un0me2 - 29-8-2010 at 02:15
I'm thinking about how an amateur chemist could utilize simple absorption refrigeration to build a recirculating refrigerant design - probably using
an ice slurry as the working fluid (I'm thinking something like a steam bath) the flask sits in it - not actually in contact with the working fluid,
but in contact with a conductive surface. That would avoid contaminating the working fluid, even in the case of catastrophic fuck-ups.
I'm thinking it shouldn't be too hard to build something along the lines of the Icy-Ball Design, maybe combine the concept with the Einstein-Sizlar design (wiki page). The other idea would be to use electrical heating (or waste heat generated by other processes - like lighting/heating/etc) or
whatever.
What temperatures could we reasonably expect to attain with the working fluid? Could we use it to reach -20-40'C? If so we could incorporate it into a
basic homebuilt hood-design, and maybe even look at using it to condense gasses at low temperatures, then allow the pressure vessel they are in to
heat up to room temperature, giving us medium pressure gas.