Hi guys. I just wanted to see if there was any interest in this idea. I live out in the Southwest where it is extremely dry (and hot during the summers). As a result, I have fantasized for some time about adding a swamp cooler to my car. In light of recent gas price increases over the last 18 months or so, such an addition would be a huge advantage over running my AC. Through various cars I have driven, I have noticed that using my AC generally results in a 10-15% decrease in fuel economy for me. When I run my AC, I also notice a significant loss of acceleration (especially coming from a dead stop).

The easiest way I was thinking of executing this conversion, would be to carve up one of those Artic Air devices (to reduce some of its dimensions), add a water float mechanism (to add an external water source) and insert as close to the outlet vents as possible. The Artic Air devices use about 10 Watts (5 VDC @ 2Amps) so their power consumption should not add a considerable load to my alternator. The biggest thing would be the size constraints under the dash (or possibly in engine compartment). The Artic Air devices work remarkably well in larger spaces than an interior of a car, but they do tend to produce a lot of moisture which is why I would want it as close to the outlet vent as possible. I wouldn't want it too close to the blower motor as it would likely drip water on it causing it corrode. By placing it inline with the existing vents, I would hope to maximize the efficiency of the cooling system. First by having cooler air coming into vehicle through external ducts and then by accelerating the air coming out of the Artic Air through the vent blower motor.

I would love to hear any of your thought if any of you have thought of doing this and if with your knowledge of the ducting in an HHR, if you could suggest a nice place to interject a Swap cooler (Artic Air).

 

I'll tell you right away - I'm not an expert, besides, I'm not familiar with ArcticAir. Therefore, I will be careful in my judgments.

If I understand correctly, this device is intended for stationary use in a building. From here:
1. Energy consumption in a building is different from energy consumption in a car. So if the ArcticAir is not rated for 12V DC, you have to convert your car electricity to high voltage AC (how many volts do you use at home in Utah? I don't know). You need an inverter, and he will be gluttonous;
2. ArcticAir is not intended for active life. You will have to provide for sharp braking / acceleration and rolls. So that the water does not splash, so that the float does not heel. Well, vibration - Arctic Air should be ready for it.

 

...I found it online. Video about ArcticAir.
Man, this thing is so noisy! Are you sure you want to have this in the car?

 

Its been proven that there is no difference in gas consumption running the ac.... just google it.
Its old wives tales such as putting the battery on a concrete floor it will discharge... That was from back in the early days when batteries were metal.... they are plastic now and will not conduct

 

Hi Geg.

Thanks for your reply. The Artic Air device actually has an AC to DC transformer included which delivers 5 VDC. So, the power conversion issue is a synch. You can use a Buck DC converter to convert from 12-14 VDC to 5 VDC. These types of converters usually run 90% or higher on efficiency. Not too worried about that issue.

You bring up a good point with the float. I would definitely need to experiment to make sure that the filler valve doesn't cause the reservoir to overfill. My thought is I could build in a significant amount of margin, meaning I would probably want to have the float at 50% fill point. That way even under significant vibration, the float would never flex into the overflow territory. If that doesn't work out, might have to think of an electronic solution whereby I could design a circuit to filter out noise (i.e. rapid water level fluctuation caused by water waving around in tank).

Great thoughts. Thanks. This is why I put this idea out. I figured I would get considerations I hadn't fully thought through.

 

I think what you are referring to is the difference between opening your windows as opposed to running your AC. It is true that running your cars AC is about the same as driving with your windows open.

I have real world experience that running my AC degrades my mileage. I always see a drop in my mileage when I run my AC while I drive (especially while driving a 4 cylinder).

Plus are you honestly going to tell me that you don't notice a loss in acceleration when you running your AC?

 

Hi Geg.

This is another great point you make. This is a big reason I would like to have it in sequence with the existing duct work. I figure that it would definitely help with muffling the sound at least a bit.

Besides that, you have to realize I am really cheap. If I can save some gas (running over $5 a gallon where I live), I will put up with a noisy air cabin. Plus, I can just crank up my stereo to drown out the sound.

 

Alternate suggestion, if you please - Use hydrogel beads.
Hydrogel is a highly absorbent polymer. It is able to absorb water 100–200 times its own weight. Under the action of moisture, the granules first swell, and then slowly begin to give it to the air. With the help of multi-colored hydrogel balls, which can be bought at any flower shop, they create beautiful interior compositions in glass vessels. The only rule: do not forget to add water to the hydrogel balls in time so that the evaporation process does not stop.
This way you save a lot of time and money:
1. you do not spend onboard electricity, which means you save more expensive gasoline;
2. don't buy ArcticAir, which may not want to work in a car;
3. You don't cut your dashboard, which is also not cheap + you don't risk wiring and bearings.
Just stuff this into an empty car-deodorant capacity. As they say in our area: cheap & cheerful.

 

That is very interesting. So, let me see if I am following this concept correctly?

These hydrogel beads could be presoaked. Then with a little help via some rapid air flow (i.e. high flow fan), these little guys release their water?

That actually does sound like a pretty elegant solution as long as the beads release water at a rapid enough rate.

I like it. I think I will try this first just from the standpoint of simplicity.

 

Yes, just a test.
Can be at home near the fan.
Maybe in the cokpit. There are small glass containers with deodorant that are hung on the grate of the air duct. Perhaps you will find such an empty jar. Or even a gauze bag is enough for a simple test. Balls should not be expensive, not a pity for the dough.