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Portable AC is it possible?

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togaflyer

Well Known Member
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I saw this. It’s a portable AC about 29 pounds with battery pack. Thought maybe this could be incorporated in the plane for those summer days. But since it is portable it can be left out when more useful load is needed. They have a WEB site.

Wondering if this is feasible for my -10, along with all other Vans aircrafts. Would it work?

Zero Breeze Mark 2

Revolutionary Cordless Battery Portable Air Conditioner
Just press the button
and enjoy the cool
air anywhere.
 
Keep your money. AC is the removal of heat. In an enclosed area with no outside outlet for the heat via condenser, the same heat would just be circulated within the cabin. Actually would slightly increase the temperature of cabin area. Yes, you could have a cool blast on you personally. I can not tell if there is a reservoir for the condensation which would be an issue.
 
togaflyer said:
Wondering if this is feasible for my -10, along with all other Vans aircrafts. Would it work?
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Not as well as you think. An air conditioner doesn’t ‘make’ cold. It just removes heat from one place and sends it somewhere else - out the back in this case. To use it in an airplane, you’d want some tubing from the ac warm air exit to the tailcone (from where it could exit out). You also need to have tubing so water condensate can exit the airplane. So there are connections to make/unmake for it to be portable. Finally, the cockpit needs to be well-sealed and well insulated, due to the limited cooling capacity. I also think it needs 24 volts(?).
 
skydiverlv said:
Keep your money. AC is the removal of heat. In an enclosed area with no outside outlet for the heat via condenser, the same heat would just be circulated within the cabin. Actually would slightly increase the temperature of cabin area. Yes, you could have a cool blast on you personally. I can not tell if there is a reservoir for the condensation which would be an issue.
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If you look at the website, the unit does have exhaust outlets and ducts for the waste heat which would need to dump outside the aircraft. The system does appear to be a legitimate phase-change AC system, but it only has 2300 BTU's/hr of cooling capacity while a compact car AC typically has at least 12,000 BTU's/hr capacity.

Skylor
 
Yeti, yeah...

Well, they probably started with the heaviest ice chest made... 15# empty plus 10-20# of ice.

This has me wanting to weigh my Icy Breeze that I have never yet used in the 10, although it's removably plumbed in to the overhead ducting.
 
Digging this one up, I have looked at a few options and the new breeze 3 is about double the BTU for a little more weight. My thought is just for ground and getting to altitude, maybe a mount above the battery like some of the crazy high priced evaporator versions with the exhaust down the tail. Cool air going to the overhead vents, with the battery in the luggage area so you can pull when not needed? Seems like a good solution but again this is all speculation.

I am not sure the square feet of the RV10 cabin to calculate the BTU needed.

Has anyone tried one recently?
 
Fenderbean said:
Digging this one up, I have looked at a few options and the new breeze 3 is about double the BTU for a little more weight. My thought is just for ground and getting to altitude, maybe a mount above the battery like some of the crazy high priced evaporator versions with the exhaust down the tail. Cool air going to the overhead vents, with the battery in the luggage area so you can pull when not needed? Seems like a good solution but again this is all speculation.

I am not sure the square feet of the RV10 cabin to calculate the BTU needed.

Has anyone tried one recently?
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Looks interesting but as others have said, you need to dump the hot air. Also, the unit is 22”x10”x12” and weighs 22 lbs, so so almost the size of one suitcase. Then you have to add at least one battery which has nearly the same footprint and 4” tall, weighing another 14 pounds. So figure you will lose about a third of your baggage space. Then there is the price…

Where are you flying out of? I am in SE Indiana and haven’t really needed a/c. Obviously, if you are in a hot/humid area, your needs will be different…
 
Fenderbean said:
Digging this one up, I have looked at a few options and the new breeze 3 is about double the BTU for a little more weight. My thought is just for ground and getting to altitude, maybe a mount above the battery like some of the crazy high priced evaporator versions with the exhaust down the tail. Cool air going to the overhead vents, with the battery in the luggage area so you can pull when not needed? Seems like a good solution but again this is all speculation.

I am not sure the square feet of the RV10 cabin to calculate the BTU needed.

Has anyone tried one recently?
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Cubic footage is only one part of the boundary conditions.

When talking sq ft - age, there are assumptions made for height, insulation, etc. Aluminum is a pretty decent conductor. Such a device would be near worthless without insulating the cabin; thus, even more weight. Throw in a larger alt, heavy gage wiring, circuit control, protection, etc. it just keeps snowballing.

Friend had one in his Texas Skyways converted 182. Did an OK job but he effectively lost two seats.
 
Freemasm said:
Cubic footage is only one part of the boundary conditions.

When talking sq ft - age, there are assumptions made for height, insulation, etc. Aluminum is a pretty decent conductor. Such a device would be near worthless without insulating the cabin; thus, even more weight. Throw in a larger alt, heavy gage wiring, circuit control, protection, etc. it just keeps snowballing.

