This solar fan looks even more promising -- although the initial investment is significant. It claims up to 1775 CFM.
You WOULD have to dismantle and reverse the position of the fan if using as a swamp cooler blower. http://cgi.ebay.com/Solar-Powered-Attic-Fan-27-Watt-W-Roof-Top-Ventilator-/380305500692?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588bf96a14#ht_3526wt_1030 -- ken winston caine ----- Original Message ----- From: "Chasomatic" <chasma...@gmail.com> To: "hexayurt" <hexayurt@googlegroups.com> Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2011 12:39 PM Subject: [hexayurt] Re: Windows and COOLING on the PLAYA I use the Home Depot bucket style of swamp cooler. My pumps come from Harbor Freight and they're Solar powered fountain pumps for outdoor gardens ($19.95). They have a pressure head of at least 3 feet and their own solar panel. Net power consumption ZERO! My fan comes from Frozen CPU, I can't remember the exact numbers right now but it's specially designed to give a column of air not the normal dispersal pattern. It draws 0.7 amps to run and puts out around 120 cfm ($31 with shipping). It shoots the air out of the pipe. I think my total power use will be about 1.0 (.3 pump+.7 fan) amps per hour. Last year I didn't run the SC very late into the evening but it may be hotter this year. Maybe 8.5 watts per hour from my 10 watt solar panel/battery. It's close, but I may be a balanced power system. My first effort for this year's swamp cooler was a little weak, but I still have it. Has anyone built a chest from Hexayurt panels to keep beer cool? I think my small SC would be enough to work but I don't know how to calculate the potential temperature drop (would it be worth it?). any ideas On Jul 10, 8:20 am, Richard Ginn <g...@gii.net> wrote: > another way to have water flow down over the material is with a large > reservoir (plastic garbage can) above it that you refill by hand (bucket) > as > needed. 50 gallons would trickle down all night maybe? > > On Sun, Jul 10, 2011 at 3:31 AM, ken winston caine < > > k...@mindbodyspiritjournal.com> wrote: > > ** > > Pretty amazing amount of pumping for 6 watts, Richard. > > > Still, if I'm running it 24 hours a day (along with the fan) during the > > current 100-plus degree days and high 70s to high 80s nights until about > > 4 > > a.m. when finally it starts to cool down a little, I'm using 282 watts a > > day. That's 1/5 of the total electricity I have available each > > non-overcast > > day from my solar system. That's a pretty big bite and I can probably > > afford > > it only a day or two a week and keep the system healthy. > > > It's NOTHING if you're on the grid. And a wonderful savings compared to > > typical pumps. > > > Best, > > ken winston caine > > > P.S. Am going to look into it, anyway. Because it would be really nice > > to > > be able to use it if only from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. or so when the inside of > > my > > RV heats up into the middle 90s most days this time of year. My > > self-wicking > > coolers bring the air right in front of me and on my face down to the > > mid > > 80s while I'm working at my desk, which is much more tolerable than mid > > 90s. > > But if I could force more water into the pads, and add pads, I could get > > better cooling. > > > Have been meaning to hook up the Kill-a-Watt meter up to an aquarium > > pump > > and see what kind of wattage it draws. If it's less than 6 watts, I'll > > report that here. (Doubt that it will be.) > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > *From:* Richard Ginn <richardg...@gmail.com> > > *To:* hexayurt@googlegroups.com > > *Sent:* Saturday, July 09, 2011 10:21 PM > > *Subject:* Re: [hexayurt] Windows and COOLING on the PLAYA > > > For 6 watts you can power a 12-volt CPU water cooling pump that is rated > > at > > 132 gallons per hour, and then you don't have to wick the water at all: > > >http://www.frozencpu.com/products/6073/ex-pmp-53/Danger_Den_DD-CPX1_1... > > > On Tue, Jul 5, 2011 at 5:11 PM, ken winston caine < > > k...