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Ice powered Air Conditioners coming....

It sounds like a modified swamp cooler. Kinda nifty, but how is it going to keep a giant block of ice from melting in 2 or 3 hours in 110f weather?
 
Originally posted by: Aflac
Is this the same thing they're using in the Honda factory?
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I was always thinking why they didnt do that for houses just on a smaller scale. Not only that, a lighter roof color will make your house much cooler.
 
Some buildings have been doing this for quite some time.

The Sears Tower is cooled by this method. There is a plant nearby (you can see it from Wacker/Congress) that makes the ice at night when the utility rates are lowest and uses it to chill water during the day for the building AC.
 
I wonder if power companies would jack up rates at night just to stick it to people using this....
 
Originally posted by: K1052
Some buildings have been doing this for quite some time.

The Sears Tower is cooled by this method. There is a plant nearby (you can see it from Wacker/Congress) that makes the ice at night when the utility rates are lowest and uses it to chill water during the day for the building AC.
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cool...




Originally posted by: KDOG
I wonder if power companies would jack up rates at night just to stick it to people using this....
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heh...
 
Originally posted by: Raduque
It sounds like a modified swamp cooler. Kinda nifty, but how is it going to keep a giant block of ice from melting in 2 or 3 hours in 110f weather?
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Kinda, not really. Swamp coolers don't use ice really, and you gotta keep refilling them. This thing would be really well insulated, to the point where the ice would take probably 10+ hours to fully melt. They'd just use it to help keep the refrigerant cooled down, rather than just running it through a grid exposed to air they run it through a grid next to the ice, less stress on the compressor. Nice idea, the only problem up until now was having to refill the water constantly. If they get it to the point where it's basically maintenance free, it's all good.

I'm betting it'll add a few $K to the install of a home A/C system though, probably worth it over the years.
 
Originally posted by: Raduque
It sounds like a modified swamp cooler. Kinda nifty, but how is it going to keep a giant block of ice from melting in 2 or 3 hours in 110f weather?
Click to expand...

Why would it matter if the ice melted? A lot of thermal energy is going towards melting that ice, so the air conditioner unit doesn't have to work as hard. This would cut down electricity considerably. During the day, the cost in electricity from 84 to 82 degrees is a lot less than 78 to 76 degrees. At night the air conditioner would barely have to work at all to maintain a 78 degree temperature in most cities.

I can't imagine this saving a ton of electricity because you're using the air conditioner more at night, but it should save some. It wouldn't be practical to install these things if there weren't a savings in electricity, right?

Someone on these boards mentioned that they made a makeshift swamp cooler by freezing ice in a big bucket in the freezer at night and then placing this bucket in front of a fan. Cheap cooling solution 😛
 
Large buildings and factories have been doing it for years. Saves a crapload of money getting electricity during off-peak hours. I think there was actually a free sample in the hot deals forum for one of the little balls used. Basically looks like one of the reusable plastic ice cubes.
 
Originally posted by: drinkmorejava
Large buildings and factories have been doing it for years. Saves a crapload of money getting electricity during off-peak hours. I think there was actually a free sample in the hot deals forum for one of the little balls used. Basically looks like one of the reusable plastic ice cubes.
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Yes since the 1980's. They run recip compressors usually a few hundred tons during off peak times and these cool down evaporators in which brine (salt water) is circulated. After a few hours, a nice coating of ice a few inches thick forms on these tubes. The brine is circulated through a fluid to fluid heat exchanger which exchanges the coolth (stored cold) into the building's chilled water loop. At the end of the cycle the compressor can be used to keep up with cooling demand and most days this doesn't happen until after the off peak period begins.

Of course this would be a lot different than a residential unit but the (thermal storage) principle is similar.
 
Originally posted by: feelingshorter
Not only that, a lighter roof color will make your house much cooler.
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I've read studies where the diff of roof colors in high temp places is irrelevant.
 
most newer buildings (like brand new high schools) use Ice based air-conditioning. They freeze the water at night, and its usually good for the next day.
 
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