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I am always fantasizing about having a energy efficient air conditioner for van life, anyone seen any concepts in tech news or anything?

I own a Midea 8k inverter based window unit. It would be a chore to put it in an RV. It is exceptionally quiet and very efficient. I wish the Dometic folks would go inverter.

I have whole house AC. The Midea allows me to keep our bedroom at 66 for pennies while the rest of house is at a comfortable dry 78.

Off topic - I swapped the transformer based microwave in my Jayco trailer for a Panasonic inverter based unit (bezel fit!); much easier start on my inverter.
 
3d0g said:
View attachment 44525
Well, if I were installing, I'd attach the rear of the unit to a louvered vent on the exterior of the van, slap a 90 degree elbow on the condenser discharge and vent it outside as well. I'd also mount the whole thing up relatively high in the cabin so the room air intake can draw in warmer convective air and add a deflector to the room air output to direct the cool downwards. Clear as mud?
Click to expand...
Sounds like trouble than it's worth. One thing you're missing is the hot moist air from outside will condense on cooler surfaces.

I know, I've worked in HVAC with a background of automotive for 27 years now.
 
cfent said:
I own a Midea 8k inverter based window unit. It would be a chore to put it in an RV. It is exceptionally quiet and very efficient. I wish the Dometic folks would go inverter.
Click to expand...

Got a link?
cfent said:
I have whole house AC. The Midea allows me to keep our bedroom at 66 for pennies while the rest of house is at a comfortable dry 78.

Off topic - I swapped the transformer based microwave in my Jayco trailer for a Panasonic inverter based unit (bezel fit!); much easier start on my inverter.
Click to expand...

Got a link? I'm waiting on microwave purchase to find what I want.
 
OnTheRoadAgain said:
AFAIK,
A window AC unit was specifically designed to remove heat from a room.

The Server AC unit is designed to remove heat, or maybe more aptly, cool a server without regard to the room.
The assumption being that the room (environment) AC system will remove whatever heat is generated in the process.

AFAIK, you cannot have Air cooling without a corresponding transfer of heat....in the case of a window unit....to the outside.

In ANY pressurized, compressor AC system, there is a condenser, a compressor and an evaporator.

ONE gets hot, while the other gets cold. Yes, the heat MUST go somewhere.

It's the method of heat "disposal" that is in question here with this tripp Lite unit.

If it blows the heat out of the room with the black pipe shown, then air MUST be replaced in the room in question.
This is different than a window AC which has the condenser outside the cooled space.
Click to expand...
Finally, someone gets it.

Yes, the unit would have to be modifired to work in a van. It is not designed to draw condenser air from outside the room.

The intake air side.
Screen Shot 2021-04-10 at 1.18.30 PM.png
 
Zwy said:
Sounds like trouble than it's worth. One thing you're missing is the hot moist air from outside will condense on cooler surfaces.

I know, I've worked in HVAC with a background of automotive for 27 years now.
Click to expand...
Not missing anything. Read the specs. This unit provides a couple options for dealing with condensation. Again, if it doesn't fit your needs, find something else?
 
Q-Dog said:
Finally, someone gets it.

Yes, the unit would have to be modifired to work in a van. It is not designed to draw condenser air from outside.

The intake air side.
View attachment 44526
Click to expand...
Before I installed the Tripplite, I'd take a window air and modify it into a mini split. I would prefer a 24v compressor and fan however in my application.
 
Chevy Window AC.jpg
Sure, Van and A/C works.

This is my old Setup which I built in 2016. 6000 BTU On-Off A/C with hard start kit and a 1200W Inverter running of 450AH of 12V lead anchor weight :p

In my house I got a Midea Inverter Window A/C - would be much better.
 
3d0g said:
Not missing anything. Read the specs. This unit provides a couple options for dealing with condensation. Again, if it doesn't fit your needs, find something else?
Click to expand...
Settle down, ya don't need to get worked up.

It has a drain for condensed water off the evaporator, however that won't help with the condenser air that will be humid.
 
 
eXodus said:
View attachment 44527
Sure, Van and A/C works.

This is my old Setup which I built in 2016. 6000 BTU On-Off A/C with hard start kit and a 1200W Inverter running of 450AH of 12V lead anchor weight :p

In my house I got a Midea Inverter Window A/C - would be much better.
Click to expand...
Better be careful, didn't RoadTrek patent that idea? :cool:
 
Q-Dog said:
Finally, someone gets it.

Yes, the unit would have to be modifired to work in a van. It is not designed to draw condenser air from outside the room.

The intake air side.
View attachment 44526
Click to expand...

