Psudo bike A/C

[tostino]

So as I wait for a new controller, my bike is getting no use. But I think to my self, it's really too hot to get enjoyable use out of it right now anyways. Just stepping out side for 30 seconds in the florida heat, I start to sweat. I'm drenched with sweat in minutes.

This got me thinking about ways to cool myself (and my motor) off while riding. My idea was to get one of these: http://mistymate.com/mmp10.html. I would like to modify to hold more water, so I don't run out quickly. Any ideas on a good way to do that?

That is part one.

Part two of my plan is to use a peltier TEC to cool the water well below ambient. I bought this: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270440534162
I have a VERY nice air heatsink from the last iteration of my computer, that will no longer fit my new mobo. So if I used that for the hot side to keep it cool, it really shouldn't rise much above ambient.

What i'm having trouble with, is how to get the peltier in the right spot to do a good job cooling... I think I will need to cut a hole in the water container, and have just the cold side sticking through, than waterproof the seal around it, and have the hot side sticking out of the container. How do you think that will work?

I am open to any ideas you guys may have, so please don't hesitate to post them.

 

[torker]

sounds like a good idea but might be easier to just put some ice in the bottle. Maybe put a couple TECs in your helmet Well not sure I'd recomend elec. devices next to a sweaty head. :lol: Sorry I'm not much help. I know what you mean about the heat. We don't have as much humid. here in Kansas but when it's 95+ it only takes 30-40% to make it sticky.

 

[TylerDurden]

If you're rolling, you might not need the TEC, just a moist cloth on the vessel where the airflow can hit it. (Remember canteens with the fuzzy fabric on the sides?)

 

[tostino]

I know what you mean about the heat. We don't have as much humid. here in Kansas but when it's 95+ it only takes 30-40% to make it sticky.

Yeah, summer here it is above 90% almost every day, It's been about 82f over night, in the morning by 10:00am it's above 90f, and it's been peaking from 95f-98f almost every day.

The TEC in helmet wouldn't work because they would just be ice cubes and very little of the cooling effect would be on you, and the heat sink weighs over a pound.

Ice in the bottle is not a bad idea, and I was planning on doing that. The TEC would keep the water even cooler than the ice it self could, and would be able to cool it when no ice is available.

 

[torker]

Tyler had a good idea, just mist some felt on the bottle once in a while. Are the TECs flexible? Just glue the cold side on the bottle. Then in the winters I could reverse polarity and keep my coffee hot too...

 

[XRuss]

tostino..........COOL idea......GOOD LUCK......

 

[Lock]

The TEC in helmet wouldn't work because they would just be ice cubes and very little of the cooling effect would be on you, and the heat sink weighs over a pound.

There are commercial products that sit around your neck, soft vinyl exterior w/gel inside that you remove from your fridge before wearing.

The point is, the way these work. Around your neck the cooling is close to the main arteries and veins in your neck, so the cooling effect transfers to bloodstreams and flows through your body that way.

With a bit of flexible piping, any cooling apparatus (weight) could be mounted on the vehicle.

tks
LoKc

 

[gogo]

Cooling the water that you use for evaporative cooling will only help about 5%. Unless humidity is pretty low, evaporative cooling won't work well anyway.

Your best bet is something cold in contact with your body. You'd have to insulate it from the air in order to avoid unwanted condensation. When I was driving a no A/C car in Phoenix I used a frozen water bottle between my thighs and it helped considerably.

A comfort trick I use on my motorcycle is half of a ventilated car kool kushion bent over my seat. Instead of uncomfortable sweaty buns, any sweating results in cooling evaporation and dryness. I don't think that would work with pedaling but if you could devise a ventilated bicycle saddle, that might help your comfort.

 

[dogman dan]

The misters work good in my climate, 10% humidiy, but I don't know if they would do a damn thing for you in 90% humidity. It might just bump your humidity up to 99% without doing more than cool you 1 degree. But try it, and if it works, the way to increase the capacity of the thing is to attach the mist nozzle to a one gallon pesticide sprayer that has never been used. That gives you hours of mist on one gallon of water. I used to hang one on my sales tent at the farmers market, and sold more stuff by having a booth cool enough to stay in long enough to decide to buy.

Neck coolers are pretty neat, and keep the blood going to the brain from boiling away, but really don't cool the whole body. There is one method that does work for sure, in all climates. My wife has to work in a full hazmat suit once a week to dispose of hazardous waste. When it's 100F here, the time you can wear the suit before you go to the hospital is about 10 minuites. To get around that, they have vests with lots of long skinny pockets in them, and in the pockets go frozen cool packs. I've borrowed the vest a few times for other extreme heat activities, and boy do they work! 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

Search the internet for industrial safety equipment to source one, somewhere that sells hazmat suits, full face respirators, etc. Or sew one yourself, and fill it with otterpops from the grocery store. Once the otter pops melt your could drink em, or refreeze em to use again.

Seriously, this ice vest method is as good as it gets, without going to the cool suit that astronauts or nascar drivers use, with the cold water tubes all over the suit. The ones my wife uses will keep you very comfy in horrible heat for about 4 hours.