How to Make DIY Cooling: Crafting an Icy Air Conditioner Down to -32°C

How a DIY air conditioner works and freezes down to -32 degrees Celsius, forming ice.

Supplies

We will need:

• Hermetic water pump
• Silicone tube
• Copper tube
• Fan
• Battery
• Thin copper tube 3 mm in diameter
• Gas for refilling lighters
• Medical needle

Step 1: First, It's Necessary to Straighten the Tube to Make It Easier to Give It the Required Shape Later On.

Using a copper tube with a diameter of 4.7 mm, similar to the one used by professionals in the installation of commercial or home air conditioners to lay the ducts of air conditioning systems.

Step 2: Placing Several Marks Every 8 Cm to Create Reference Points for Orientation During Bending.

Using a pipe bender, shaping the evaporator into the desired form for the future mini air conditioner.

 The evaporator is used to cool the air inside a room. Hot air entering the air conditioner passes through the evaporator, where the liquid (usually freon) evaporates, absorbing heat from the surrounding air. As a result of the evaporation process, the air is cooled.

Step 3: Moving on to the Creation of the Condenser, Which Will Have a Circular Spiral Shape.

The condenser is a component where the hot gaseous refrigerant, having passed through the evaporator, condenses back into a liquid. In this process, heat is released, which was absorbed in the evaporator. The condenser is usually located outside a building or a car, and its cooling is facilitated by a fan. After passing through the condenser, the refrigerant is ready for another cycle of cooling the air.

Step 4: Soldering a Connector for Connecting a 9-volt Battery to the Pump and Fan.

For the proper functioning of the condenser, a fan is needed; I will use a 12-volt fan from an old computer.

 Also using a sealed water pump at 6 volts.

Step 5: A Thin Copper Tube With a Diameter of 3 Millimeters Inside Will Serve As a Capillary Tube.

A capillary tube is a narrow pipeline through which the distribution and regulation of the refrigerant flow (e.g., freon) in the air conditioning system occur. The capillary tube creates the pressure necessary to convert the refrigerant from a liquid phase to a gaseous one, which, in turn, contributes to air cooling.

Step 6: Securing All Components and Placing Them in Their Positions.

Connecting tubes of suitable diameter, with one of them made of soft silicone to self-seal punctured holes.

Step 7: Refilling the Air Conditioner and Testing

For filling our air conditioner, instead of freon, I use a gas canister for refilling lighters and a medical needle.

Ensuring the sealing of the hole is a must.

Conducting the first test outdoors to allow the system to circulate the liquid gas through the tubes and capillary system. The excess pressure during the initial pump launch should exit through the membrane (depending on the pump's design).

Step 8: Conclusion

The process I describe begins with using gas to fill the air conditioner. I apply gas (such as butane or propane) as an energy source to create cooling in the air conditioning system. In this system, copper tubes play a crucial role in ensuring the circulation of gas and heat exchange between the air and the working substance inside the tubes.

My pump is responsible for circulating gas through the air conditioner circuit. By creating pressure, the pump forces the gas to circulate through the copper tubes.

The cooling and freezing process involves the gas changing its temperature as it undergoes compression and expansion in the air conditioning system. During the expansion of gas in the copper tubes, there is a decrease in temperature, and heat is absorbed from the surrounding environment, including the tube walls. This can lead to condensation of moisture on the tube surfaces and even the formation of ice if the air humidity is high enough.