horns, and have been exploring the "Peltier" technology.

You are wasting your time Alan. Peltier cooling big advantage is no moving parts and only used where leaks and breakdowns cannot be tolerated. Their big disadvantage is extremely expensive and horrible efficiency. Even a poorly inefficient window shaker is 3 to 4 times more efficient than the best Peltier coolers. So don't try to BS or impress us because we know the math and physics involved to know you are full of chit.

The best Peltier coolers out there have a Carnot Refrigeration Cycle of 10 to 15% compared with conventional compressor efficiency runs around 40 to 60%. That means it takes 4 to 5 times more energy for a Peltier system to equal a conventional system for a given amount of BTU cooling. You are just throwing away power for very little cooling.

[russ]

I think this is going to get good!

[Hkalan]

Hello Again,

Now this is the latest test that same afternoon...

Overall... we can get Air Conditioning without AC power... we just need to think outside the box and do it for ourself !!! I am quite sure no oil company is going to support us !!!!

Alan

[Hkalan]

Hello,

The results are fantastic, so time to test the big unit !

One step forward !

Alan

[Hkalan]

Hello,

Now that I have the machines, It is time to do some testing... The smaller unit first !

I am pleased !

Alan

[Hkalan]

Hello,

I then had to think about the larger rooms !!! So me and a few friends did the math, and designed a big unit...

Could be a good the answer !!!

Alan

[Hkalan]

Hello,

As I live off-grid, and I have had this same dilemma of air conditioning (I am in sub-tropical climates). I have taken the bull by the horns, and have been exploring the "Peltier" technology. I have been getting some great results by falling on my face and learning form mistakes... But it is paying off in the end.

Here is the first unit I had made...

I am quite happy with the first test !!!

Alan