listeroid air conditioning

[panaceabeachbum]

yes its feasible, if you go back and read my post directly below your scenario the question was answered along with the math to support the conclusion.

 As mentioned in that post , the 508 compressor at 2000 rpm is should work just fine and will consume aprox 3.5 hp while the compressor is engaged  . All this is based on the assumption that the rest of your system , evap coil condense coil and fans are sized accordingly .

Is it OK if we now discuss other options and possibilites for off grid AC?

[panaceabeachbum]

well hurry up and get your system running and post some pics 

[Dail R H]

   I got to this late,but here's a bit of maybe useful info. Check commercial ref contractors,ones that do mom n pop grocery stores. Many of them use belt driven / rebuildable compressors. I have two sitting in my shed in NC with rebuild kit sitting on top. Had'em 'fore I got the 'roid

[panaceabeachbum]

this book has alot of useful information about putting together an engine driven AC system , all the neccesary math is here and easy to understand.  I ordered mine from amazon for less than $20

http://books.google.com/books?id=H9OtGvYHQWMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=&f=false


This site also has some useful information , the spec sheets for some of the compressors contain useful info http://www.rparts.com/Catalog/Major_Components/compressors/Bitzer/bitzer.asp

[WGB]

Couple points:
I think people are confusing absorption ammonia ie. RV refrigerators no compressor, with compression ammonia systems ie  like your standard AC or refrigerator, both are good but from one end of the spectrum to the other. some of the old ammonia compressors looked a lot like Lister engines.
LP system and ammonia systems could be done with out a deep vacuum, like other refrigerants need.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39282821@N07/3887394421/

[jzeeff]

You might consider geothermal to make the system more efficient - I believe most off grid people have a well or something and 50F water is a lot better than 100F air as a cooling source.

Your reference for efficiency is generating electricity and then running a highly efficient AC unit - such as a Fujitsu 12RLQ.  The efficiency of this unit might exceed the gains from avoiding the mechanical->electric->mechanical conversion.

The old York Triathlon engine driven AC units were interesting - I've been trying for a long time to get one of the long life NG engines that is in them.

[panaceabeachbum]

I believe they were just briggs and stratton 5hp engines fitted for ng or propane

[jzeeff]

I heard that it was a different, 40K hour engine design.  But the technology got sold to http://www.marathonengine.com/

If anyone gets a York Triathlon compressor to use with a  diesel engine, let me know and I'll take the old engine.

[panaceabeachbum]

wow that looks pretty nice, I have a nieghbor that worked for briggs for over thirty years and has a huge collection of Briggs engines, I will be at his house tommorow and will ask if he has one. if so I will take some pics , he claims to have one or two of everything thats left the briggs plant

[jzeeff]

Thanks.  I know they are out there and are going to scrap yards.  Just don't know how to find them.

[panaceabeachbum]

I didnt get by there today but will before the week is over.

I had read that the engine driven york was such a flop that they recalled them and exchanged conventional units .

On a side note i used to work for a company building mold handeling equipment and got to spend a bit of time in the York foundry in Elyria while they were casting huge V config compressors , It seems they were V8 or V10 , I remember they were being built to go on navy ships for compressed air .  There was one on a train car going to the machine shop next door, which I did not get to go into , and one in the shop , the bore of each cyclinder was so large there was a fellow standing in one on a step ladder grinding out flashing . they had psiton castings there also that were about the hieght of a 55 gallon drum and a litle larger in diam

[horsefly76]

the one i looked at in depth that got my interest was a kubota powered unit
that looked like a small changfa, and was abput 12hp, but
it pulled the A/C compressor, and a 4kwatt genhead, allong with the 60amp alternator
all of which probably could use the majority of the 12 hp,

what i don't remember was if it had a low rpm mode where the compressor could be driven if
there was no need for 60hz 120 power. if this was the case, you probably need a 12 hp to start with
in order to have enough muscle to pull the compressor and 60amp alternator at a lower engine speed.

bob g

Bob did the engine look like this?

[mobile_bob]

its been a while since i saw one up close, but that one looks about right
if it had the tanks removed and the bellhousing removed as well.

bob g