New Air Conditioner Process Cuts Energy Use 50-90% 445
necro81 writes "The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory has announced that it has developed a new method for air conditioning that reduces energy use by 50-90%. The DEVap system (Desiccant-Enhanced eVaporative air conditioner) cools air using evaporative cooling, which is not new, but combines the process with a liquid dessicant for pulling the water vapor out of the cooled air stream. The liquid dessicant, a very strong aqueous solution of lithium chloride or sodium chloride, is separated from the air stream by a permeable hydrophobic membrane. Heat is later used to evaporate water vapor back out — heat that can come from a variety of sources such as solar or natural gas. The dessicants are, compared to typical refrigerants like HCFCs, relatively benign on the environment."
Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Good for server farms? (Score:5, Funny)
And how are they going to pipe down solar gas into your server room anyway?
Re:OK, so when can we buy one? (Score:5, Funny)
I know my wife is going to be asking for an AC in the house this summer
Really? Another one? I've been visiting her for months.
Re:lithium chloride or sodium chloride? (Score:5, Funny)
I lost interest at this point. Wake me up when biochemists and medical doctors get a chance to run test case groups about the adverse effects of lithium in their localized atmosphere, typically inhaled into the lungs and later causing one's sense of reality to become skewed.
In order to get lithium chloride vapor in the atmosphere, one would have to raise the temperature to about 1600 Kelvin at normal atmospheric pressure. Under those conditions, I propose blind panic as a suitable coping strategy.
Re:lithium chloride or sodium chloride? (Score:5, Funny)
So if they don't do stuff like that, then whats the point of having grad students?
Re:Good for server farms? (Score:5, Funny)
Oh, those fucking nanny-state latte-drinking faggie euro-trash tree-hugging abortionist lesbian pot-smoking liberals! That be a strike against liberty!
God gave me the right of freezing to death without having that nanny-state surplus heat fed into my heating system. If I want heat, I'll buy my own oil and heat myself, thank you!
First, you accept their surplus heat, then you go to the hospital for free, when you least expect it you're all dressed in red, singing "The International".
Re:Is this a closed system? (Score:1, Funny)
Not only that, they are using wierd chemicals like sodium chloride which contains toxic sodium!
Re:Is it better than this? (Score:2, Funny)
Cause Coolerado [coolerado.com] uses Flash and TFA [nrel.gov] HTML5?
Re:lithium chloride or sodium chloride? (Score:5, Funny)
A desert is an ocean with its life undergound, and a perfect disguise above.
Or is it the other way round?
Re:OK, so when can we buy one? (Score:1, Funny)
Vaporware...
(My apologies if these people actually have a viable consumer product with at least a 50% improvement in efficiency. Big numbers like that usually mean that something is decades away from consumer applications.)
Re:lithium chloride or sodium chloride? (Score:2, Funny)
Who pissed in your cornflakes this morning?
Sex (Score:3, Funny)
Re:OK, so when can we buy one? (Score:4, Funny)
Indeed. I would highly recommend that you seal your house 100% hermetically.
Re:Well... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:lithium chloride or sodium chloride? (Score:3, Funny)
I lost interest at this point. Wake me up when biochemists and medical doctors get a chance to run test case groups about the adverse effects of lithium in their localized atmosphere, typically inhaled into the lungs and later causing one's sense of reality to become skewed.
Isn't this where the reavers came from? Lithium chloride in the atmosphere to calm the population, caused 99% of the people to give up and die, and sent 0.1% into a psychotic rage?
Oh, right. That was a science fiction movie. I always get those confused with reality.
Interesting article, but... (Score:1, Funny)
not for sale yet. It is . . . vaporware.
Re:Good for server farms? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Well... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Good for server farms? (Score:5, Funny)
heatsinks are NOT noisy
They never make a sound when _you_ are in the room, but just wait until your back is turned. They're bitchy little things.
Re:OK, so when can we buy one? (Score:3, Funny)
I don't think I could even find 20 seers, let alone get them to agree on which AC I should buy.
Re:OK, so when can we buy one? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:OK, so when can we buy one? (Score:3, Funny)
If it's that warm in the winter, summer must really suck.