cooling your tent or van

[FIGJAM]

This is the box cooler made of wood instead of FRP.





After the box is glued and screwed, I used regular painters caulk on the interior joints before putting a heavy coat of the Henrys elastomer roof coating on the whole thing to seal it inside and out.



To install the intake panels, I ran a heavy bead of 100% silicone caulk on the registers and screwed them in place.

Make sure these are all the same distance from the top as they will support the pvc for the water, and to get an even flow you'll want them the same height.





When I installed the pads, I added some wire to secure the pads to the registers.

14 gauge copper or bailing wire will work for this.

It will make sure that ALL the air has to pass through the wet pads.



The wire goes through the pad at the corners of the registers and bends up on the outside of the cooler.



The lid is hinged on the side away from the fan for easy filling.

I added some weather stripping (siliconed) for a good seal, and a small chain so the lid would'nt tweek the small hinges.







Once the endless breeze fan and the pump get here I can finish this cooler.

It will hold 12 gals of water and there's room for a case of beer in the bottom.

It will use about 3/4s of a gallon of water per hour on the low fan speed.

It will cool a space up to 3000 cubic feet on high.

Power needed will be...

12 volt DC

1.5amps on low speed (250cfm)

1.92amps on medium speed (500cfm)

2.82amps on high speed! (900 cfm= to 10mph breeze)


Hope this helps you enjoy your BURNNNNNNNNNNN!!!

[Canoe]

I was thinking the same. The switch says "4.4VA" as the consumption. Seems like a lot? Not an Electrical Engineer here, that's not the same as 4 amps is it?

VA = Volt Amps
Literally, the Voltage times the Amps.
This is usually the same as Wattage, or Power.

V=IR (voltage = current x resistance; or I = V/R; or R = V/I)
P=VI (power = voltage x current; I = P/V is handy to know the current for a device when they only publish the power)

DC:12v.
Power consumption : 4.4VA.
current consumption without load : 0.015mA.
SWITCHING CURRENT DC : 16A/24V DC.

If those number are correct, the clock draws 0.015mA, very low, just to keep track of the time. The power usage is the VA, or 0.015 x 12 VDC = 0.18 mW.

When it switches the load on, the switch needs current to do its work, so it will draw some additional current. This appears to be the published Power Consumption of 4.4VA. Here we use the I=P/V, for I = 4.4/12 = .366 A or 366mA.

If you've got up to a 24VDC fan drawing up to 16A, then you're within the published limits.

So the 12 VDC fans & pumps recommended here are within the limits, and when switched on, the current used against the battery will be the current of the fan & pump, plus the 366mA.

What I don't know, is what the voltage of the deep-cycle battery goes to as it gets used up, and if the clock/switch circuits will keep functioning if the supply voltage drops below 12 VDC. If there was a clock/switch that ran on 5VDC, you could power it from a voltage regulator running on the 12 VDC battery and this would not be an issue.

[captain mcguiver]

You COULD use a separate battery for the clock itself. Like one of my small 7aH 12v scooter batteries- Isolate it from the system, or is the tied into the power you are switching

[Canoe]

You COULD use a separate battery for the clock itself. ...

If the clock/switch VCC is separate from the Switched VCC.
I haven't checked to see if this is a high-side electronic switch, low-side switch electronic switch or a relay.

Checked.
Four blades.
Two labelled power. Hoping the published specs are good and it runs off of 12 VDC.
The other two blades are labeled for both VDC and VAC, so it's likely a relay, so it should be able to go anywhere in the circuit you want a timed switch.
Too bad they don't provide an internal schematic.

So if you provide a 12 VDC source for the clock/switch that has enough power for the number of times and duration it will be turned on, you should be good to go, with the deep-cycle battery and its loads running through the switch.

[Sundial]

This cooler uses 2 gallon of water every 5 hours.

Damn. That's like...almost one of these every five hours. You'd need to haul a fair bit of water out to the Playa to run this thing, even just in the mornings. A daunting logistical challenge if you're ride sharing and not bringing your own large vehicle.

I don't suppose that estimate changes when we're talking about a two person tent versus a van?

[FIGJAM]

The only way to reduce the water consumtion is to use a smaller fan.

If your tent isn't shaded that's a bad idea.

Of course if you are ride sharing you wouldn't may not have room for the cooler anyway.

[Sundial]

The only way to reduce the water consumtion is to use a smaller fan.

If your tent isn't shaded that's a bad idea.

Of course if you are ride sharing you wouldn't may not have room for the cooler anyway.

How about if the tent's protected with radiant barrier insulation?

[FIGJAM]

With all the testing we've done, you don't realy want to change the design of the bucket cooler.

The intent was to give people some extra sleep when it gets hot in the mourning.

5 hours extra sleep if you've been up all night is a treasure during an active week.

So you need 16 gallons of water to feed the cooler for the week.

Clean ice melt will cut that in half, if not more!

[Sundial]

With all the testing we've done, you don't realy want to change the design of the bucket cooler.

The intent was to give people some extra sleep when it gets hot in the mourning.

5 hours extra sleep if you've been up all night is a treasure during an active week.

So you need 16 gallons of water to feed the cooler for the week.

Clean ice melt will cut that in half, if not more!

Alright. So you figure 7.5 gallons (2.5 gallons x 3) of water plus ice purchased on site would do the trick for 7 mornings? That might be more feasible.

[FIGJAM]

Get creative.

