cooling your tent or van

[FIGJAM]

If your living in an air conditioned house, turn the thermastat to 80, then test your cooler.

The air conditioner will make it dry enough to test.

The cooler is good enough to cool the smaller tent if it's shaded.

[wimala1]

[quote="FIGJAM"]If your living in an air conditioned house, turn the thermastat to 80, then test your cooler.

The air conditioner will make it dry enough to test.

The cooler is good enough to cool the smaller tent if it's shaded. [/quote]

so the cooler will only cool 1 5x7 tent? or both of the smaller tents if they are shaded?

i may have to rethink the tent thing - once again!! i wonder if the old walrus has one more trip left in it!!!!!!

[FIGJAM]

I think I would make one for each tent.

[waxpraxis]

Hey FIGJAM - any thoughts on that radiator-style cooler I posted on the previous page? Systems like it have worked well for me, but that was here in the semi-drained swamp known as Washington D.C. where low humidity is non-existant.

[FIGJAM]

Hey FIGJAM - any thoughts on that radiator-style cooler I posted on the previous page? Systems like it have worked well for me, but that was here in the semi-drained swamp known as Washington D.C. where low humidity is non-existant.

What's cooling the water in the coil?

How are you going to power a fan that big?

What pumps the water through the coil?

My designs use just power (1.45 amp at 12 volts) for the bucket cooler and water (2 gal. for 5 hrs.).

[waxpraxis]

I've found a decent 10" battery powered fan (20+ hours on 4x D cells) and the same kind of solar powered fountain pump you're using to cycle the water.

[FIGJAM]

Can you post a link to the fan?

[waxpraxis]

Sure - I'm pretty sure I'm going to go with this one:

O2 Cool Battery or Electric Portable Fan, 10 Inches

Coleman also makes one that looks decent Coleman Free-Standing Tent Fan

[waxpraxis]

Actually that 02 is a different model from what I was looking at originally. That one takes 8x D-cells and lasts up to 40 hours. The other model that takes 4x D-cells is on Amazon as well. In both cases I dig that it also comes with an AC adapter.

[FIGJAM]

I liked the 02 cool fan because the one with the 8D cell made it so I could cut the wall wart off the cord and hook it direct to a 12 volt battery.

It's a nice fan for camping, but in testing, it did'nt push enough air for a cooler.

I thought the site said it would run 72 hrs on 8 D cells?

[waxpraxis]

Hmm, looks like that's a different model that has two speeds. I'd be willing to bet it only runs for 72hr on the lower speed.

I definitely didn't think it would have enough ooph to push your swamp cooler, but it may have enough to make this radiator concept work. At this point I think I may just build the thing since even if it doesn't work the fan will be handy! If I can get it working in a closed loop with a solar fountain pump I figure I'll just have to drop some ice into the reservoir cooler and off I go.

[wimala1]

ok, i have another option other than two buckets.
i resize to one tent - walrus - it is basically a 10+ yr old version of this:

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=htt ... ,r:10,s:48

(sorry, can't figure out how to attach the image) and it has approx 60 sq ft.

then i thought of using this for the box cooler:

http://www.google.com/products/catalog? ... CFUQ8wIwAA

it is actually a stacking hamper and i would have to rig a lid for it. but it does have all the holes already in it like the box cooler. my question is would i have to go with the O2 dc fan that you found or could i use 2 of the larger computer fans, parallel, like you suggested? or would i have to block the holes on one side and only have the water flowing on one side and the fans at the top? the dimensions of the surface with the holes is 11x13. i would probably block the lowest set of holes so that i could put 2+gals of water in it. i just don't want to have to buy 2 solar pumps.

opinions?

[waxpraxis]

I think the biggest issue you will have is getting a solar pump that can pull the water that high (I know there are ones that will do so, but make sure you keep an eye out when you're purchasing!)

As for fans, as FIGJAM mentioned, the O2 I linked to doesn't really have enough power to push a swamp cooler, you need something with more power and a higher speed. Multiple large PC cooling fans would probably do the trick just fine - it's just a matter of powering them.

[andreas97]

Well, I attempted the dual-fan at the end of the ducting... not so great.

Found the perfect box, and fans mounted beautifully.



However, since I was supplying with 4" PVC, the airstream is still too concentrated to the center of the fans... You can see why by looking at the back:



I may have to attempt some kind of register box to adapt this outward. Something like this:



Or it could be that I'm nuts trying to run two fans and get that much out of this unit, and I should either accept the output with one fan... or upgrade to the larger form factor.

ETA: BTW, depth of field in that second pic is a bit wonky, now that I look at it.... there are about 2 inches between the bottom (where the hole is) and the fans.

[FIGJAM]

I like this better.

http://www.trashcansandmore.com/2957-RMC1046.html

But all the info is already in the thread.

[FIGJAM]

Well, I attempted the dual-fan at the end of the ducting... not so great.

