Vintage Air A/C system available for G-bodies

[ssn696]

It's the reverse of a thermoelectric generator. TEG takes a semiconductor joint heated on one end and thermal sink on the other, delta temperature across the joint creates a current. This is what powers the Mars Rover, heat generated by plutonium 238 decaying goes in one end, and cooled at the other end by the very cold Mars 'air'. One gram of plutonium-238 generates approximately 0.5 watts of thermal power. It puts out enough heat that an ingot of the metal glows by its own decay heat. [attachment=0]300px-Radioisotope_thermoelectric_generator_plutonium_pellet.jpg[/attachment]

A thermoelectric cooler has two sides, and when DC current flows through the device, it brings heat from one side to the other, so that one side gets cooler while the other gets hotter. The "hot" side is attached to a heat sink so that it remains at ambient temperature, while the cool side goes below room temperature. In some applications, multiple coolers can be cascaded together for lower temperature.

 

[jiho]

The "hot" side is attached to a heat sink so that it remains at ambient temperature

This seems to me to be the only real problem. The heat from the hot side has to go somewhere.

As long as you have cold air blowing at you I guess it might be sort of a zero sum game, with the cooled air and the heated air mixing back together into something like the original temperature in the interior. Even better, though, would be to somehow conduct the heat from the hot side out of the interior while keeping the cooled air in.

If the original venting is retained and the thermoelectric cooler is located inside somewhere, outside air blows in through the dash vents and inside air is forced out through the door jamb vents while driving. Naturally, this flow doesn't happen while sitting at a stop light.

 

[ssn696]

The REAL 'vintage air' conditioning of the 1940's/50's: carmakers offered a swamp cooler that you rolled up into the passenger window. As you zoomed down the highway, air blew into it then deflected through a wetted insert, and evaporation cooled the air blowing into the car. Just had to refill the water trough every few hundred miles. This also did not work well at traffic lights...or in Gulf state summers.

 

[BPTTONE420012]

The "hot" side is attached to a heat sink so that it remains at ambient temperature

This seems to me to be the only real problem. The heat from the hot side has to go somewhere.

As long as you have cold air blowing at you I guess it might be sort of a zero sum game, with the cooled air and the heated air mixing back together into something like the original temperature in the interior. Even better, though, would be to somehow conduct the heat from the hot side out of the interior while keeping the cooled air in.

If the original venting is retained and the thermoelectric cooler is located inside somewhere, outside air blows in through the dash vents and inside air is forced out through the door jamb vents while driving. Naturally, this flow doesn't happen while sitting at a stop light.

the "heat" side, doesnt get hot... it never gets above ambient temperature of the car, so if its 80° inside the car the heat side wont go above 80°... and for the whole thing costing me under $10, i couldnt ask for anything better, the cold side gets down to 40°, and in 90° weather it blows 60° air...

 

[Mike P]

I did one similar to what FE3X clone did, I used a universal evaporator from Hot Rod Air. The companies out of business now, but there are other units that are about the same. I only bought the basic kit that included the evaporator and controls from them (about $350) and sources the compressor and custom built hoses locally. I was able to retain half my glove compartment LOL. All together I had a grand total of under $1000 in it all hooked up and blowing cold air.

viewtopic.php?f=41&t=25429#.U7P-SLHSA1k

I’ve heard of several people modifying and using the combined heat/AC units from imports too, but I’ve not done one.

 

[jiho]

the "heat" side, doesnt get hot... it never gets above ambient temperature of the car, so if its 80° inside the car the heat side wont go above 80°... and for the whole thing costing me under $10, i couldnt ask for anything better, the cold side gets down to 40°, and in 90° weather it blows 60° air...

Hmmm .... and here's one ready to use out of the box, if you can figure out how to mount it somewhere.

$35 from Amazon, though, so as these things go it's a little pricey.



EDIT: I also just went to their web site. They talk a lot about it being a "cooling device" and a fan, but they never show the insides or explain the technology. Is it just a fancy fan?!? You'd apparently have to buy one to find out.

My blower fan works fine, thank you ....

 

[BPTTONE420012]

the "heat" side, doesnt get hot... it never gets above ambient temperature of the car, so if its 80° inside the car the heat side wont go above 80°... and for the whole thing costing me under $10, i couldnt ask for anything better, the cold side gets down to 40°, and in 90° weather it blows 60° air...

Hmmm .... and here's one ready to use out of the box, if you can figure out how to mount it somewhere.

$35 from Amazon, though, so as these things go it's a little pricey.



EDIT: I also just went to their web site. They talk a lot about it being a "cooling device" and a fan, but they never show the insides or explain the technology. Is it just a fancy fan?!? You'd apparently have to buy one to find out.

My blower fan works fine, thank you ....

gotta be careful, alot of these "cooling fans" have removable sponges that you are suppose to wet and freeze and thats how the fan gives off cool air... thats how the fan in my picture originally gave off cool air, but unless you have a mobile freezer, its only good for 30 minutes or less after you leave your house... the original A/C i had made just took up too much room, i had made a A/C unit out of one of those big orange 5gallon gatorade dispensers, a fan that plugged into the cigg lighter and a bunch of ice... worked INCREDIBLY WELL... but like i said it took up too much room...

 

[jiho]

Yeah, I know what your're talking about. What's that thing called, "Handy-Cool" or some such? Basically a tiny hand-held swamp cooler.

The "Cool-on-the-Go" pictured above isn't one of those. But that's about all I know.