Take an extra 5 gal bucket to the big bar camps and see if you can harvest their melt water.

[Sundial]

Get creative.

Take an extra 5 gal bucket to the big bar camps and see if you can harvest their melt water.

True. Never thought of grey water.

[FIGJAM]

I did not say grey water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clean melt water ain't the same.

All the info is in the thread.

Get to reading!

[Sundial]

I did not say grey water!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Clean melt water ain't the same.

All the info is in the thread.

Get to reading!

I know exactly what you meant. I just wasn't aware that melt water could not be called grey water. No need to get excited.

[FIGJAM]

I got excited because grey water in a cooler can make you very sick and I might feel just a tiny bit responcible.

Some people even wanted to use the cooler instead of an evap pond!

[kstlfido]

Hi Figjam-

A little progress...

Essentially I'm going to do a mini box cooler. 24" high, 18" wide, 15" deep. 3 vents, two 12x14 and one 16x14. It can hold 7 gallons of water.
I got these acrylic sheets, going to TAP plastics tomorrow- they charge 50 cents a cut.... thanks for posting the cooler in plywood, I might do it like that.

OK to have box cooler outside with fan in my yurt? I gather it doesn't make much of a diff if outside box is shaded...

Pumps came last week, these are the ones-
http://www.ebay.com/itm/12V-DC-Solar-Po ... 5895162ae6

I did a flow test-
At 20" head 1 gallon took 50 seconds.
At 26" head 1 gallon took 54 seconds.
At 32" head 1 gallon took 58 seconds.

So ~ 60GPH. Will that be enough?

Model of box cooler below. Thanks- Kent

[FIGJAM]

I found that Lowes had a wider selection of registers.

The dimentions on the wood box are 24"X18"X18".

I picked the 12"X12".

This allows for 12 gallons of water per fill, or room for a case of beer if you want to fill more often.

Set it up so the side of the cooler fits flush with the outside wall with just the fan sticking through the wall.

Shade will help a little, but not really needed.

60gal. per hour should be enough if you make sure the pvc is level for even flow.

Test test test.

[FIGJAM]

Finished and tested the wood box cooler today.

I turned the fan to keep it close to the top of the cooler so the switch is on the side.

The other switch is for the pump.








Even with 30% humidity here today, I got a 26 degree temp drop!!!

The playa runs 2% to 6% so it will work even better!

[gjenkins]

FIGJAM ... which fan?

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8547/ ... 6c435s1108

or

http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8556/ ... d=YnFfDVU7

[FIGJAM]

I've got the second one on my bucket cooler!

I think they changed some of the wireing, so you may have to touch test to find which wires work.

Only 2 will work and I never hurt the fan no matter how I tested the wires.

[gjenkins]

[quote="FIGJAM"]I've got the second one on my bucket cooler! [/quote]
Great, i like the lower amp requirement ... 1.25. I am sponging electricity from friends, and that helps.

[gjenkins]

Another Question ... they have a bank of batteries and a solar panel. They are going to supply me with a 120v AC connection through an extension chord, so it is inverted. I would have to reconvert to DC. Isn't all of that innefficient? Should I get some wire and tap straight into the batteries 12volt?

[FIGJAM]

How far will the cooler be from the battery bank?

16 gauge wire will run the cooler.

Or plug in a battery charger and and connect to that, but it is a waste of power.

[gjenkins]

it is looking like 25~39 ft

[FIGJAM]

Bury the wire a couple of inches so people don't trip and yank your connections loose.

[bl00zt00n]

Long time lurker, first time poster.

I just wanted to give a heads up that I bought a http://www.goldengadgets.com/400lph-dc- ... -pump.html water pump and it doesn't seem to be working so great due to faulty workmanship. I had to loosen the faceplate to get the impeller to turn, which indicates the shaft isn't lined up or there's an issue with the housing. It does work if I keep it somewhat loose, bang it and jiggle it (and that's a big "that's what she said" ) , but I don't want to deal with that on the playa. I think I'm going to bite the bullet and spend the extra $20 or so for http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dl ... 0313156590 that's in Figjam's original design.

Just wanted to get the info out there....

[gjenkins]

[quote="FIGJAM"]Bury the wire a couple of inches so people don't trip and yank your connections loose. [/quote]
Or sweep it under a dust dune ...
[img]https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos- ... 7157_n.jpg[/img]

[kstlfido]

Hi Figjam-

My dura-cool pad roll arrived today. You doubled the thickness on the bucket cooler. Would the box cooler benefit from an extra layer of pad as well?

BTW- I got the same 400lph pumps as the posting above. Mine seems to be working just fine. Could have been dropped in shipment to bend a shaft.

-Kent

[FIGJAM]

Bury the wire a couple of inches so people don't trip and yank your connections loose.

Or sweep it under a dust dune ...

[FIGJAM]

Hi Figjam-

My dura-cool pad roll arrived today. You doubled the thickness on the bucket cooler. Would the box cooler benefit from an extra layer of pad as well?

BTW- I got the same 400lph pumps as the posting above. Mine seems to be working just fine. Could have been dropped in shipment to bend a shaft.

-Kent

Not realy needed.

You'll have better air flow with a single layer, and testing did'nt show any advantage.

It serves a dual purpose in the bucket cooler.

If the iner sleeve is left a 1/2" above the outer sleeve it acts as a perfect retention ring for the drip line, holding it in place.

[FIGJAM]

100,000 views!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!