Friend had one in his Texas Skyways converted 182. Did an OK job but he effectively lost two seats.
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What is the current consumption, is your alternator big enough to handle the extra heavy load and being a hot day can you afford to loose that extra horsepower.
 
Norman CYYJ said:
What is the current consumption, is your alternator big enough to handle the extra heavy load and being a hot day can you afford to loose that extra horsepower.
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It's not mine. I'm sure it was a 100 amp alt because of hearing the (initial) pain he experienced after adoption. It had a 65 amp main breaker prior to getting AC. Don't know the resulting architecture; up rated main breaker/circuitry/bus or a dedicated leg for the AC. I've text'd him but not expecting a reply anytime soon.
 
Where theres a will theres a way I guess, but it sure seems to me that the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

I know it's not the same system, but we've got factory AC in three new 182's and the impact on W&B was significant...
 
I'll leave this as a single datapoint.

In June, 2019, I took our un-airconditioned 182 to MT Propeller in Deland, FL. for a prop overhaul. When I went to pick it up, the plane was in their air conditioned hangar. I don't know what temperature they keep their thermostat set at but I doubt it is set at 70 degrees.

We pulled the plane out and I went inside to pay the bill. I suspect, it was outside for 20 minutes before I climbed into the plane. Remember, it was June. The inside of the plane was very comfortable. It remained comfortable for takeoff and climb out. I did not open the window while taxiing out, as I normally do.

Granted, my RV-14 or any canopy RV is different but an RV-10 isn't that different, cabin wise.

I haven't yet tried it but based on my experience, it seems like cold soaking the cabin with a window air conditioner, while in a hangar, would give good results for comfort, as long as you climb to altitude. This technique is not conducive to traveling or pattern work but it is not too expensive to try out.
 
I live in south Florida and flying the 8 can be brutal in the summer. I also race cars and we use a Cool Shirt technology that is very simple- cooler with ice water and a little bilge pump- hoses into the cool shirt. About a gallon of ice water will keep your torso VERY cold for a 45 min car race. The heat load in a race car is probably double of what you might feel in an RV8 while taxiing. I have considered using it in the 8 but in the end, I treat it like a run or bike ride. You're gonna sweat. I wear gym clothes and deal with it. Climb to altitude as soon as possible etc. I know these aren't the most crashworthy outfits, but it's better than not flying at all.

I've thought about little ways to cool the cabin using the ice method for the 20 minute startup / taxi/ climb out phase. But ice also carries moisture and a large part of the problem in FL is humidity to begin with. Which is why those ice coolers with the blower work ok but don't kill the humidity like traditional AC.

There's a chill out system for cars that also uses forced air into the helmet. So that could be adapted for scat tubing. I imagine the ice melts pretty fast, though.

Working on adding a few more vents to the 8 which would help in the climb.

My brother has a high maintenance wife and kids and sometimes the weight of AC systems can be worth it. But he also has a Cirrus so you can see where this is going.
 
This isn't a full-cabin, high-dollar -10/Cirrus solution, but I was amazed how well they did actually work, and for how long. Bonus - they also help when working in the yard or garage.

I see they've gone up. Was ~$30 when I bought a couple last summer.

Cooling Vest

 
I live in Alabama, the venting of heat will be down the tail cone. The plane is to make a plate form similar to the compressor evaporator types u can buy. Then just plug it into the overhead console/vents and make a battery connection in the luggage bay back wall. I think it will be plenty considering these are designed for tents and or various outdoor things. I am not looking to roll around in at 60 degrees in the summer but I think it will make the cabin cool enough. I will test it before doing all the work to mount it, plus its a heater as well so my wife that freezes in summer times will like that.
 
Fenderbean said:
I live in Alabama, the venting of heat will be down the tail cone. The plane is to make a plate form similar to the compressor evaporator types u can buy. Then just plug it into the overhead console/vents and make a battery connection in the luggage bay back wall. I think it will be plenty considering these are designed for tents and or various outdoor things. I am not looking to roll around in at 60 degrees in the summer but I think it will make the cabin cool enough. I will test it before doing all the work to mount it, plus its a heater as well so my wife that freezes in summer times will like that.
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I actually spent the evening reading about the unit you mentioned. It's a pretty neat unit, I'm kind of surprised one of the experimenters on here hasn't torn one apart and adapted it.

One thing that caught my eye (reading one of the reviews) is that it has an auto-shutoff in the event the unit is not level. Not that I would try and do barrel rolls with it but it may preclude putting it in the tail of the 8 and running it flat out during taxi, the most heat intensive time in FL. My first thought was I could just put this in the baggage of the 8 and run the hoses into the tailcone. Not sure how much air flows out of there on the ground. The hose setup actually draws air in one hose and out the other to cool the condenser- so if both hoses were routed into the tailcone, it would be drawing hot air back in to cool the condenser, as I don't think the air in the tail cone is moving much during ground ops.

Honestly I would just run it off the included battery, it will run flat out 2-3 hours on the battery, should be enough for taxi and climbout, maybe a little juice left over for taxi in.

