GeoffAK
New Member
Has anyone built a water cooled fridge on a sail boat, if so which components were used?
water cooled fridge
- Thread starter GeoffAK
- Start date
Searush
Well-Known Member
We use the sock powered fridge!
Place milk etc in a bucket of sea water. Place a sock or other absorbent cloth in the sea water & hang it over the side of the bucket. The water will soak up the sock & evaporate, thus coolling the sea water thro' dissipation of latent heat of evaporation. ideally the bucket needs to be in the shade and the sock in the sun.
It does work - but not tremendously well!
Place milk etc in a bucket of sea water. Place a sock or other absorbent cloth in the sea water & hang it over the side of the bucket. The water will soak up the sock & evaporate, thus coolling the sea water thro' dissipation of latent heat of evaporation. ideally the bucket needs to be in the shade and the sock in the sun.
It does work - but not tremendously well!
simonfraser
Well-Known Member
which color sock works best ?
sailorman
Well-Known Member
one of jimis smelly ones ( left foot ) /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
sarabande
Well-Known Member
There used to be (about 5 decades ago) a small cuboid box made of ?polyzoate ( a porous foam). You soaked the box in water, put a milk bottle or whatever inside it, and the evaporation cooled the interior contents.
Worked well. Providing you can ensure clean water onto the outside foam, a moderm version should be easy to construct. It would need a passing breeze to make it effective though.
Worked well. Providing you can ensure clean water onto the outside foam, a moderm version should be easy to construct. It would need a passing breeze to make it effective though.
wells01
Well-Known Member
Take a look at this. Very interesting. Im thinking of trying a cuboid version made of terracotta.
http://www.rolexawards.com/laureates/laureate-6-bah_abba.html
http://www.rolexawards.com/laureates/laureate-6-bah_abba.html
William_H
Well-Known Member
Presumably Geoff is asking about a water cooled condenser on a compressor type fridge. Yes these are fairly common and very efficient. The refrigerant can be cooled by a heat exchanger in the inlet water pipe for the engine or a separate water circuit, refrigeerant pipes outside the hull next to the keel or possibly attached to the inside of a metal hull.
The compressor can be run from 12volts battery or direct driven from the engine.
The disadvantage would appear to be cost in tyhat you have to build the system then get a fridge engineer to evacuate the system and charge with refigerant. You will find all freezer fishing boats work this way with massive freezing power.(here in Oz)
Wheras you can buy a kit with Danfoss type compressor and air cooled condensor which just plugs together with gas retained by vlave type connections. The fial cost being quite reasonable. Perhaps that is what you are enquiring about. olewill
The compressor can be run from 12volts battery or direct driven from the engine.
The disadvantage would appear to be cost in tyhat you have to build the system then get a fridge engineer to evacuate the system and charge with refigerant. You will find all freezer fishing boats work this way with massive freezing power.(here in Oz)
Wheras you can buy a kit with Danfoss type compressor and air cooled condensor which just plugs together with gas retained by vlave type connections. The fial cost being quite reasonable. Perhaps that is what you are enquiring about. olewill
Chrissie
Well-Known Member
Isotherm do small compressors, with cold plates, you build your box with insulation, I am shapeing mine to fit the curve of the hull and maximise the available space. I shall laminate the inside of mine to make it waterproof and neat, and box the outside in wood.
The cold plate screws to the wall, (or top or bottom) of the fridge box, the cable and copper pipe running out through a small hole behind it. The unit is already primed with the coolant gas when it comes, so you just need to place compressor somewhere air can circulate round it, up to a couple of metres away, so maybe in a cockpit locker. The power cable can go direct to the batery or pref. through an on off switch.
Tha small units cost £257. Isotherm also do a compressor that cools the gas by taking it in a pipe to a skin fitting which is an incorporated sink outlet and seacock, which you simply replace your exsisting sink waste seacock with. (no new hole in hull)this brings the coolant pipes into constant contact with the outside water, and makes the compressor quieter as there are no fans. Costs more than the other compressor though but lighter on power. They also do a power type pack that cools and stores the power needed to run the cold plate for up to 12 hours, so if you only have your engine on while you leave harbour, it takes power then, and stores it for when you switch engine (and alternator) off. Thats the really efficient way to do it but costs arround £700.
