Wind powered refrigerator

[alexb]

Some years ago I remember seeing a programme on TV where they challenged a bunch of scientists to design odd things. One of the challenges was a beer cooler that ran for free.

As far as I remember the actual device ended up with a tall finned tube leading to a stubby box. I seem to remember that the way it worked was to allow the beer to act as a heat pump and then refrigerant (which I think was dilute alcohol) was allowed to evaporate up the tube, being cooled by the fins at it went until it condensed at the top and ran down.

I seem to remember it succeeded in producing very cold beer with no moving parts and no heat source or forced pumping.

Am I dreaming? does such a thing exist?

[Chris S]

There's the old Pot in Pot method that relies on evaporation:

Desert Refrigerator Power Free Cooling - Energy Efficiency

Works very well in dry countries - but doesn't work when it's humid as it'll only cool to the dew point. In desert air, the dew point could easily be 5c against a temperature of 30c or more. Of course, the evaporation rate is very high, so lots of water is required then.

[andym]

Rough Science?  they certainly did a refrigerator in one episode, but I don't recall the details.

From the description, it sounds like a heatpipe, which makes use of pretty much every thermal property there is. Refrigerant could be meths?

[rogerzilla]

lots of water is required then.

You can use mucky and/or salt water though.

[Salvatore]

lots of water is required then.

You can use mucky and/or salt water though.

I've drunk an acceptably (and to me, surprisingly) chilly can of lager in the Sahara, chilled by wrapping it in a teatowel soaked in waters of the Niger.

I also saw the glistening goatskin water-container of a chamelier. It was explained to us that the goatskin is porous, and small amount of evaporating water kept his drinking water cool inside.