Found the perfect box, and fans mounted beautifully.



However, since I was supplying with 4" PVC, the airstream is still too concentrated to the center of the fans... You can see why by looking at the back:



I may have to attempt some kind of register box to adapt this outward. Something like this:



Or it could be that I'm nuts trying to run two fans and get that much out of this unit, and I should either accept the output with one fan... or upgrade to the larger form factor.

If you just cut that hole into a rectangle large enough to suit the fans, I think it will work alot better.

[wimala1]

i really like the fans on that box!

i will be powering my fans with a solar panel. and of course, the pump is solar. thanks for the input about the pump height -that is a great point.

i found the sku # for the cooler pad and will go to home depot tomorrow to see if they will order it in for me. there isn't much use for evaporative cooler pads in HUMID south florida!

[andreas97]

If you just cut that hole into a rectangle large enough to suit the fans, I think it will work alot better.

Heh.
Well, yes.
The trick is getting it ducted back to the bucket somehow.

[waxpraxis]

andreas97 - I think you'll need to do some kind of adapter for that to be effective. Back in school we had to design those damn things, but there's software that will do it for you - a quick google search found this (though it is IE only):
http://www.sheetmetalguy.com/transition.htm

I'd use a tool like that and make my own transition built-to-fit.

[FIGJAM]

If you just cut that hole into a rectangle large enough to suit the fans, I think it will work alot better.

Heh.
Well, yes.
The trick is getting it ducted back to the bucket somehow.

Ok, I got it now, don't change anything, just rebolt the fans to the outside of the lid and see if that helps.

[andreas97]

Ok, I got it now, don't change anything, just rebolt the fans to the outside of the lid and see if that helps.

Yeah, sorry about that, I just edited my original post to clarify.... despite how it looks in the picture, there are a couple inches between the fans and the circular hole in the bottom of the container.... so adding another half inch wouldn't really help.
I'll try a transition duct piece if I can find one.

[FIGJAM]

Are those the sythe fans?

Does it just not feel like that much air is coming out?

It should'nt make a difference where the fans are mounted if the cfm is high enough.

[andreas97]

Are those the sythe fans?

Does it just not feel like that much air is coming out?

It should'nt make a difference where the fans are mounted if the cfm is high enough.

Yeah, the scythe. They are moving a TON of air if I take the lid off and hold it by itself. But once it's put on the box and being forced through that 4" opening, I get very poor flow.
They're definitely running full speed, the batteries in my rig are sitting at 12.73V and the fans were drawing a hair over 1amp.

[FIGJAM]

Are you useing shade clothe to line the bucket?

That would make a big difference.

It's why I worked so hard to illiminate it.

[andreas97]

Naw, this is before even getting the bucket into the mix.... just running a 2' length of 4" pvc into the box with the fans.

Must just be a weird airflow thing.
I mean, it isn't ike it's not moving air... it is... I just didn't expect that choke point to have such a large effect. I guess lack of smooth airflow is lack smooth airflow, no matter which end the fans are on.

[FIGJAM]

It has to be a pressure thing.

Air pressure from my fan is 17.74.

I checked my bucket, and can't detect any reduction in air flow, with or without the pipe.

I'm glad you brought this up because I would'nt have foreseen a problem.

Are you going to try a larger pipe?

[andreas97]

It has to be a pressure thing.
Air pressure from my fan is 17.74.

How are you measuring? I'd be curious to measure with this...

I checked my bucket, and can't detect any reduction in air flow, with or without the pipe.

But you're using a single fan the size of the pipe, yes?
I was thinking of trying that next to compare.

I'm glad you brought this up because I wouldn't have foreseen a problem.
Are you going to try a larger pipe?

Yeah, I definitely didn't foresee it, or I wouldn't have already glued the pipe fitting to the bucket lid. heh.
I'm gonna run to the store today and look into a round to rectangular transition duct to see if that makes any noticeable difference. I can't imagine it would need to simply be larger pipe/duct the whole way, since it's not like I've reached the "airflow limit" of 4" PVC.

[FIGJAM]

The air pressure is listed in the specs for the fan.

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/12959 ... 6c435s1108

If you stack them I think you double the pressure, but half the flow.

Jeez, I did,nt think there was anything left for me to learn on this project.

[andreas97]

Ahh, okay. I thought maybe you had a way of measuring it. heh.

[Asherbeez]

Naw, this is before even getting the bucket into the mix.... just running a 2' length of 4" pvc into the box with the fans.

Must just be a weird airflow thing.
I mean, it isn't ike it's not moving air... it is... I just didn't expect that choke point to have such a large effect. I guess lack of smooth airflow is lack smooth airflow, no matter which end the fans are on.

I think you have a turbulence issue. Without a smooth directed path into your ducting the air will begin to tumble essentially "clogging" your system. I think you are spot on with attempting to fit a register with a reduction built in.