Yes it's 22 lb, most of the guys I fly with fly with 15-20lb of sandbags back there anyway.

if you buy it, I hope you post some reviews. Preferably before it starts cooling down 2nd week of September. :ROFLMAO:

Big change from this morning, where I was eyeing leftover oil cooler from the Ducati, cool suit cooler and pump, and $30 bilge blower fans on amazon. I'm supposed to be focusing on a smoke tank. Dammit VAF.
 
Gino230 said:
I actually spent the evening reading about the unit you mentioned. It's a pretty neat unit, I'm kind of surprised one of the experimenters on here hasn't torn one apart and adapted it.

One thing that caught my eye (reading one of the reviews) is that it has an auto-shutoff in the event the unit is not level. Not that I would try and do barrel rolls with it but it may preclude putting it in the tail of the 8 and running it flat out during taxi, the most heat intensive time in FL. My first thought was I could just put this in the baggage of the 8 and run the hoses into the tailcone. Not sure how much air flows out of there on the ground. The hose setup actually draws air in one hose and out the other to cool the condenser- so if both hoses were routed into the tailcone, it would be drawing hot air back in to cool the condenser, as I don't think the air in the tail cone is moving much during ground ops.

Honestly I would just run it off the included battery, it will run flat out 2-3 hours on the battery, should be enough for taxi and climbout, maybe a little juice left over for taxi in.

Yes it's 22 lb, most of the guys I fly with fly with 15-20lb of sandbags back there anyway.

if you buy it, I hope you post some reviews. Preferably before it starts cooling down 2nd week of September. :ROFLMAO:

Big change from this morning, where I was eyeing leftover oil cooler from the Ducati, cool suit cooler and pump, and $30 bilge blower fans on amazon. I'm supposed to be focusing on a smoke tank. Dammit VAF.
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Will do the has attachments to in the front for a pick plus push out of cold air so the draw would be plumbed to draw air from the cabin, cool air routes back into the cabin and heat down the tail. IT also has a pump in mark 3 so you can run the drain hose anywhere. Who knows what they will have by the time I get to flying, but I will if I go this route.
 
My RV's A/C.... flying at 9000 feet, temperature is 18C or 31.5 F lower than MSL. :)

As others point out you will have to vent the condenser air (hot) outside the cabin. May be into tail / empennage section. Exhaust reverse scoop outside fuselage requiring hole in fuselage?

34lbs with one battery, 48lbs two battery. Do you have 48V DC Aircraft Mains? Then you are set. If it runs on 110V AC, you can run it off mains via inverter.
Cost? $900 to $1300

$2499 with two battery (marked down almost $1000) Hummmm :unsure:
If they guarantee satisfaction or return try it.

Ecoflow Wave 3 (well known brand), on market for years, well reviewed. A Refurb unit is $599 in good condition (likely a return).

BougeRV New PC35 3500BTU Portable Air Conditioner, $399.99, very portable and BougeRV is a well known brand. Runs on 110V AC so you need an inverter.

If your RV-10 has an alternator that can handle to current, running off aircraft mains is the way to go, vs battery.

Do your research, pay your money.
 
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sansoneservices said:
Save your money, just climb faster. No seriously, I lived in FL for many years and just improved ventilation for tax
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It's about the time on the ground trying to get in the air, not having to taxi around, get IFR clearance, wait on others to take off with the doors open is a pain and once in the air depending on temp and humidity it's going to be hot till you get much higher.
jackking123 said:
My RV's A/C.... flying at 9000 feet, temperature is 18C or 31.5 F lower than MSL. :)

As others point out you will have to vent the condenser air (hot) outside the cabin. May be into tail / empennage section. Exhaust reverse scoop outside fuselage requiring hole in fuselage?

34lbs with one battery, 48lbs two battery. Do you have 48V DC Aircraft Mains? Then you are set. If it runs on 110V AC, you can run it off mains via inverter.
Cost? $900 to $1300

$2499 with two battery (marked down almost $1000) Hummmm :unsure:
If they guarantee satisfaction or return try it.

Ecoflow Wave 3 (well known brand), on market for years, well reviewed. A Refurb unit is $599 in good condition (likely a return).

BougeRV New PC35 3500BTU Portable Air Conditioner, $399.99, very portable and BougeRV is a well known brand. Runs on 110V AC so you need an inverter.

If your RV-10 has an alternator that can handle to current, running off aircraft mains is the way to go, vs battery.

Do your research, pay your money.
Click to expand...
Those Units are not as good as the one I mentioned, I have researched a few and latest model I mentioned has certain features the others do not. Price is a sticking point but compared 10-13k for a traditional aircraft A/C I find this a better option for me and keeping the wife happy.
 
Yes, portable air conditioners are absolutely real and work well for cooling single rooms or spaces where a standard window unit won't fit. They sit on the floor and use a flexible, lightweight hose that vents the hot air out through a nearby window or sliding door. They are a great, plug-and-play solution if you rent your home or want to move the cooling from room to room.
 
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