Choosing a refrigeration system for a boat is one of those areas that seems ponderously complex. Do you want a holding plate or a condenser? AC, DC, or engine driven? Water or air cooled? Oh, and how long would you like to run your engine every day just to keep your beer cold? The tradeoffs among these systems can be rather frustrating, and installations tend to be complex. So, it’s good to see new products that promise simplicity and improved efficiency, namely the Stirling cycle powered TropiKool refrigerators.
Stirling devices were invented in 1816 by Robert Stirling who endeavored to create a safer alternative to steam engines. As engines, they work on temperature differences, with one end of the device heated, and the other cooled in order to generate power. If, instead, you power the device, it becomes a heat pump, with one end hot, and the other cold. In the TropiKool refrigerator, a very compact Stirling device liquefies CO2 as it’s refrigerant, and a variable speed fan removes heat from the hot side of the unit. The CO2 circulates through an icebox-mounted evaporator via convection (no pump needed), and is capable of chilling to -50 F. The cooler itself is maintenance- and oil-free, filled with helium which cushions the linear piston. Overall the unit is quiet, cools the box very rapidly, pulling 4 amps at max load, and only consumes 18 amp hours/day in a measurement standard suggested by Cruising World. An additional advantage, is that the Stirling cooler looses little of its efficiency in high ambient temperatures, so water-cooling is not required, even in hot climates. At the Strictly Sail show AvXcel was demonstrating both a built-in icebox version, as well as a portable freezer/cooler. I’m looking forward to hearing more about these interesting coolers.
Link: TropiKool
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Cool!