Peltier Air Conditioner Idea

[Adamaku]

It gets hot in my room with my computer on (88*F sometimes) so I came up with an idea to make an air conditioner using a peltier. There is an article where someone did this here:

http://myhome.netsgo.com/wesleycrush...i010604a-1.htm

I think that I have figured out a design that might be more efficient.

I would cool the hot side of the peltier with water cooling. But instead of using a radiator I would have the hot water go into a huge resevior (a big plastic trash can) so that the heat would be stored in the water and released very slowly.

The cold side of the peltier would be used to freeze a smaller resevior of water. I would then have a fan blowing air over the ice to cool off the room.

Another idea I had was to make the small resevior detachable and put it in the big resevior when I was finished using it so it would cool down the hot water.

1. Would this idea work?

2. How powerfull of a pelt would I need?

3. Is there a better way to do this?

I'm won't be trying this anytime soon: I'm a little short on cash right now .

[jastrckl]

peltiers really are more optimum for small size applications like cooling computer processors where a full compressor/evaporator unit won't fit or would be too expensive. For cooling an entire room, a peltier isn't the best bet.

[jtroutma]

I agree

Nice idea though

[Arcturius]

Unfortunately, with the large surface area you'd have in a giant trash can, despite it's poor thermal conductivity, would probably release heat to the room about as fast as any reasonable peltier could take it in.

Unless, of course, you stuck your res. somewhere else, like the bathtub, so you've got a nice, steamy bath drawn anytime you want it, and the heat is in a room elsewhere.

Or, you could just run your waterlines to your parents room with a radiator, and make sure the hot air hits your mom's side of the bed. (women are always cold, after all)

[spleck]

Using a pelt or any other device completely INSIDE the room will not cool the room at all. It may work for a little while, and you'll have cool air coming from that fan setup, but the reservoir will eventually start warming the room up. Plus, since the pelt is not 100% efficient at moving the thermal energy, your room will get hotter.

Can't you just get a window air conditioner?

[yomamazphat]

I had the same problem but solved it! with my home made air conditioner!!

this is what i have, i made a box out of Lexon Plastic, and i have a big radiator in it, in the back of the box i have drier hose running from my computer power supplies into the box and a fan on the front of the box to pull the cooled air out. then i have a small fill-point resivour on top of the box with a pump that pumps water into the radator and out, then i have water lines running to my bassment, to another small radior so the water can be cooled. i have pics of it online go to...

Pics Here

my room was getting to 88 degrees too, and with this cooler i managed to keep it in the low 70s. the cool box itself takes in air from 88-95 degrees and cools it an average of 15 degrees, so the head my computers produce never goes into my room!

it works great, it cost around $300 total, but i am in the processes of adding some more to get it to actually "air-condition" my room!

[resago]

window AC units are $230 at walmart.

[yomamazphat]

yeah but i didn't want something in my window, plus i wanted to expiriment, and i kinda got over my head!