International Journal of Thermofluids (Aug 2022)
Heating and cooling device for motorhomes and caravans
Abstract
Disasters, extreme weather conditions and rural recreation makes the availability of a portable heating and cooling device as a must. There are many devices that work on the heating and power generation in the market. The air-conditioner which works on the heat pump principle is well known. Harsh weather conditions, natural disasters and recreation in rural areas (deserts and mountains) requires the availability of a heating and cooling device that works on well available fuel and has a low fuel consumption rate. Such a device will help in saving lives and encourage rural tourism. In this paper, a heating and cooling device is proposed for rural places, harsh weather conditions and natural disasters where no electricity is available. The device is working on the principle of heat pump (HP) to optimize its performance. The source of energy selected for this device is fossil fuels; fossil fuel is used for its convenience where no electricity is available. Low vibration low noise Stirling Engine (SE) is used to drive the heat pump that produces heating/cooling effects. Analysis of the proposed device is performed for each of its components. The results attained from analysis coincide with the results in literature. An electricity free, low vibration, silent and improved performance CHC device was attained. With suitable selected sub-devices an OHR of 2.429 was achieved by the proposed device compared to currently available devices.