Monthly Archives: August 2015

Heat Pump or Heat Engine?

Posted on August 26, 2015 by mcpletcher — 2 Comments

I haven’t bent any copper for a few weeks now. Between the heat, a vacation, and some bad habits, the shop has barely been opened. Part of the reason is due to a recent fascination with power plants. Previously, in…

Tagged with: biomass gasifier, diy refrigeration, domestic heating, flooded evaporator, generating electricity, heat engine, heat pump, home power, HVAC, producer gas, propane refrigerant, steam engine
Posted in Personal, Refrigeration, The Squatch, Water

The Power Plant -or- The Wood Fired Refrigerator

Posted on August 15, 2015 by mcpletcher — 1 Comment

I don’t like heat pumps. Wait, let me rephrase that: I don’t like grid tied heat pumps. It’s the electricity! Heat pumps are an amazing technology which I am currently obsessed with, and I am in fact in the process…

Tagged with: biochar, diy refrigeration, gasification, gasifier, homesteading, HVAC, off grid, refrigeration, refrigerator, steam engine, thermal mass
Posted in Dehumidifiers, Dwelling, Hot Water, Philosophy, Refrigeration, Refrigerator, Tiny House, Water

Ejector Assembly Construction

Posted on August 15, 2015 by mcpletcher — 1 Comment

This is a three part series on refrigeration ejectors. Part I on theory, is Ejectors in Refrigeration – an Expressor, and Part II on manufacturing techniques, Handmade Copper Ejector. There is a lot of video media, so I will jump…

Tagged with: brazing, diy refrigeration, ejector, expressor, heat pump, HVAC, hydrocarbon refrigerant, injector, jet pump, natural refrigerant, propane refrigerant, R-290, r290, refrigerant ejector, refrigerant jet pump
Posted in Refrigeration

Handmade Copper Ejectors

Posted on August 5, 2015 by mcpletcher — 4 Comments

This is part two of a three part series to get my blog up to date on my ejector research. Part I was about ejector theory: Ejectors in Refrigeration – an Expressor. Part III is about assembling and testing: Ejector…

Tagged with: brazing, copper annealing, diy refrigeration, ejector, HVAC, jet pump, refrigerant ejector, refrigerant jet pump, refrigeration, venturi
Posted in Refrigeration

Ejectors in Refrigeration – an Expressor

Posted on August 4, 2015 by mcpletcher — 3 Comments

Having developed a degree of confidence with copper brazing, and reaching the potential limits of what can be learned, I have decided to move past my original work with the Ebullator. I document my progress with that device in Refrigeration…

Tagged with: diy refrigeration, ejector, ejector refrigeration, exergy, heat pump, HVAC, injector, jet pump, refrigerant ejector, refrigerant jet pump, refrigeration, vapor compression
Posted in Refrigeration