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AC project

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Morris

Morris

Yoda
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I definitely don't need another project, but as it is unlikely my car will be on the road before the HOT gets here, I have been thinking of ways to keep the cockpit cooler.

One ideer I had was to use a Peltier cooler (TEC) to make an AC. I could fill the heater core with Ani-freeze, water and water wetter, plug it off, then adhere the TEC with thermal grease or epoxy. I could cut a hole in the heater box that would allow me to attach a heat sink to the back side of the TEC. Perhaps to save my stock heater box, I can fab up a custom one. Also, I will need to upgrade my alternator to drive the anticipated 175-200 Watt (15-16 amp) current draw. Finally, if find that I need a heater, all I need is a switch that changes the polarity of the TEC.

Soooooo.... what do all you engineers and other great minds think about this idea. Will it work?
 
I made an air con set up work on my Austin A40 with a 1275 Sprite engine. It came from an Austin Marina (same AC as an MGB) I made a few modes to the bracket so it bolted to the A series manifold and ran it off a dual fan pulley from the air pump belt. It froze me out of the A40 /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
The thing did rob a noticable amount of power but again it was an early 70s set up. I still have it incase I want to AC a Sprite some day.
I have heard that a modern Honda AC set up is much smaller and could be adapted easy enough although I have not looked into it.
It's easy to just keep the top off.
 
My experience with the TEC's is that you don't get nearly as much as you expect out of them. If you are trying to cool a large volume of liquid you may be in for a letdown.
Check out the beer cooler projects online, just search for "beer cooler TEC".

The problem is you will be drawing warm air through and this which will warm up your fluid, the TEC is supposed to cool it off.

The question is will the size TEC cool off the fluid enough to actually notice a cooling effect?

You could do the math, or you could experiment, or you could do a little of each /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

(it's funny what you type & the way it isn't really what you were thinking after a few beers) /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]Just put the top down ;\)[/QUOTE]

That only works at speeds greater than 50mph. A stop light can kill you in August and September.
 
Move to Canada - they're calling for snow tomorrow /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wall.gif

Seriously, I know whereof you speak - too hot in orlando for a ragtop in the summer
 
A simple mist spray and a little speed works pretty well. Our cars don't have the cockpit heat alot of the lbcs have.
 
I think your anticipated wattage is a little low. 200 watts would do little more than cool your drink. I have an RV that requires 30 amps just to operate a couple of TE drink coolers.

Just to put things into perspective. A typical auto air conditioner uses one to three horsepower. This would likely be between 1,000 & 3,000 watts.

A typical thermo-electric module array would require about 100 amps at 14 volts to give 1,000 watts capacity. This would require 100 amps of alternator output to achieve a minimal cockpit cooling effect.
D
 
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I don't have A/C in my house. Why would I need that in a convertable.[/QUOTE]

Spoiled! I bet you don't get a month of 100Ëš+ either. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nopity.gif It's worth it for the mild winters. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

Dave, thanks for the info. I figured it would take more amps than I could afford. Also, after doing a little research on how to do it right- ie. mounting a waterblock/exchanger to the cooler and pumping water through the heater core- it would not cost a whole lot more to buy a junkyard system from a Civic.

Of course, the Civic retrofit is a lot more work.

Plan B is to keep a change of shirts in the car.
 
ONe of my future plans is to do custom seat covers and ditch the vinyl. It'll be vinyl rear and sides, and microfiber on the seating surface. I hate sticking to the seat in the summer, and it's even worse sitting on those black seats in the summer after the car's been in the sun!
 
Another thought Miata Seats. Fiber panel where you sit to help keep you cool. Junkyard prices around $100 a pair. Far cheaper that an upholstery kit plus thay give back another inch of leg room.
 
Morris said:
<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:]I don't have A/C in my house. Why would I need that in a convertable.
Click to expand...

Spoiled! I bet you don't get a month of 100Ëš+ either. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/nopity.gif It's worth it for the mild winters. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/devilgrin.gif

Dave, thanks for the info. I figured it would take more amps than I could afford. Also, after doing a little research on how to do it right- ie. mounting a waterblock/exchanger to the cooler and pumping water through the heater core- it would not cost a whole lot more to buy a junkyard system from a Civic.

Of course, the Civic retrofit is a lot more work.

Plan B is to keep a change of shirts in the car. [/QUOTE] It rarely gets up to 90 here and it always cools off to the mid 60s at night. I had white vinyl seats that stayed cool in the sun but am changing to black so I will be using my toneau cover a lot to keep the sun off the seats.
 
Okay... what about this ideer... more surface area, less power. I could build a custom water exchanger out of copper that uses 4-5 low power TECs in a row.

Is it possible to limit the current consumption on those things and run them under their rated wattage?
 
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