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Solar icemaker: get the sun to keep things cool for a change
Just when you thought ice cube-creation technology had peaked, a team of engineering students from San Jose State University has come up an ice maker that has zero carbon footprint. It’s more than an eco-party trick — consider it an electricity-free alternative to refrigeration and air conditioning, which is critical if you happen to be somewhere off of the electrical grid, like in the developing world or in a disaster zone.
It works like this: the solar icemaker uses a refrigerant liquid that evaporates when exposed to the sun. The vapor travels through pipes that come into contact an absorbent material, which cools when the sun goes down. Once the slow-cooling absorbent hits 104°F, the refrigerant turns back into a liquid and its temperature drops like a rock to below freezing because of pressure differences. Put some water next to the evaporator’s exterior and, presto, ice.
A typical icemaker uses electricity to run a compressor to do this work, but the solar icemaker just uses solar energy, with no moving parts. And the systems are sealed, so barring a leak, they'll never need replenishing. The icemaker makes about 14 pounds of ice per day — more than enough for the margaritas at your end-of-summer barbecue. The students' prototype isn't available yet, but maybe next summer….
By MacBeth at 5:44 PM ON 08/27/08
Wasn't Harrison Ford in a movie about that called Mosquito Coast?
By savychris at 5:30 PM ON 08/28/08
What is the coolant being used?!?
Sounds like it could be useful for other projects as well.
Thanks!
Chris
By jrhee at 5:32 PM ON 08/28/08
That movie was the inspiration for our project! In the movie, Harrison Ford uses fire (instead of the sun) for the heat source. -Prof. J. Rhee, SJSU
By Chris@wellplanet.org at 9:40 PM ON 08/28/08
just wanted to let you know that i have posted this information on my site as well as a link to this information. this is great stuff.
By Pall.e at 11:08 AM ON 08/29/08
I once read about a project to use freezers to desalinate water. I wonder if this would useful in places like Sahara Africa to purify salt-water. I know it has it's downsides, but just a thought.
By cawwot at 2:31 PM ON 08/29/08
Very nice work, I look forward to hearing more about this in the future.
By baltee at 3:31 PM ON 08/29/08
The technology for doing this has been around for years, along with the instructions for diy'ng it. Great to see it being brought out again it the light, so to speak... :) Hopefully they're using a coolant other than the typical ammonia.
Cheers
By LUMINOUS at 4:46 PM ON 08/29/08
This is just another re-invention of the wheel. Companies such as Energy Concepts of Annapolis, MD, had their solar ice makers under endurance test for years at Sandia National Labs. I took some pictures of it at the lab in 2006. The machine was made in 1994.
By tallpaul420 at 4:15 PM ON 08/30/08
This is a nice start but I have been pushing this technology to deaf ears. The DOE knew of this technology a decade ago but they didn't like it. Now there is a US grant for this technology but most of the money went to solar thermal panels. Our company is relocating to the EU for production. Too bad USA, you're going to lag the pack again...
By Peltier at 12:06 AM ON 09/01/08
Too bad its to big (and prolly heavy too) for my car's roof. I'll stick to a Peltier fridge with PV panels or via an inverter for now.
By Moose at 10:24 PM ON 09/01/08
Agreed, they aren't the first. CSIRO in Australia developed a solar freezer back in the 1980's (IIRC). I believe that it didn't work like conventional fridges / freezers either.
By backwash at 11:20 AM ON 09/02/08
There was a professor from MIT that was doing this using zeolite mineral as the absorbent and water as the refrigerant. Try Google zeolite refrigerator.
By ivywarlord at 2:01 PM ON 09/15/08
This device rocks. Great work you guys!
By kevin at 1:25 AM ON 10/02/08
Wow. I was working out some figures on a cycle that was exactly like this, but it used propane for the heat source instead of a solar reflector. Finally something where solar polar makes a bit of sense. Nice work!
By Paul Noyelles at 7:26 AM ON 10/13/08
The S.T.E.V.E.N. Foundation did this 12 years ago (I have a PDF copy of it) and it had me searching the internet for more info on this concept. I saw the need for a small unit to make ice to keep medical supplies cool at remote loactions when I was a UN Peacekeeper in East Timor. My hope is for a corporate sponsor to help produce these so 3rd world countries can have them where no electricity is available for such things as keeping medicine cold and safe. Good luck with continued development.
By Hope at 9:21 PM ON 10/21/08
Come on guys, where are the specs...or are you just going to be another bunch of lame bread heads...spread your knowledge before you die
By Popa at 12:39 AM ON 10/22/08
The PDF mentioned above is located at http://www.solarhaven.org/AmmoniaAbsorptionIcemaker.pdf This is a 1996 document that shows pictures and basic but not detailed plans.
