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vmike · 08-29-12, 09:38 AM

I did some experiments a few years back using my waste solar heat for cooling. The first one was a modified gas fired absorption air conditioning unit, way back in the 70s. It was a dedicated system, used hot glycol to boil the ammonia. I had to add a circulating pump to assist the refrigerant, the heat was barely enough. It did work. Experiment two, a few years closer in time was to wrap a copper coil around the generator tube in a propane camper fridge. It did cool, but wouldn't freeze water. What I'm thinking of doing now is a variation of my solar to steam experiments which were also marginal at best. Tried running a smallish steam engine with steam from my solar collectors. I plan to build up a two stage system using the waste solar heat to heat an intermediate working fluid, such as R-290, then expand the secondary fluid in a scroll compressor modified to be a motor. I hope to turn an alternator to charge batteries. Calculations show promise, just haven't built anything, yet.

mike

08-29-12, 09:38 AM	#9
vmike Lurking Renovator Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Stillwater, OK Posts: 26 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts	I did some experiments a few years back using my waste solar heat for cooling. The first one was a modified gas fired absorption air conditioning unit, way back in the 70s. It was a dedicated system, used hot glycol to boil the ammonia. I had to add a circulating pump to assist the refrigerant, the heat was barely enough. It did work. Experiment two, a few years closer in time was to wrap a copper coil around the generator tube in a propane camper fridge. It did cool, but wouldn't freeze water. What I'm thinking of doing now is a variation of my solar to steam experiments which were also marginal at best. Tried running a smallish steam engine with steam from my solar collectors. I plan to build up a two stage system using the waste solar heat to heat an intermediate working fluid, such as R-290, then expand the secondary fluid in a scroll compressor modified to be a motor. I hope to turn an alternator to charge batteries. Calculations show promise, just haven't built anything, yet. mike __________________ I tried to contain myself, but I escaped.