Anyone ever do a Dometic / Peltier Hybrid Fridge?

[metropoj]

A stock Dometic fridge is supposed to get a temp down to about 30 below ambient

A Peltier based cooler is supposed to get to about the same ambient benchmark.

Has anyone ever tried to mount a Peltier into the top of the Dometic for example and have it assist in bringing temps down below the 30 deg ambient benchmark ?

Of course I don't expect that it will totally transform the fridge into some magical box that can help jumpstart the next ice age but I wonder if anyone had tried this scenario before I consider doing this in the name of science and curiosity ...
_________________
John.
86 TiiCo powered Westy.

[fxr]

I considered that - for the few minutes it took me to realise that the Peltier 'hot' side would still be at ambient, so the 'cold' side would never get below that 30° threshold. Both systems together in parallel wouldn't make it any cooler than the coolest one to start with.

Now if you could get them in 'series' that'd be a different matter, but I can see no practical way of doing that. Putting a Peltier device straight on the cooling fins wouldn't be any better than a couple of computer fans anyway.
_________________
Jim Crowther
1984 1.9l EJ22 Westy Wolfsburg Edition
Vespa GTS 300

[spitsnrovers]

For another take on the subject, check here
http://www.griffco.ca/interest/vw/fridgechill.htm

Its been in the mind, and on the drawing board, but never put into practice.
_________________
'88 VW Westfalia
'75 Triumph Spitfire 1500

[metropoj]

[atomatom]

someday when i am feeling *very* brave, i will redirect the heater coolant plumbing to the fridge so that the dometic cools when the engine is hot.
_________________
84 Vanagon Westy, 1.9L, California raised but defected to Canada.

[spitsnrovers]

automatom said

[atomatom]

[midmo81]

Ummm yep. PO let the smoke out of the original 12volt Dometic option. Had Powerchill handy. Works fine when driving.

_________________
1981 AC Westy

[spitsnrovers]

atomatom - I missed that inference

Do you think engine coolant heat would be sufficient to boil the ammonia mixture?
_________________
'88 VW Westfalia
'75 Triumph Spitfire 1500

[metropoj]

[atomatom]

[vanagonjon]

The RV repair club article about absorption refrigeration is not technically accurate. Both compression and absorption type systems add heat to raise the temperature of the refrigerant to allow condensation at an 'ambient' temperature. The compression type system also has a 'pump', the compressor, to move the refrigerant around. The absorption system uses chemical properties to move the refrigerant around, the ammonia gas has an affinity to be absorbed back into the water, hence absorption. The hydrogen allows the ammonia to evaporate more readily by another chemical property. I am not sure of the actual temperature needed in the boiler, it may be more total BTU's needed at a minimal threshold temperature.

I am a refrigeration tech, remember there is no cold, only lack of heat. All refrigeration systems move heat. When you move heat from an area, you have 'cold' there.

John