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Old 08-29-2008, 02:19 PM   #48 (permalink)
Bicycle Bob
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Location: N. Saskatchewan, CA
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Absorption Conserves energy

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperTrooper View Post
It's been tried. It works well in a well insulated box or even a building, but the greenhouse of a car requires way too many BTUs/hr for a system that would fit in a car.
I think that if you built the absorber right into the exhaust manifold, with the cat converter, it could be both compact and effective. When your engine is running an AC compressor, you always have twice as much extra energy showing up in your exhaust than you do at the shaft. The surplus heat even from idling should be adequate in most climates, especially if combined with the other suggestions here.

A system might be designed to take advantage of frost build-up to even out the load or even to provide a quick chill on start-up from an insulated chamber.
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