Aug 28 2008Zero Carbon Footprint: The Solar Ice Maker
It may look like a funhouse mirror and potato gun, but this sucker is actually a solar powered ice maker that requires no electricity, and can produce 14 lbs of ice per day.
It works like this: the solar icemaker uses a refrigerant liquid that evaporates when exposed to the sun. The vapor travels through pipes that come into contact an absorbent material, which cools when the sun goes down. Once the slow-cooling absorbent hits 104°F, the refrigerant turns back into a liquid and its temperature drops like a rock to below freezing because of pressure differences. Put some water next to the evaporator's exterior and, presto, ice.
Awesome. I love ice. But you know what I love even more? Refrigerant. Shit's better than Kool-Aid. Plus you don't have to worry about that big red bastard "Oh Yeah!"ing his fat ass through the side of your house.
Solar icemaker: get the sun to keep things cool for a change [dvice]
Related Stories
MIT Students Make Solar Dish, Melt Steel (06/23/2008)
Toyota Prius May Get Solar Panel Treatment (07/07/2008)
Solar Shower Provides Hot Water In 2 Hours (08/14/2009)
Sure, Why Not?: Rechargeable Solar Batteries (02/18/2009)
Solar Panel Tie Can Charge Your Gadgets (08/20/2008)
Reader Comments
1. Anonybod - August 28, 2008 2:57 PM
LAST!
2. whistle - August 28, 2008 3:02 PM
WOuldn't the manufacture of the solar panels and other pieces create some carbon footprint of some kind?
3. TochiroV - August 28, 2008 3:07 PM
haha I ruin your lastness by posting after you! now I am teh last!
LAST!
I think condensing solar energy into solid cubes is Energon, isn't it?
Ba-weep-nah-weep-nah-graah-ninibon!
4. TochiroV - August 28, 2008 3:13 PM
http://digg.com/environment/Pizza_Oven_Inkjet_Printer_Nail_Polish_Cheap_Solar_Cells
not if the solar cells are maid of nail polish and inkjet stuff
5. Momboelitist - August 28, 2008 3:27 PM
Hey! Who can't use more ice?
6. TWHICH? - August 28, 2008 3:29 PM
"OH YEAH"? you might have to worry about "that big red bastard" if you use the refrigerant to make "koolant-aid"... or you might have other fish to freeze.
"...hello, poison control? i herk! urgh... wheeze..."
7. bernstein - August 28, 2008 3:31 PM
As a kid I used to beg my mom not to buy kool-aid because I was so scared of the kool-aid man knocking down my house.
The sad part is, I'm serious. =(
8. Kool-Aid Man - August 28, 2008 3:41 PM
Bernstein.
I'm still waiting for you. I'm waiting for you to make that purchase. I'm waiting for you to invite me inside.
I can wait forever, Bernstein...
9. ZenoZTankof - August 28, 2008 3:45 PM
Heh,
My brother and I used to terrorize my cousin telling her that the Koolaide man was a monster and we would make scary voices and say “This is the koolaide man, I im going to get you!”
Fact: She has never tasted Koolaid
Fact: She hates me
Fact: Its really easy to get a 5 year old to pee their pants
Fact: I am so going to Hell...
10. TWITCH - August 28, 2008 5:11 PM
can you imagine the kool-aid man busting into jonestown?
11. Jared - August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Go San Jose State!
12. Spencer - August 28, 2008 5:29 PM
@10
You made me spit Kool-Aid out my nose...
13. Popadopolis - August 28, 2008 7:52 PM
This is totally OLD. It couldn't be any OLDer if it was a dinosaur!! It's... it's ummm... OLDer than... umm..... than.... dirt!
OLD
14. chaosthirteen - August 28, 2008 10:28 PM
My excitement was piqued once i read, "It may look like a funhouse mirror and potato gun," only to go downhill once i got to the word, "but."
Potatoe Guns for the Dan Quayle win.
15. SlowMonkey - August 29, 2008 6:28 AM
A cored potato makes a very effective gun silencer. God I miss my Dad.
16. Sakari - August 29, 2008 10:44 AM
Now all we need to do is cover the north pole with a version of this.
Global warming? Solved.
17. tony - September 1, 2008 11:07 AM
Great idea for Spain.
www.planetaverde.tv
18. mason - September 15, 2008 1:56 AM
How much heat does this unit create in the process? if more ice or cold energy is created in the process than heat energy, we can use a system like this to refreeze the polar ice caps...???? or am i just stupid?
19. Uncle B - October 1, 2008 12:33 PM
At last. The miracle all poor people of the world have been waiting for! A mission in Guatemala needs one of these desperately to keep medical supplies cool! Africa is probably the biggest market for this life saving device! We can use them in the states to save power generation fuels and the ecosystem! Use some of the $700 Billion dollar blackmail money for distributing these amazing units! The world needs American technology, not American criminality, how can we get past the "crow-bar capitalists" and government "Thugs" and move our greatly needed products to those that need them most?Are we going to wait for the Chinese to show us how? I hope not! Last Call America!
20. Willie - May 23, 2009 1:01 PM
What is the price of this product?