@mindbodyspiritjournal.com> wrote: > > >> Jack, I've experimented with developing a 7-watt, self-wicking swamp > >> cooler > >> that works pretty well. > > >> Haven't experimented with EVERY fabric known to man, but did find, > >> surprisingly, that absorbant paper towels tended to wick better than > >> about > >> any cloth fabric I could test.But even., then, they tend to wick up > >> only > >> about 6 inches above the water surface. > > >> What really helps is to hang them with open pleats facing the air > >> source > >> and > >> allowing a tiny bit of air space between each hanging wick. That allows > >> the > >> air to pass between them a tiny bit. If using a high-efficiency, > >> low-wattage > >> 12v fan made for use in RVs and campers, having the open end of the > >> pleat > >> facing the fan's exhaust also helps the pleats balloon a bit and speeds > >> evaporation. > > >> My design provides 8 to 10 degree cooling for about 5 feet in front of > >> the > >> swamp cooler exhaust. So it's a personal cooler, not a room cooler. > >> Although > >> it does noticeably help cool the room a tiny bit, so long as you have > >> fresh > >> air vents in the room bringing in occasional super dry gusts. That's > >> when > >> you notice the moisture evaporating in areas of the room other than > >> directly > >> in front of the cooler. > > >> The more folds of wicking material you can fit in your box (if buidling > >> a > >> swamp cooler) the more cooling effect you'll get. > > >> Have yet to experiment with putting the fan on the top of the box, > >> ponting > >> down at the wicks and water tray on the bottom. Am planning to test > >> that > >> next. > > >> Have tried quite a few variations. Have found that the fan BEHIND the > >> wicks, > >> blowing air through them, provides better cooling than locating the fan > >> in > >> front of the wicks so that it *draws* the air through the wicks. > > >> Also have found that having a larger intake opening than exhaust > >> opening > >> seems to help a bit, too. About a 2::1 ratio has seemed best in my > >> experiments. > > >> You can do these with cardboard boxes and duct tape and rubber maid > >> shoe-box size plastic containers. > > >> The type of fan I use is this: > > >>http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/item/fan-tastic-endless-breeze-1... > > >> I also found at the end of summer about six years ago at a Wal Mart in > >> Albuquerque a season closeout price on Wal-Mart's "Ozark Trails" > >> version > >> of > >> this fan and bought seven of them for $4 each and am using those in two > >> of > >> my swamp cooler. They actually use less wattage than the Endless > >> Breeze, > >> but > >> push slightly less air through, too. > > >> May have been four years ago I wrote here about Buckminster Fuller's > >> proven > >> "cooling effect," but have not yet heard of anyone experimenting with > >> it > >> on > >> the playa with hexayurts. > > >> Fuller proved that putting a rain-capped stovepipe in the center of the > >> roof > >> of his circular dymation house or at the apex of the roof of a geodesic > >> dome, and then having open vents about 1 foot above floor level around > >> the > >> walls of the building created an amazing, counter-intuitive cooling > >> effect. > >> The ratio of low-wall vent airflow capacity to roof vent was about 4 to > >> 1, > >> if I recall correctly. > > >> What happens -- and Fuller demonstrated this multiple times, including > >> in > >> a > >> dome at the equator built for the U.S. military -- is that as the > >> ground > >> around the building and the walls of the building heat up as the sun > >> beats > >> down, this creates a flow of warm air rising around the outside of the > >> building. That rising air creates suction at the floor level vents, > >> pulling > >> air out of the building. That causes a rush of air to be pulled down > >> into > >> the building through the roof vent. > > >> Fuller said this phenomenon extends for hundreds of feet into the air > >> above > >> the building. So you have hot air rising in a circle around the > >> building > >> and > >> COOL air from higher in the atmosphere hundreds of feet above the > >> building > >> being sucked down the center of the invisible column. > > >> The cooling effect was commonly reported to be in the range of 20 > >> degrees. > >> That is, the air coming in through the root pipe and dropping on the > >> room > >> had an effect of cooling the room by about 20 degrees from its > >> temperature > >> with the vents all closed. > > >> Pretty amazing. Completely passive (other than opening and closing > >> vents). > >> And, other than the initial cost to build (the pvc or stove pipe and > >> rain > >> cap and dampers), free. > > >> I say that this is counter intuitive because normally we expect > >> interior > >> heat to rise and exit through a roof vent. And normally it does. And > >> that > >> certainly helps exhaust heat from the room or building. But it doesn't > >> bring > >> in a nice, steady, flow of cool air that drops on the room from the > >> ceiling. > > >> Hope that helps inspire someone to experiment and report their results. > > >> Best, > >> ken winston caine > > >> ----- Original Message ----- > >> From: "Jack Senechal" <jacksenec...@gmail.com> > >> To: <hexayurt@googlegroups.com> > >> Sent: Monday, July 04, 2011 3:19 PM > >> Subject: Re: [hexayurt] Windows > > >> I've used metal tape to fix a plexiglass panel to the outside, and it > >> worked great. You could do two for better insulation, one inside and > >> one out. And if you have two panels of plexiglass, you can bolt > >> through them for extra solidity. But I think that might be overkill > >> for the Playa. Having the cutout in there to block the sun during the > >> part of the day when it shines in the window directly would probably > >> be a good idea. > > >> Regarding ventilation, I suspect that it would work well to generate > >> an updraft by installing a black chimney pipe in the roof. That would > >> draw air up when the sun shines on it, pulling it in through your > >> vents below. > > >> As an added bonus, you could put a damp cloth over the vent so air has > >> to pass through it, which would cool it down and moisturize the air. > >> You'd need a course fabric for that, something that's absorbent and > >> loosely woven so air could pass through well. You could drape the > >> bottom into a bucket of water, and it would wick it up continuously. > > >> I haven't actually tried those ventilation ideas to work out the kinks > >> yet, but I intend to do that this year. The principles behind it are > >> sound though :) > > >> Jack > > >> On Mon, Jul 4, 2011 at 11:20 AM, Milt Fisher <mfisher...@gmail.com> > >> wrote: > >> > I was planning to tape the filters to the outside after setting up. > >> > That > >> > way > >> > I could replace the cutouts during dust storms if too much dust came > >> > through > >> > the filters. > >> > Did you just have one filter? Was that enough to provide ventilation? > >> > On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:44 AM, Steve Upstill <upst...@gmail.com> wrote: > > >> > Don't know if you're headed for the Playa, but I liked my hyurt nice > >> > and > >> > dark. I had great results with a furnace filter: cut a hole just > >> > small > >> > enough to hold the filter firmly. Bonus: you can still fold/stack > >> > your > >> > panels. > >> > Cheers, > >> > Steve > >> > -- > >> > Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes. That way, when > >> > you > >> > do > >> > criticize him, you'll be a mile away and you'll have his shoes. > > >> > On Jul 4, 2011, at 9:03 AM, Milt Fisher wrote: > > >> >> I'd like some recommendations for hexayurt windows. I'm not > >> >> interested > >> in > >> >> framed, sliding windows with screens, just some plastic of some kind > >> >> taped > >> >> over a hole in the panel. Any recommendations on what kind of > >> >> plastic > >> to > >> >> use? Thin plexiglas maybe? Or perhaps flexible vinyl? > > >> > Any other ideas for simple windows? > >> > I'm planning to tape the plastic to the outside and hinge the panel > >> cutout > >> > into the window opening so we can close it when we want darkness. > >> > Thanks, > >> > Milt > >> > -- > >> > You received this message because you are subscribed > > ... > > read more ยป -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hexayurt" group. To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/hexayurt?hl=en. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hexayurt" group. To post to this group, send email to hexayurt@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to hexayurt+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. 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