Solar-Powered Air Conditioning ?

[Cheechako]

My 125 amp alternator would pump about 85-90 amps max. into three 4D gels for about 20 minutes max before stepping down to the 50 amp range. (Ample power regulator.) The Balmar ARS III regulator did less. I'm assuming this is because of what the reg was reading either in the battery or battery temperature....?

[btrayfors]

Yep. Lotsa factors to take account of, including regulator protocol, temp sensors, state of charge, battery capacity (design and actual-after-use), ambient temp, size/design of alternator, etc., etc.

But, you're right....in most real-world setups the actual charging amperage usually drops off somewhat (due to some of the above factors) before even reaching the "acceptance" stage.

Furthermore, most cruising boats rarely attain "full charge" on their house batteries, unless they have a solar or wind generator to top them off. With a genset or alternator on the motor, it just takes too long, no matter the capacity of the charging source. So, they sort of cycle between about 80% charged and 40-50% charged, since it's relatively rapid to charge a battery within these parameters.

More reason to question whether or not you'd want to add a 150AH or so requirement to your daily charging regime because of a tiny A/C :-)

Bill

[mesquaukee]

I think the way to do it is use a small generator like a Honda. Fill the tank for a 4 hour run.
Have a 25-50 amp charger plugger into the generator.
Plug a 110 volt air conditioner into a switching device so when the generator runs out of gas it switches to an inverter.
Half the night it runs off the generator, the last half when it is cooler it runs off the batteries which were charged by the generator.
You could do the same with a diesel genset with a timer.
The advantages are; 1.) there is no need to increase battery bank size. 2.) The batteries are not drained down as far which means longer life.
3.) a larger 110 volt AC unit can be used.

[btrayfors]

Call me chicken, but I'm not about to go to sleep with a generator running, especially not with a gasoline-powered generator running.

Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous, and you can't always control the wind currents which carry it.

B.

[mesquaukee]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

Carbon monoxide is extremely dangerous, and you can't always control the wind currents which carry it.

B.

Exactly right.
Desperate people seeking cold air might.
I have my hammock in the fore triangle when it's hot (over 90). Sometimes I need a blanket.

CO detector?

[gbanker]

best solar powered air conditioning I know of is the sun. It heats the earth which generates wind which cools us. In the Caribbean at least. since 1982 we have never felt the need for AC at anchor. Guess marina folks might feel different.

[highseas]

Yeah,just fire up that noisy efin generator,that will help cool things down.Yeah right,if you can't take the heat,get out of the tropics.Cruise in B.C. ,weather is perfect right now,the earth cooler keeps you cool at night.Heard of global warming?May as well buy a powerboat and be a stinkin polluter!

[Target9000]

Thanks for all your responses guys-no AC it is-unless anyone has a barge full of solar panels they are giving away.

[beau]

We have a 9,000 btu reverse cycle "inverter type" Panasonic air conditioner on our boat, which works very well off a 1kva Honda generator.
The inverter type has a slow start unlike other air conditioners.

[unbusted67]

Originally Posted by highseas

Yeah,just fire up that noisy efin generator,that will help cool things down.Yeah right,if you can't take the heat,get out of the tropics.Cruise in B.C. ,weather is perfect right now,the earth cooler keeps you cool at night.Heard of global warming?May as well buy a powerboat and be a stinkin polluter!

I know it is frustrating to hear people talk about wasting our resources but remember you have to win hearts and minds and not insult people. It tends to turn them away from the cause rather than draw them towards it.

[Bash]

...and then there are CABIN FANS!

I've recently switched to Caframo Sirocco cabin fans, and they are marvelous. Truly quiet at all speeds, and they have a built-in timer so you can set the fan to run only through the hot part of night.

With a 420 Ah house bank, 260 watts of solar and a 200 watt wind generator, I can run three of these fans all I want.

[DotDun]

[QUOTE=btrayfors;302697But even a sizable flooded bank can easily absorb this. My house bank (six T-105's) is 675AH capacity, and will very easily take 150A....if I could generate that much. All I can do with my paltry setup, though, is about 120A (with a Victron MultiPlus inverter/charger) :-)

Bill[/QUOTE]

I'm not sure I'd do this long term. Trojan recommends charging rate for the T-105's at 10-13% capacity, which in your case is 67.5-87.5 amps. Makes me think that charging them faster shortens the life of the battery.

[teejayevans]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

There is often a breeze and your anchorerd boat turns to the breeze, your open hatches pull it in. If the breeze dies you use small fans or take a quick dip in the water. You dont need AC...

Maybe where you are, for those in the SE where you can have 95F and 95%
humidity, no AC for the months Jun-Aug can make for a miserable experience.

In addition to the other tips, a tarp hung over the boom to provide shade could
lower your temps especially in light winds.
Tom

[Vartok]

I work on land during the week and have found opening all of the hatches and turning on all of the fans a good solution. It vents all of the hot air that has been building up all day, and exchanges it for the fresh cooler air of the evening.

[unbusted67]

Yeah what's wrong with dc fans? They usually only draw a half amp and feel pretty nice too.