Okay this is actually off topic but I have a crack pipe idea I want to try. To do this, I need all the parts for a a complete automotive AC system. Compressor w/clutch, Evaporator, Condesor, expansion chamber... I figure you guys may have some parts lying around.
I want to build a 12V DC Air Conditioner system that can be run off of solar/battery for a small camper (teardrop). I know the Miata Compressors don't draw an awful lot of power when they are running. I plan to use a 12V 100% duty cycle DC motor (1/3 or 1/2 HP hopefully) to turn the compressor. If I have to go up to 1HP then that gets into a large amount of current draw. A 1/2 HP motor draws about 38 Amps @ 12V. That will require 460 Watts minimum of Solar Panels to run. I plan on having about 600 watts for battery maintenace and other curent draws. This will be run in conjunction with a battery pack to compensate for start up draw. I also need to run fans on the evaporator and condensor to keep things from overheating.
I will need to build a control system that will start the motor and give it 15 or 20 seconds to come up to speed then engage the clutch on the compressor. Ideally I would like to get a Honda Compressor as they seem to be the most efficent but beggers cant be choosers.
You are aware of the fact there are commercially available A/C units already on the market for RV's and Trailers??
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...ditioners/8171
True, but they all run off of AC power.
'94 Black & Black & Tan
'99 head swap, JR header, TDR intake & header blanket, MegaSquirt, RB hollow bar, Tein Flex, 15x8 6ULs, HD M2 Sport, FM cat, Borla cat-back, black '95M interior, MOMO Zebrano, IL Motorsport console...
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^ What he Said..
Yes I could buy a roof top mounted RV AirConditioner and run a genset. Inverters for DC to AC operation are not an option.
You don't want to run an an RV air conditioner off of an inverter(battery/Solar). You will damage the compressor because the inverter even if rated for the max draw cannot handle the startup load.
And there are commercially available 12V AC systems but I don't want to shell out $3500 to $4K for them as they are mostly for marine applications.
True but Power inverters are what most R/V use when not plugged into a campsite so they can run off a battery for a bit depending on how many batteries ya got. He could charge the batteries with the solar panels and he already mentioned a gas generator.
These RV units (Depending on BTU Rating) pull about 10-15 amps when running.
The Denso TV12 (Miata Compressor) compressor pulls ¾ to 1 horsepower while running. So I'm thinking Mr. Wizzards setup is going to pull more amps than a standard RV unit.
There is a reason the DC ones are more expensive than the AC ones....
i have all but the a/c compressor for a 99 up for grabs, ac compressor will be available again if the person buying it doesn't paid up soon =D
It's not about Amps its about Power (watts)
So at 10 amps and 120 volts that is a 1200 Watt AC system. A 3/4 HP 12V DC motor pulls 58 Amps which is 696 Watts. With the fans I am guessing around 800 Watts total draw probably less. So I am at 2/3 the power draw of a normal rooftop AC unit. The DC motor for the compressor can run directly from the Solar Array with no worry about startup loads. Plus there are no conversion losses which can be as high as 20% going from DC to AC with an inverter.
It's only when I get up to 1 HP that I start to actually approach the power requirements getting close to the same. (approximately 1060 Watts + fans)
Yes, but when building a solar array its much cheaper to build 800 watts than 1200 watts.![]()
Gary at Trackdog racing has all those parts that came out of our LeMons car. Call him for a sweet deal.![]()
Blah blah blah!
I have a full AC system from a 2003 Mustang Cobra that I'm willing to donate in the name of science.
i beat you all at science
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