Chill out

Midnightoil · September 20, 2021, 4:39pm

Hacked apart a newer 1200 btu window ac. Took lots of pictures for y’all.

My goal is to chill the material column prior to and during extraction, chill the injection/condensing coil during recovery, and to heat the material column, and collection vessel during recovery, thus reserving dry ice consumption for injection only.

Midnightoil · September 20, 2021, 4:49pm

First. TARE DOWN!

Take pictures of every wire you disconnect. Trust me.

Akoyeh · September 20, 2021, 4:53pm

Looks like about 20 of those pictures didn’t load before you posted that last comment.

I’m sure @cyclopath can help if you run into any problems. He’s done this to more than a few window AC units with great success.

Midnightoil · September 20, 2021, 4:55pm

Midnightoil · September 20, 2021, 5:00pm

We’re pulling out the condenser on this project because we want to use the heat from it to power vaporization.

Midnightoil · September 21, 2021, 9:15am

Stretch it all out and jam into some coolers. Cut the compressor mount plus a little extra from the bottom of the window unit.

Midnightoil · September 21, 2021, 9:21am

Now we bent the end of the compressor mounting plate up between the coolers to mount the electronics in their new home.

If you took lots of pictures reconnecting the electronic components will be simple. And it’ll be time to turn it on to test A, your wiring and B, for refrigerant leaks.

Midnightoil · September 21, 2021, 9:37am

Must be a programming issue, I had to re-connect the fan for this baby to start compressing.

checking the ratings on the fan motor, looks like I could wire two submersible pumps in its place and be just under amp draw of the fan.
On the left in the cooler with the condenser (hot side) I’ve placed a r134a evaporator from a Kenworth t-800 plumbed to a garden hose incase I need to remove heat for this test. On the right in the cooler is the evaporator (cold side). I filled with all the “junk” antifreeze I could find.it works. But far from finished. I will update as the project progresses.

Stonebolone · October 6, 2022, 6:15am

You should use the hot side on your collection pot and the cold glycol on you material columns

Thetetraguy · October 6, 2022, 5:26pm

Thats a good idea but id still route the hot line thru a radiator after it hits the collection pot, just incase the collection pot isnt absorbing enough heat, the radiator line can dissipate the rest of the heat.
Closing up the radiator section and setting another liquid cooling line to go outside and dissipate the heat there is a better option, unless u work in a very non insulated building and want the extra warmth during winter

Stonebolone · October 7, 2022, 2:20am

I think with the reserve water sitting at ambient Temps you’ll have enough buffer to switch over to a radiator via bypass valve befor it gets up there in temp roo. The how many btu/hr is this unit?

cyclopath · October 7, 2022, 3:32pm

Are we in the same thread?!?

Midnightoil · October 8, 2022, 12:18am

I haven’t had time to revisit this project regrettably. But I will for sure finish my latest project in refrigeration, as it’s been commissioned by my employer. I’m assembling an hfc recovery recycle recharge machine out of parts from an old Snap on dual recovery and an Appion off Craigslist. Double Edged sword however. Being commissioned by an equipment owner, I probably won’t get back to it until it’s hot out again.