h a l f b a k e r yNot so much a thought experiment as a single neuron misfire.
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This idea is very simple -- use a completely conventional desiccant dehumidification system to remove humidity from the interior of your vehicle.
After absorbing humidity from the interior of the vehicle, the desiccant (either solid or liquid) is regenerated using waste heat of the engine. Since
this heat is essentially "free," the only energy needed by the is for the fan and either a motor to spin an enthalpy wheel (for solid desiccant systems), or a low pressure pump to move liquid desiccant.
This system would either augment your car's air conditioner (if the air is dried first, less energy is needed to cool it to below it's original dew point), or even to replace the air conditioner (in climates where cooling isn't needed, but dehumidification is).
[link]
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I just had this same idea, but for window defogging. Rather
than pumping unwanted heat or cold (either works) into the
car to defog the front window, use an engine heat
regenerated dessicant to dry the air instead. More energy
efficient than cooling the air, no uncomfortably hot air
dumped in, and especially good for times when the oustside
temperature is pleasant but damp. |
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I'll buy one: it'd probably work more often than the A/C does. |
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Needs more rant on the silliness of having 100 lbs of bulky, poorly planned and executed, maintenance-heavy plumbing in the engine compartment to do a job a $4.95 bag of silica could do better. |
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Why would it need to weight 100 pounds, be poorly
planned and executed, etc? |
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Also, after that bag of silica has adsorbed a few ounces
of water, it will stop adsorbing water until it has been
regenerated. |
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Of course, nothing precludes the use of your silica to dry
the air in the car, and an auger conveyor to move the
saturated silica into a heating/drying chamber, and
another conveyor to return the (now dry) silica back to
the the car's cabin. |
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lol, no, the Air Conditioning system weighs 100lbs etc, not the dessicant system which I imagine would weigh about 10lbs all up. |
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I see it as a canister full of crystal dessicant: recirculate passenger compartment air to saturate, then from/to the outside using heated air from the engine to regenerate. |
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If for some reason you find yourself with a vehicle full of people barreling down the highway in -50C for a few hours, you might want either a much bigger bag or a 2-bag alternating system. |
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