Pet cooler--for the time your vehicle is parked

jack.allwardt · Jul 12, 2008

Without spending a ton of money, I wonder if anyone has come up with a suitable idea for providing cool air for an animal (maybe a kid, too...) that is left in the vehicle for short periods of time (say up to a 1/2 hour) so that the SPCA won't impound your vehicle and dog!

Today, I'm using a 12v oscillating fan that moves the interior air, with the rear windows down 4". It doesn't cool, but does provide an evaporation effect due to moving air. I have a "start pack" battery for this to plug into, as we know, the 12v port turns off with the key--I'm working on that issue, too!

I have an idea I want to pass by those "techies" in the group: There are these drink/food coolers that plug into 12v that promise to reduce the temp. by about 40 degrees F from ambient. So on a 100 F day outside, the inside could get up to 120-130?, so 40 degrees differential doesn't seem adequate.

I'm going to get a "cheap" cooler, take it apart to see how the mechanism and electronics are packaged, and see if I can make a "blow gun with chilled air" sort of gadget. The cooling modules are quite inexpensive, some offer up to 67 degrees C differential, and perhaps a couple of these mounted to some finned heat sinks would allow a "forced-air" cooling breeze.

Any ideas, thoughts, concerns why it wouldn't work, etc. I'd like to hear from those of you out there that are real techies. My industrial engineering expertise (before retiring 5+ years ago) was in thermal hydraulics as in moving a fluid of 400 F at 600-1000 psi. No cooling experience!

Rather than post on this forum, please PM me.

Thnx, ja

DrugRunR · Jul 12, 2008

I have a solution......

Get a spare key, leave the car running with the doors locked
Would you leave your kid in the car for a 1/2 hour???? WTF ?

I have pulled up in front of a gas station before (directly in front so I can see the car), and left the kids in the car with the car running and locked.
But I was only in the store for under 5 mins and could see the car at all times

jack.allwardt · Jul 12, 2008

OK, I was only joking about the kid thing, but I do see it on a regular basis--by the hospital, doctor's offices, welfare office, walmart, you name it.

I'm concerned for my dog--she was a retirement gift and goes everywhere with me, but there are a few places that don't allow any animals--but they do kids--WTF?!

So, besides searching out shade, etc. I do need another option--besides leaving her home--and now that our area is into it's 4th week of triple digit weather, the shade challenge becomes even more great!

My close friend has a Buick with the remote starter, and a couple of times we've traveled together, parked near the front of a restaurant within sight, started the engine (and A/C) for a few minutes and that was swell for the dog!

Dmentd_Dan · Jul 12, 2008

LOL, leave the animal at home. Pets are just potential livestock in times of famine.

j/k, sort of.
Leaving kids in the car that are under a certain age (for me and my kids the age is 13) is more dangerous than taking them in. I don't even think leaving them in there to go in a gas station, even with the doors locked would be good, too many sickos in the world and its no big deal for all of us to just go in (is the 20 seconds saved worth worrying about your kids or worse???). I think too many people rationalize their kids will be safe using the "it wont happen to me" outlook or "I will only be a second" thought process. Someone loses their child darn near every week with those thoughts I would bet. No rationalizing my kids safety for me.

Sorry to hijack the thread jack but I could help myself...:blah:

Dmentd_Dan · Jul 12, 2008

Ok back to your thread....
Maybe you could take the idea of one of those solar powered car vent things that sits at the top of your window to the next level and make something that had a powerful fan and let you keep the window open around 12 inches or so.

WhatARiot · Jul 12, 2008

Jack just say it is a service dog (seizures) and it should be fine. You should never leave the dog in the car whether the fan is on, or off. At best, 5 minutes or so, with water, and an ice pack

stingerbtry · Jul 12, 2008

Take your cheap cooler thing and install a 120mm pc fan in one side blowing out and vent a few holes on the other. It could work. Or you could look into doing some sort of Peltier cooled device. A few years ago I almost created a cold air intake that was cooled by Peltier devices but couldn't find a good way to desperse the heat from the opposite side while in an engine bay.

jack.allwardt · Jul 13, 2008

stingerbtry said:
Take your cheap cooler thing and install a 120mm pc fan in one side blowing out and vent a few holes on the other. It could work. Or you could look into doing some sort of Peltier cooled device. A few years ago I almost created a cold air intake that was cooled by Peltier devices but couldn't find a good way to desperse the heat from the opposite side while in an engine bay.

This is the device that those cooler chests use...these TECs as they are called are quite cheap....gotta find the proper packageing.

By the way, the service dog thing DOES work, but many places want a vest and ID tags, etc. This dog sits in the city council chambers and other county commissions I sit on with me, actually, there is NO place in my town that doesn't accept her. It's just the ajoining towns that have the big box shopping stores that are the problem.

WhatARiot · Jul 13, 2008

Here in NJ I don't think it is legal to ask for ID... I was always told never to question when I had my other jobs. Just as long as the dog isn't causing any problems.

And to be frank, I think that people should really leave the kids behind and bring their dogs more often.

ephemera · Jul 13, 2008

I would leave the pet at home. The interior of a car's temp can get extremely hot fast in the summer. 1/2 hour is way too long.

firemothjoe · Jul 13, 2008

I love the idea and have actually thought about making one myself. My concern is that:
A. The unit will give off heat to make cool the air and the hot car + compressor heat my overtake the coolness created by the blower.
B. It'll be running non-stop, and could zap your battery pretty quick.

I suggest you idle you car with keys locked inside or just use this device......

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=0470395&cm_ite=0053085518260a&_requestid=119134

It uses ice and saves a termendous amount of energy. Pretty good price too.

jack.allwardt · Jul 13, 2008

firemothjoe said:
I love the idea and have actually thought about making one myself. My concern is that:
A. The unit will give off heat to make cool the air and the hot car + compressor heat my overtake the coolness created by the blower.
B. It'll be running non-stop, and could zap your battery pretty quick.

I suggest you idle you car with keys locked inside or just use this device......

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...data_feed&cm_cat=froogle&cm_pla=0470395&cm_ite=0053085518260a&_requestid=119134

It uses ice and saves a termendous amount of energy. Pretty good price too.

Thanks, Joe.

Actually, the TEC modules--as used in the 12v cooler/heaters use very little current. It's just the packaging I have to work out. And I will soon, as I've ordered a package of these little things--they heat with one polarity and cool with the opposite--the heat goes back into the battery source which is the beauty of the technology!

Right now I'm using a 12v oscillating fan, connected to a "start pack"--that way, I don't have the issue with the Patriot's 12v which shuts off with key off, and this pack can be recharged with either 110 or 12v while car is running--best of both worlds and this device is no larger than a big lunch box.

Pet cooler--for the time your vehicle is parked

jack.allwardt

DrugRunR

jack.allwardt

Dmentd_Dan

Dmentd_Dan

WhatARiot

stingerbtry

jack.allwardt

WhatARiot

ephemera

firemothjoe

jack.allwardt

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