Archives

In outback oz they keep water in a canvas bag that is semi permeable hanging on the front of the vehicle, usually on the bullbar at the front. When the vehicle moves the windage blows across the surface of the canvas bladder which cools the water inside making it pleasant for drinking in a hot climate. What about fitting a wet cloth across the interior vents so that air blown across the wet fabric cools the interior of the vehicle? A inverted flip top water bottle with a pin hole in the base could be positioned to drip on the cloth/sponge/whatever at a controlled rate....I think some home made and commercial air con units use this principal, where the only energy used is the fan and loss of water to vapour thru evaporation. This link about air con is from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_conditioning

that would work OK in a dry climate. A lot of people in the west have "swamp collers" and use this principle. On the East coast it will not work due to the high humidity.

this may be a better link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evaporative_cooler

wet t-shirt driving?

that is only allowed if FEMALE.:D

Folks use those evaporative coolers to actually cool parts of their houses or courtyards out west.

When I was a little kid-1950's- I remember asking my dad what that thing in someones side window/roof was. He told me it was a "water" cooler. It wasn't until I was much older that I realized I had seen an evaporative cooler. I'm not sure if it was for drinking water or to cool the car; my suspicion is it might have actually cooled the car(or maybe an ice chest or just chilled drinking water?). This was in the east-Penn probably. They would work on many days in the eastern USA , especially at 60 mph. They were too bulky to just be for chilling drinking water ,I think. My suspicion is that it was cooling the car , but my dad didn't elaborate .

I can remember seeing several cars with these things on the side windows/roofs.

Charlie

that is only allowed if FEMALE.:D

as a female, i am offended by that ;)

it should be equal opportunity, we like to look, too ya know......;)

I guess we should be careful for what we ask for................there are plenty of women that I would NOT like to see in a wet t-shirt.:p

I cant figure out what type of material postioned across the vents will work the best? Needs to hold water and allow air to pass through, with maximun surface area relationship of the air and water.

Canvas maybe?

I cant figure out what type of material postioned across the vents will work the best? Needs to hold water and allow air to pass through, with maximun surface area relationship of the air and water.

Probably the "open" cell sponge like material which is sometimes used as filters in various appliances and some window air conditioners.

I think this idea has some merit:cool: A little housing could be constructed of aluminum flashing material and pop rivits. It could be hung on the dash in some fashion, depending on where the vents are located. The air flow is "free."

As others have remarked, this approach has more merit in dry climates.

A relatively recent discovery/hack that's helping greatly on
the roadtrips is simply keeping a damp rag in the car and sponging
myself off every so often. It's easy to take this into a rest
stop bathroom and rinse out and sort of do a sponge-bath right
there, and it takes most of the sweat off. Sweat that forms
even if the A/C is on, since there's so much sunlight blasting
in through that huge windshield.
.
_H*

Smells like mold and fungus could be an issue real fast. I wonder how feasible rigging up a small dehumidifier inside the car (running on its own power) would be in reducing such a problem or just the dehumidifier alone for those areas with bad humidity.

That way, dehum would allow evaporative cooling (ie sweat, misting) to function properly not to mention reducing moisture that isn't always a good thing inside a car. I know someone rigged up a fan and its own power source to sit in the car. Something similar to that with the dehum could work.

(yeah, basically making a poor man's A/C in the cabin but the principle works)

if I held wet canvas up to my mouth and blew I imagine it would be almost blocked...

Canvas maybe?

What about cheesecloth?