$25 Fridge Powered By Cooking Fire

[John Drake]

This is essentially a very elegantly engineered rendition of a very old technology. You have a solution of ammonia in water, heat it to boil the ammonia out of the water and through a small tube to a secondary chamber that is cool enough for the ammonia to condense in it. Then, over the course of the day, the ammonia diffuses and dissolved back into the water in an endothermic reaction. An idea from the turn of the last century....but the engineered solution is pretty neat.

As to it's utility....propane friges already available do the same thing. Not too many cheap or light weight ones on the market though.

Storing vaccines and other medicines for distribution in remote and rural areas, fine. Infectious disease is the largest cause of mortality in developing countries (well, used to be until they got more developed...now heart disease is high on the list).

Could I use it on a boat...good chance I might. I do not use my fridge much because I can work around it for most things and it consumes more power than I care to pay to generate. So, if cheap enough, this might be an ok solution for my occasional use.

As a portable, temporary, stowable fridge for occasional use aboard for $25...I would buy one. If it took 15 min on top of a propane stove and could chill down a 6 pack or bottle of chardonay, at the end of the day and keep the butter and cheese cool the rest of the day....for $25 or so...fine...please let me know where I can buy one. That is all I need or want.

A way to transport vaccines in developing countries....I think it would be a better use of funds than most UN programs.

An environmental solution...not really. You burn something to make this work, so I cannot see how it is environmental.

IMHO..that is about it...but enough to justify commercial production.

best

John

[salty_dog_68]

I wanted to point out that the article states a dung fire is capable of heating the fridge. Dung is readily available world wide (we are ALL full of...) and suprisingly enough commonly used to heat homes and cook food in many parts of the world. So, at least it is possible to use a renewable resource to operate the fridge without lending to deforestation. Will it replace the fridge in my home or boat? No. But i think it is a usefull product and a great idea. bring it on. i will never buy a bag of ice again.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by John Drake

An environmental solution...not really. You burn something to make this work, so I cannot see how it is environmental.

So, what does one burn to make an electric refrigerator work? Coal, diesel, gasoline or metal to build a hydro dam as well as the machinery to run the previous plants? Everything uses energy to produce heat. The sun and geothermal steam/heat are the only things that would be environmentally safe, or at least be natural.

But I see no reason to down play any technology that would improve the lively hood of others as long as it doesn't create more energy use then we already use or more pollution.

[quidam]

"It gets colder and colder, bringing the temperature of the container to just above freezing, and keeping it that way for about 24 hours."

Given the size of this thing, it does'nt sound cold enough to be of much use for a icebox on a boat in the tropics, unless you had more than one. The "crosley icyball" would get alot colder and there are several plans out there to build your own, but ammonia under pressure could ruin your day if something went wrong.

[micah719]

Interesting find...and certainly worthy of further looking. Not only for the budget-minded, but the simplicity of it. The well-to-do can have the expensive, complicated, convenience of off-the-shelf, and the budget and simplicity-oriented also have an option. Might even find opportunities to pass on the tech to the less well-heeled in the places they visit.

The Einstein fridge is closely related...and it seems a Scot was working on it lately. And for the wary about burning stuff, solar is mentioned. So, there might be a budget aircon in the works for the impoverished in the tropics.

Btw, bamboo grows fast and has many uses and can also be burnt. 3 years for mature culms of maximum strength. So, one needn't burn trees which take upwards of 20 years to reach harvest size. Nothing worthwhile ever comes without hindrances and naysayers.

Einstein refrigerator - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[micah719]

And another pic from wiki:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ration.svg.png

Perfect idea for tropic anchorages. Just need a good solar collector instead of the flame, most days.

[atoll]

sounds like selling lawnmowers to people who live in the desert.......this planet needs more consumers.......,like kids in mud huts need computers............

[micah719]

I believe they get the TV first, followed by the mobile phone.

It's not like LG would be selling them solar powered fridges either....but an enterprising local coud be set up in business making solar fridges.

Worth a try, at least? And for lawnmowing deserts; there are ways to make deserts green again, perhaps even mowable...by edible lawnmowers that provide clothing fibre and milk. If only there were a way to make sheep lay eggs, now.....

[peeceebee57]

This looks promising for some third world outdoor area.... but NOT in an enclosed boat!!! Ammonia is considered a high health hazard because it is corrosive to the skin, eyes, and lungs. Exposure to 300 ppm is immediately dangerous to life and health. Ammonia is also flammable at concentrations of approximately 15% to 28% by volume in air. When mixed with lubricating oils, its flammable concentration range is increased. It can explode if released in an enclosed space with a source of ignition present, or if a vessel containing anhydrous ammonia is exposed to fire.

[bobconnie]

Ive worked on BIG Ice machines in fish plants when I was a lot younger, they were all ammonia systems! and I don't care how well maitained they are they were they are prone to leakage!! every Ammonia ice maker Ive ever been around smelled like ammonia period I sure would not want one aboard my boat !! I have used a keosene fired danish fridge on our old boat I gimbled it amid ships and it worked for about 10 12 years! I would rather use electricity these days But would use the propane fired fridge gimbled the same way ! if I had to !!

[Therapy]

Personally I think they would benefit more from the ability to use their wood more efficiently.

Google Groups

Ecological Cookers: An essential Element in Bettering Household Health

And these still are not commonplace. Why not since these folks have had so many groups out to help for so long. One could carry a hell of a lot of the folding metal stoves if one left the bibles at home.

From the measurements it seems that a six pack would be too much for it.

It is really cool but they need a lot more before they need refrigeration. I know, vaccines and all. Pretty small market too as those getting vaccines in the outback aren't too many I would think.

so much stuff they need before computers too. Just look at Nigeria.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Personally I think they would benefit more from the ability to use their wood more efficiently.

Google Groups

Ecological Cookers: An essential Element in Bettering Household Health

And these still are not commonplace. Why not since these folks have had so many groups out to help for so long. One could carry a hell of a lot of the folding metal stoves if one left the bibles at home.

From the measurements it seems that a six pack would be too much for it.

It is really cool but they need a lot more before they need refrigeration. I know, vaccines and all. Pretty small market too as those getting vaccines in the outback aren't too many I would think.

so much stuff they need before computers too. Just look at Nigeria.

this is why the 3rd world needs computers so they can find out about all the good stuff they are missing out on.........

[Therapy]

Originally Posted by atoll

this is why the 3rd world needs computers so they can find out about all the good stuff they are missing out on.........

Doooohhhh!

You are so right.

[atoll]

Originally Posted by Therapy

Doooohhhh!

You are so right.

once they get the "it" figured they can elect a stable government,start paying taxes,get some clever people to run their banks,have more children.............then.....have a revolution or become consumers

[tropicalescape]

Originally Posted by atoll

sounds like selling lawnmowers to people who live in the desert.......this planet needs more consumers.......,like kids in mud huts need computers............

My all time fav-a-rite is to sale some airconditoners to Eskimos!..but the bad part was that those poor people havent got anything I want!DVC..$25 fridge cant be all bad..