These already sealed units make building your own fridge box a simple DIY job, I am doing mine next month.
Penguin do units and so do another major company but when I researched it, the Isotherm units came out more suitable for my needs (cheaper, easier) I have no conection with the company. They have a website thats pretty good.
The cold plate screws to the wall, (or top or bottom) of the fridge box, the cable and copper pipe running out through a small hole behind it. The unit is already primed with the coolant gas when it comes, so you just need to place compressor somewhere air can circulate round it, up to a couple of metres away, so maybe in a cockpit locker. The power cable can go direct to the batery or pref. through an on off switch.
Tha small units cost £257. Isotherm also do a compressor that cools the gas by taking it in a pipe to a skin fitting which is an incorporated sink outlet and seacock, which you simply replace your exsisting sink waste seacock with. (no new hole in hull)this brings the coolant pipes into constant contact with the outside water, and makes the compressor quieter as there are no fans. Costs more than the other compressor though but lighter on power. They also do a power type pack that cools and stores the power needed to run the cold plate for up to 12 hours, so if you only have your engine on while you leave harbour, it takes power then, and stores it for when you switch engine (and alternator) off. Thats the really efficient way to do it but costs arround £700.
These already sealed units make building your own fridge box a simple DIY job, I am doing mine next month.
Penguin do units and so do another major company but when I researched it, the Isotherm units came out more suitable for my needs (cheaper, easier) I have no conection with the company. They have a website thats pretty good.
steveallan
Well-Known Member
Same principle, hanging a canvas bucket with water and cans/bottles of beer in the sun will cool the beer to a just about 'drink-able' temp.
Steve
Steve
Talbot
Well-Known Member
There are 3 types of watercooled fridge for marine use. They all use danfoss compressors.
The first pumps saltwater to the compressor to cool the refridgerant. - likely to suffer problems with marine encrustation.
The second has a closed fresh water system, with pipes on the outside of the hull to provide cooling for that fresh water. - the pipes interupt the smooth flow of water past the hull.
Both the first two need additional electric power to pump the water through the system. Just as an air cooled system needs electric power to turn the fan.
The third system is a keel cooler. This is a solid block of bronze which fits on the outside of the hull with a bit of it through the hull to allow the appropriate connections. The pump which circulates the refridgerant pumps it out of the fridge and then through this cooler. - by far the most efficient system.
further details available from http://www.penguinfrigo.co.uk/specify/default.asp
The first pumps saltwater to the compressor to cool the refridgerant. - likely to suffer problems with marine encrustation.
The second has a closed fresh water system, with pipes on the outside of the hull to provide cooling for that fresh water. - the pipes interupt the smooth flow of water past the hull.
Both the first two need additional electric power to pump the water through the system. Just as an air cooled system needs electric power to turn the fan.
The third system is a keel cooler. This is a solid block of bronze which fits on the outside of the hull with a bit of it through the hull to allow the appropriate connections. The pump which circulates the refridgerant pumps it out of the fridge and then through this cooler. - by far the most efficient system.
further details available from http://www.penguinfrigo.co.uk/specify/default.asp
michael_w
Well-Known Member
Another vote for the keel cooler from Penguin.
rogerthebodger
Well-Known Member
On my previous yacht I had an internal head exchanger made with sea water pumped cooling the refridgent. The main problem was the noise and the power consumption of the pump.
My new yacht I am using this arrangement
I purchased this from a local SA company but they are manufactured in Italy so must be available in the UK
My new yacht I am using this arrangement
I purchased this from a local SA company but they are manufactured in Italy so must be available in the UK
RJD393
Well-Known Member
Geoff - I have a water cooled system using a keel cooler as described above, supplied by Penguin Engineering, and would thoroughly recommend it.
geem
Well-Known Member
you dont need a frig engineer because you are water cooled. They come with pre charged refrig and quick connectors that dont lose the gas. No fridge engineer needed. Mine uses a bronze keeler cooler through the hull. No moving parts. Astonishingly energy efficient. Would choose this system every time