Just a thought......

If that tube / opening on the top is an INTAKE, and blows cool fresh air OUT through the condenser, then all you'd need to do is run that pipe to an outside fresh air source, then vent the condenser opening to the outside.

The evaporator unit appears to be on the other side, set up to cool the space on the other side.

This could still work. You'd just need two openings, one for cool air INTAKE and one for HOT air exhaust.
The room pressure would stay balanced, just like a window AC unit.
 
eXodus said:
But here you go:

Modern Technology:
www.aliexpress.com

386.06US $ 12% OFF|Auto Remote Control A/C Electric Air Conditioner 12V 24V for Truck Boat Tractor Trailer Automotive AC Electric Air Conditioning|Air-conditioning Installation| - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com

DC Split Technology:
www.aliexpress.com

346.68US $ 32% OFF|Universal Wall-mounted Auto Electric Air Conditioning Compressor Conditioner 12v 24v For Car Van Street Rod Hot Classic A/c - Air-conditioning Installation - AliExpress

Smarter Shopping, Better Living! Aliexpress.com
www.aliexpress.com www.aliexpress.com
Click to expand...
I wonder just how efficient those are. No SEER rating for one, big range on watt usage. It appears they are using the electric compressors from an EV.
 
Zwy said:
I wonder just how efficient those are. No SEER rating for one, big range on watt usage. It appears they are using the electric compressors from an EV.
Click to expand...
Interesting thought:

Just replace the engine driven Compressor on the Van with an Electric one - and use the onboard A/C components to run cooling ?
 
Zwy said:
I wonder just how efficient those are. No SEER rating for one, big range on watt usage. It appears they are using the electric compressors from an EV.
Click to expand...
they are direct DC probably a heck lot more efficient then doing DC - AC - AC - DC for any other way of Air Conditioning.

SEER rating is garbage anyhow. The only thing which matters - is how many BTUs you get per Watt The ratio's are important.

From that A/C
Rated power: 740 - 265 Watts

Cooling capacity: 2000 - 720 Watts ( 6824 -2457Btu/h )

2457 BTU / 265 w = 9.3 BTU /W

6824 BTU / 720w = 9.2 BTU /W

For comparison 1 watt is defined as 3.4121416331 Btu/h

So those things are getting about 3X

www.midea.com

8,000 BTU U-shaped Air Conditioner White MAW08V1QWT | Midea - Make yourself at home

Introducing the first ever U-shaped Inverter Window Air Conditioner that allows you to open or close your window while the unit is installed.
www.midea.com www.midea.com
The Midea U- Shaped have 15 BTU/ Watt

So there you get about 5X - the question is - are we losing 2X with all the conversions?
 
eXodus said:
Interesting thought:

Just replace the engine driven Compressor on the Van with an Electric one - and use the onboard A/C components to run cooling ?
Click to expand...
Not that easy, one is compressor oil for a EV such as the hybrid Prius uses has an oil that is not electrically conductive, you can't intermix any R12/R134a oil with it as it will short the windings out in the compressor. You would have to start with a brand new clean install.

Second, many of the EV compressors run at 48v or higher. I just looked in my supplier catalog and Sanden has one electric that operates between 200v to 432v. My cost is just under $1500 USD and that's wholesale. That's just crazy, must be an interesting application.
 
eXodus said:
they are direct DC probably a heck lot more efficient then doing DC - AC - AC - DC for any other way of Air Conditioning.

SEER rating is garbage anyhow. The only thing which matters - is how many BTUs you get per Watt The ratio's are important.

From that A/C
Rated power: 740 - 265 Watts
Click to expand...

Still, at 24v that's 30 amps. Better than a roof air but not that great.
eXodus said:
Cooling capacity: 2000 - 720 Watts ( 6824 -2457Btu/h )
Click to expand...

eXodus said:
2457 BTU / 265 w = 9.3 BTU /W

6824 BTU / 720w = 9.2 BTU /W

For comparison 1 watt is defined as 3.4121416331 Btu/h

So those things are getting about 3X

www.midea.com

8,000 BTU U-shaped Air Conditioner White MAW08V1QWT | Midea - Make yourself at home

Introducing the first ever U-shaped Inverter Window Air Conditioner that allows you to open or close your window while the unit is installed.
www.midea.com www.midea.com
The Midea U- Shaped have 15 BTU/ Watt

So there you get about 5X - the question is - are we losing 2X with all the conversions?
Click to expand...

The 24v Chinese model isn't very efficient. The Midea is just a mini split with high efficiency SEER rated compressor made to fit into a window. Interesting concept though.
 
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