Could this work on a boat?

[aran01]

Hi folks,
I see that this guy has won a rolex award for his fridge ,
Now seeing that the cooling comes from water I am left wondering if this would work on a boat ?
Thoughts anyone ?

In northern Nigeria, where Mohammed is from, over 90% of the villages have no electricity. His invention, which he won a Rolex Award for (and $100,000), is a refrigerator than runs without electricity.

Here's how it works. You take a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot. Fill the space in between them with wet sand, and cover the top with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it, making the inside cold. It's a natural, cheap, easy-to-make refrigerator.

So, instead of perishable foods rotting after only three days, they can last up to three weeks. Obviously, this has the potential to change their lives. And it already has -- there are more girls attending school, for example, as their families no longer need them to sell food in the market.

More at http://hinterlands.cc/index.php?showtopic=30

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[Guest]

This is an old idea ....

Actually I am surprised that the old idea :

Place item to be cooled in wider - lower container of water, drape absorbent towel type cloth over with ends in water, having first wet out towel. Capillary action draws the water up the towel while it evaporates .... cooling the item under.
Other one which was used in desert areas for many years .... is to do literally what the 'nigerian' described .......
ANOTHER one is to have the porous urn that you palce your sealed container in, fill with water and it evaporates from the outer surface .......

Yes they all work wherever you are and of course where the temp outisde the container exceeds the temp inside ......

I really am amazed that an award was made for soemthing that the Egyptians / Greeks / African Tribes have been using for centuries ......


<hr width=100% size=1>Nigel ... and of course Yahoo groups :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gps-navigator/

 

[MainlySteam]

Re: This is an old idea ....

I agree - perhaps another Nigerian scam, but successful this time?

John

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[Brian_B]

Re: This is an old idea ....

Maybe for this old idea the prize was an old Rolex?

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[Cantata]

Re: This is an old idea ....

My mum kept the butter cold this way. I think she had an old Timex.

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[richardandtracy]

Re: This is an old idea ....

It works whenever the relative humidity is less than 100%. The principle is used in a dry and wet bulb thermometer for reading RH.

Will it wok on a boat.
Yes, but.. The RH over the sea tends to be higher than on land (it's down to all that water being around), so it may not work as well as on land. Fresh water is better than salt as the evapouration rate is higher - increasing your water demand. (As an aside, acetone is better still if you just happen to have a huge quantity around..)
It would be best in the shade out on deck in the windiest area possible. The RH of the day determines the minimum temperature your 'fridge' can get to - and it will probably be a bit higher than this.

Regards

Richard.


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[seaesta]

Yes it could.

For my part the North Sea provides adequate cooling to the bilge storage areas for all purposes except providing ice for the G&Ts - and an old pot wont do that.

Incidentally a device based the same principle is being fitted to many new buildings - and trailed as "comfort cooling" rather than "air conditiioning" which is much more expensive and energy demanding. Comfort Cooling is more than adequate for UK conditions.

Martin

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[Chris_Robb]

Re: This is an old idea ....

we used to keep our cider cold when bringing in the hay this way - hang up a bag of wet hay - put cider in side - hey presto - now too drunk to drive tractor.

Principle of latent heat of evapouration is as old as them thar hills. might even qualify for an H Samual Everite - the time peice of choice to all Radio Luxembourg listeners

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[AuntyRinum]

That's not an invention. It's been done for thousands of years. $ 100,000 dollars? I don't think so.

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[Mhvoiceuk]

When I was a child my Dad had a caravan "fridge" that worked just like this. It was a ceramic box with a polystyrene backed door. Part of the top of the box was scooped away to about half the the thickness of the rest of the ceramic material and you poured water into the hollow which was then absorbed (The texture of the ceramic material was fairly grainy and allowd absorption quite easily) As it evaporated, the box cooled. We used it for milk on camping trips.

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[Mhvoiceuk]

When I was a child my Dad had a caravan "fridge" that worked just like this. It was a ceramic box with a polystyrene backed door. Part of the top of the box was scooped away to about half the the thickness of the rest of the ceramic material and you poured water into the hollow which was then absorbed (The texture of the ceramic material was fairly grainy and allowd absorption quite easily) As it evaporated, the box cooled. We used it for milk on camping trips.

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[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

My mum has a small coolbox knocking around her garage somewhere.

You pour water in the top, through a tray and leave fridge in the sun, while the water is evapourating it would keep a few bottles of water cool, not so much cold but nice enough if sat on a hot beach.

She bought it in about 1985, so as a manufactured item it certainly is not new.

<hr width=100% size=1>J

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[Abigail]

As with so many old and simple ideas, the clever challenge this guy seems to have solved is how to produce and distribute it in Africa at a price local people can afford and using indigenous materials. This has always been the key challenge of intermediate technology in the developing world, and good on him I say.

And obviously if there was one available in caravans etc, it might be handy on a boat

<hr width=100% size=1>Sarah&Pip

 

[kds]

Yes - we had one in an old Combi in Africa.
American company made them - ozokool - I think.
They work - do need an air flow though.
Ken

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