Is there a wood-fired A/C?

[dean (archive)]

Well why not? I've never heard of one but I haven't searched much.

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Well why not? I've never heard of one but I haven't searched much.

Never heard of one either, but it would be a technical possibility. Replace the gas burner with a wood burner.

 

[SQLit]

Well why not? I've never heard of one but I haven't searched much.

You say why not. I say why?

Absorption units are made and used today. The bigger ones I have worked on were Ammonia for the medium. Most techs and contractors tend to stay way from absorbers. Keeping the fire at a constant state would not be a challenge that I would care for.

Servel still makes RV refrigerators that run on Tri-fuel. My first house in Phoenix had an absorber. It leaked and killed all of the shrubs on that end of the house. Thank god our bedroom was on the other side of the house. Out of all of the a/c contractors in the Valley, just 2 would work on it in the beginning. When the techs retired no one would touch it.

 

[LB]

Well why not? I've never heard of one but I haven't searched much.

TROLL

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

You say why not. I say why?

Absorption units are made and used today. The bigger ones I have worked on were Ammonia for the medium. Most techs and contractors tend to stay way from absorbers. Keeping the fire at a constant state would not be a challenge that I would care for.

How constant does it have to be? I've burned wood in wood burning stoves, in smokers, and kept the temperature within 25 degrees each way over a period of hours. Using a pelletized or ground wood mass and auger, it can be held even closer. That, of course, needs electricity that may not be available.

My guess is the market for wood fired AC is very small.

 

[Goedjn]

You say why not. I say why?

Absorption units are made and used today. The bigger ones I have worked on were Ammonia for the medium. Most techs and contractors tend to stay way from absorbers. Keeping the fire at a constant state would not be a challenge that I would care for.

Use the wood to fuel a steam engine, and hook THAT to the compressor.

 

[Edwin Pawlowski]

TROLL

Why Troll? It could foster a discussion of technology that may be very interesting.

 

[Toller]

My propane fired refrigerator is a POS. All I can say is that it is better than nothing where electricity is not available. I would hate to see one the size you have in mind.

 

[SQLit]

How constant does it have to be? I've burned wood in wood burning stoves, in smokers, and kept the temperature within 25 degrees each way over a period of hours. Using a pelletized or ground wood mass and auger, it can be held even closer. That, of course, needs electricity that may not be available.

25 degrees is a big difference to a refrigeration cycle.

I am sure I could write a PLC program and automate the cycle for better control than 25 degrees. The cost of the controls, sensors, and all of the related wiring is just not worth the effort.