LP powered AC unit

[stanw909]

Why could't an AC be made to run off propane to heat chemical coolant then have DC fans to blow air.

[WVvan]

http://www.gasairconditioning.org/FAQ.htm

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by WVvan

http://www.gasairconditioning.org/FAQ.htm

Very neat FAQ, thanks for sharing! When Stan first asked the question, I was thinking that if it were possible someone would be doing it by now. ESPECIALLY in the RV industry since a lot of us want a light, small fuel efficient AC unit that will cool off a 100 degree van to 70 in 15 minutes or so. It just doesn't exist! Well, I was wrong, looks like more probably it's just another great technology that America won't embrace, like Diesel vehicles, light rail transit, solar power and the like. Need I go on? I hope it happens, bring it on!

[stanw909]

I was thinking that having a chiller like an lp fridge with dc fans to desperse the coolness coupled with low gas and electric consumtion could work but the van would have to be level like any gas fridge and probably use much more gas than a closed fridge /freezer. Thanks for the article maybe I 'll tackle the problem some day.

[daveb]

I still can't figure why a home window A/C can be so efficient and why someone can't design a small compact unit even if it were 2 piece for our vans based on a similar design. Why my Starcool pulls so much and cools so little compared to a home window unit is beyond me.

[twogone]

Well, if I was bettin' on who could do it, I'd bet on WVvan!

[Greggd]

The majority of the Gas powered air conditioners are Heat absorption type units and as such must be run for any length of time as close to perfectively level as possible , with that said it may be a difficult fit for our applications . I am looking into building a Mog and doing fact finding on what is available for cooling and all of the information thus far has been on Compressor Driven units . if and when I find something that looks interesting I will be sure to post it .
Greggd

[WVvan]

Thanks for the vote of confidence Twogone! Actually I do have an AC project on the list. Just not that AC project.

[chromisdesigns]

Originally Posted by daveb

I still can't figure why a home window A/C can be so efficient and why someone can't design a small compact unit even if it were 2 piece for our vans based on a similar design. Why my Starcool pulls so much and cools so little compared to a home window unit is beyond me.

Heat gain and insulation in the van vs house is probably the biggest factor. When I was living on my sailboat, like many others I had adapted a small window A/C unit to fit in one of the hatches. It was barely adequate. The same unit could cool a large room in a house without any difficulty.

[dhally]

My van refrigerator uses propane as an energy source. Absorption chillers can work without being level, if a pump is used for the liquids. The condenser heat exchanger is much larger on an absorption unit than a compressor unit, since all of the heat of combustion has to be rejected in addition to the heat extracted from the conditioned space.

I think that an absorption air conditioner would be too heavy and bulky to be practical in our vans.

Another idea would be a standard compressor type AC unit only instead of an electric motor for the compressor, use a propane engine. Hitachi makes one like this for buildings. Probably still pretty bulky and heavy.