You've seen those portable igloos that can plug into a cigarette lighter and can keep your drinks and food cool or hot. This is done electronically, without the use of a compressor or refrigerant. Here's a couple of links:

http://www.supercool.se/sidor/applic/automot/automot.php

http://www.amerigon.com/climate_controlled_seat.php

So I was trying to figure a way to adapt/design/construct/incorporate these devices into our cars. I understand these devices are meant for closed, small compartments. But there has to be a way to at least get semi-cool air, so at least it's bearable in the car during the summer(apparently my a/c is broke).
Also, I don't know how much these devices cost; whether it would cheaper just to fix the a/c. So, anyone have any ideas?

This would also lessen the burden on the engine; no compressor to turn. But you would have to make sure the alternator can handle the load. Nothing a 115 Amp Bosch AL129X alternator couldn't handle, I would think.

__________________
'80 240D (sold) wish I didn't.
'85 300D (240K miles)

Fix your AC. Especially in Houston.

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Jimmy L.
'05 Acura TL 6MT
2001 ML430 My Spare

Gone:
'95 E300 188K "Batmobile" Texas Unfriendly Black
'85 300TD 235K "The Wagon" Texas Friendly White
'80 240D 154K "China" Scar engine installed
'81 300TD 240K "Smash"
'80 240D 230K "The Squash"
'81 240D 293K"Scar" Rear ended harder than Elton John

compared to a traditional automotive A/C system, thermoelectric cooling (also known as the Peltier effect - the inverse of the thermocouple operating principle) has a poor coefficient of performance. Ultimately, more power would be consumed from the engine, assuming a system could be adequately built.

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'82 300SD - 361K mi - "Blue"

"Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement."

listen, look, .........and duck.

koon,

The system with enough cooling capacity would be about as large as your car. You would need a trailer to move it and a Diesel powered generator to run it.

FAGETABOUTIT !!

P E H

Wot he says.......

There's no free lunch.


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[http://languageandgrammar.com/2008/01/14/youve-got-problems-not-issues/ ]

"A liberal is someone who feels they owe a great debt to their fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money."

Back in the '40s, some people would put a bucket of ice of the floorboard to stay cool(ish). They also had semi-porous bags that they would fill with water and hang in front of the radiator. The water would evaporate through the bag and cool the air going into the radiator. You could wear one like a necklace . And then put a bucket of ice between your knees. But if you don't want to look ridiculous, either sweat or fix the AC .

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1982 300D, black w/ palomino leather, 203K
2001 E320, champagne, 105K (Mom's)
1999 Dodge Dakota, squeaky & battered, 142K

A peltier effect chip can cool a very small cooler down to about 50 degrees below ambient and draws 4 amps just for that. Ain't gonna work in a car.

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1984 300Sd 210k

Former cars:
1984 300D 445k (!!) (Strider) Original (and not rebuilt) engine and transmission. Currently running on V80 ( 80% vegetable oil, 20% petroleum products). Actually not, taking a WVO break.
1993 300d 2.5 275k. Current 120/day commuter
1981 300SD 188k (Hans) Killed by a deer

well if you stuck about 400 of thoseall over the car and found a way to generate about 500 amps and still have power to move it might work....of course you will roast anyone standing next to you at traffic lights with radiated heat....

The Car would of course resemble a stegosaurous on sterroids....and it would have really bad areodynamics...

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
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Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

Man, I ask for ideas and all I get is sarcasm. I should be used to it. Nevermind then, someone delete this thread. (yes, i'm bitter)

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'80 240D (sold) wish I didn't.
'85 300D (240K miles)

I thought maybe you had the idea when you used the word " cool " instead of cold... I bought one of those deals when they first came out about 1987... and it would not even get milk cold enough to drink .... and I was not fanning the lid... maybe 50 degrees.... plugged into a wall socket...

JIMMYL ' gave ' you an idea.... the very best...

What you are missing is an idea of what capacity our car AC systems are... A typical house room ac might work just fine at 5,000 BTU of capacity... I have one in my shop room... does great...
The BTU capacity of some of our cars is 45,000 BTU's... we have traveling greenhouses if you really look at our cars... and they must be able to take down the temp after the car has been shut and in the Sunshine....
Big Work Loads require Big Guns....
You can help out your current 20 year old unit by putting a parellel flow condensor and Spal high performance fan into your car...

Don't get bitter on us.....we were jokingly telling you that no way would it work....

__________________
Proud owner of ....
1971 280SE W108
1979 300SD W116
1983 300D W123
1975 Ironhead Sportster chopper
1987 GMC 3/4 ton 4X4 Diesel
1989 Honda Civic (Heavily modified)
---------------------
Section 609 MVAC Certified
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"He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you." - Friedrich Nietzsche

It's never a bad thing to have outside-the-box thinking. This particular idea, though, is probably just a little too far outside the box. The laws of thermodynamics can be a real b*@ch sometimes and unfortunately they aren't flexible.

You are very welcome to prove us all wrong, however. Go out and buy a bunch of peltiers and see if you can design a system. I keep hoping I can win the lottery someday so I have unlimited funds to build stupid, cost-prohibitive stuff, just to prove it can be done.

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Keep everything as simple as possible-but no simpler--Albert Einstein

Yes, We will Bow to Success anytime..
Go and do it... and then show us that we are stuck in a backwards set of physics laws which ought to be questioned everyday....

Thanks guys, now I feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I know I have to fix the a/c. No job=no funds. Outside-of-the-box thinking is good, unless it takes you nowhere; which is my present location. I just want my perfect life where everything works perfectly.

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'80 240D (sold) wish I didn't.
'85 300D (240K miles)

The less money you have to risk on a project the more important to go with proven theories and rules of physics....and widely available parts....