DIY fridge design.
Using a very old idea – the cooling power of the evaporation of water – a small Indian group has released plans for a very inexpensive but effective way to keep food cool and fresh – refrigeration without any power source whatsoever!
The bamboo iceless refrigerator is a low cost device that can be used to store food items. It preserves the food longer, and keeps it cool. This fridge can be used to store vegetables, fruits or even keep your beers cold. Detailed instructions at the end of this article
When the temperature of the air is high, water will evaporate without boiling first. When it does so, in this bamboo based contraption, it removes heat from the enclosed cooling compartment to keep food and drinks cool on the hottest days. Even better, the only energy it requires is to be topped up with water every so often!
I’ve had a cold beer from a modified version of this contraption – using a discarded fridge in a desert area where the electricity no longer functioned – and can attest to how well it works (and how good that beer tasted!). Of course you can also use the evaporative cooling potential of water to keep yourself cool, for example with this vest from amazon in the ad below (article continues after).
The bamboo refrigerator is a bamboo box with a loose fitting lid. Both the box and the lid are covered with jute cloth. The box is then kept over a tray containing water in such a way that the jute cloth of the box is in touch with water. Any material desired to be preserved can be kept inside the box and covered with the lid. The box and the lid are then dampened with clean water. The capillarity of the jute cloth will keep absorbing water and remain moist. The vaporization of the water on jute cloth will keep the temperature inside the box low.
The design and working of the bamboo refrigerator is simple and does not require any engineering skills to make. This is a perfect technology for people who want to live far off-grid for short or long periods of time, in some comfort, and without the expense of a full on refrigerator.
Download detailed instruction on making the bamboo refrigerator, from https://www.gaia-movement.org/files/Manual%208e%20%20Bamboo%20Cooler.PDF
5 Responses
That’s great! I have just been working on a wooly fridge to try out at home… using sheeps wool & reflective sheeting as insulation… I will unplug my old fridge and modify that or can use boxes if you need your fridge to be mobile. I will also trial your design alongside the wooly fridge and take proper temperature readings throughout the year.. Will let you know the results of both! :)
Would love to have a look at your fridge plan but link does not work. Cheers. Paul
great idea! But what if we could really use it into our homes? Wouldnt it be nice to have it in your own kitchen? Maybe we could have a smaller refrigerator just for meat, wich would reduce energy costs, and some compartiment made of bamboo, oder clay, for fruits and vegetables storage?
Einstein cycle fridges were suppressed in the U.S.A. because they have the potential to be operated cheaply on Solar power! The Corporatists thwt own modern fridge factories want desperately to protect their expensive patent rights and factory investments and will actually discourage anything that might interfere, whether it is good for the American patriot or not! In many cases Science advances have uopset the status quo, but not in backwards America who fall prey to the lobbiests and government decrees they force into law! A case in point: Google, torrent, the movie, “Who Killed The Electric Car”, and remember when viewing, that this is only the tip of the iceburg! Americans have been duped out of a plethora of energy saving things, including more economical fridges, passive solar heating, ground heat storage, geothermal power, new super-insulation, and healthy food. Study the movie and extrapolate from your every day knowledge and see! There are rumors on the net of a Depleted Uranium super battery too, Anyone hear anything on that? How about going from 60Hz power to 400Hz power at 220 volts to save copper expenses? Rust free carbon fiber car bodies?
I’ll try this.