By jeanlan02 at 12:04 PM ON 10/24/08
In 1979, in Ouagadougou, I dreamed to build up solar refrigerators for my projects. Unfortunately, lacking information and technology I had to put that idea on the ice until now. As a former UNDP s/m , I am very excited seing that what I needed 30 years ago is now available. Thanks to Paul and to Popa for the information regarding the "PDF Doc". I will have a look at the website suggested by Popa for the plans. I am collecting simple technologies (appropriate technologies, as they are called) to apply in my sustainable development projects, as I am still working in the UN programmes occasionally.
By rising at 11:54 AM ON 01/01/09
can i have information regarding
" DESIGN of SOLID ADSORPTION SOLAR REFRIGERATION
USING ACTIVATED CARBON/METHANOL PAIR ".
n i need the equations for collector plate, condenser, evaporator, refrigerant etc. in this regard.
How it works effectively????
By PRobert at 11:31 PM ON 01/22/09
Yes, very nice. But as been mentioned. This has been done many many time. What is needed is details. I have been searching the net for years(intermitently) for details. I am an American but live in the a "third world" country and am very aware of the limitations lack of affordable refrigeration are. If this is to really help people we need to design a system that is easy to manufacture from locally available materials. Believe it or not Anhydrous Ammonia is hard to come by in most of the world. I hope the Prof reads this and contacts me as I am very interested in making this a practical solution for improving the plight of the worlds 5 billion poor.
By SAHELBURKINA at 1:37 PM ON 01/27/09
Your solar icemaker is really fantastic. Bravooooo!
Can you sell me this machine, or send me the notice for realize this ?
We are in Africa (Burkina/mali/niger), and we have many solar energy....but no ice water !
By pkt-det10-10 at 9:50 PM ON 02/26/09
I want to know the specificatio of the solar icemaker unit
By durka durka at 11:29 AM ON 03/11/09
Plagerism is wrong, and illegal. This device was made years ago to be used by farms using fire as the heat source. All those students have done has reapplied that concept to the sun. Big whoop. Behold : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icyball the "icy ball" refrigerator
By ecoman at 12:07 PM ON 05/15/09
I have a small working Solar AC unit but it requires Ice to make it work . Combining this technology with my AC unit would make it completely carbon free! Where can I get the plans?
By david at 11:45 PM ON 05/31/09
I love this blog
By papa at 9:23 AM ON 06/10/09
In the UK Philips made a gas refrigerator in the 1960's that used a coal or natural gas heat source. Small caravan (trailer) fridges are bi-fueled.
This is nothing new.
By John Wells at 2:32 PM ON 06/10/09
I would love some detailed info on your prototype - I am trying to build a unit for The Field Lab. www.TheFieldLab.org
By Manuel at 4:22 PM ON 06/15/09
Esta demasiado interesante este tema , me gustaria utilizarlo para trabajarlo en un proyecto de la Universidad, si es posible enviarme informacion de como fabricar ete prototiposeria genial, yo trabajo en sistemas d e aire acondicionado y supongo que me seria mas facil con los materiales... muchas gracias por la ayuda que me puedadn brindar
By soldude at 11:56 AM ON 06/25/09
saw one of these years ago in home power magazine. the unit used liquified sodium as
working fluid. What does yours use as refrigerant. 14 poundsof ice is impressive is that
passively tracked one or two axis?
By chan at 5:37 AM ON 07/01/09
see pdf of ice solar ice maker in Egypt.
The was the STEVEN design and later goes comercial.
http://www.dairyafrica.com/html/conferences/pdf/conf01_presentations/Session%208/Carl%20Erickson%20-%20Rural%20Milk%20Collection%20Centers.pdf
By Farrukh hussain at 10:45 PM ON 09/29/09
I think this blog is playing itg role to save nature
By Anonymous at 9:24 AM ON 09/30/09
its reallyyyyyyyy saving environment
By _-T at 10:05 PM ON 10/11/09
It would be good to publish detailed plans on the net so that people in underdeveloped countries, etc. might be able to find easily and get them. Presumably it's not too expensive.
By Stan Craig at 10:28 AM ON 11/06/09
Working of the "solarhaven.org" web site I think I can built the machine but I am unsure of how to charge it with the ammonia once it is complete. I live in a warm third world country. Can I get some help here?
By Yexibel at 10:26 PM ON 11/10/09
Por favor necesitamos informacion de su gran proyecto..
By ANTONIO at 6:32 AM ON 11/13/09
GREAT IDEA .PLEASE WANT TO KNOW MORE OR LESS
PANEL DIMENSION AND ICE QUANTITY.
BEST REGARDS
KEEP ME ADVISING ABOUT YOUR PROGRESSES.
on your cellphone!
Text DVICE to 72434
editor@dvice.com
ANTONIO:
GREAT IDEA .PLEASE WANT TO KNOW MORE OR LESS PANEL DIMENSION AND ICE QUANTITY. BEST REGARDS KEEP ME ADVISING ABOUT...More »