Business opportunity developing a wood fueled air conditioning system

[Woodman]

The area I live in has huge ice storms every few years, that generate millions of tons of wood waste from broken limbs. There are also a lot of homes that are using propane for a heating fuel, with current prices (middle of summer) of $2.50+/gallon. My own house requires $6 - 7,000/year to heat (at current rates), plus $1,000+ to air condition during our 100+ F summer!

I'm a registered, professional engineer, with a background in powerplants. I think there's a market for a wood fueled heating & air conditioning system to compete with the propane/electric alternative, and am interested in developing this business. I see the completed system encompassing an outdoor, stand alone unit, with fuel storage, combustion, and heat exchange, being fueled and serviced by the company, with no work component by the homeowner, including pulling the ash. The system would be owned by the company, with the homeowner paying for the sevice by the delivered Btu.

I have some designs for the fuel handling, combustion, heat exchange, control and internet monitoring systems, but I need some technical help designing the ammonia absorption air conditioning system.

I'm also looking for seed money for this carbon neutral alternative to conventional fueled systems.

Who's with me?

[The MG Pony]

Just look at any of the million and one direct fired chillers out there! all you do is scale it down.

[Woodman]

Just look at any of the million and one direct fired chillers out there! all you do is scale it down.

OK, can you direct me to a source of technical data on a 5 ton unit? I'll need:

1. general layout, dimensions on the refrigeration circuit, cross-sections of the stripper, evaporator, condenser, absorption column, with fabrication details

2. initial charge information, flow, pressure and temperature vs. capacity information on the unit,

3. cooling media flow conditions and sqr ft of surface area for each of the heat exchange surfaces,

4. commissioning and maintenance procedures

This should get me started!

Thanks!

[The Viking]

Don't ask for much, do you?

If you try a google search for "absorption chiller" you will get 82100 different options.
Your best bet for all those detail you requires would be to contact a manufacturer...

[Woodman]

Like an existing manufacturer is just going to give me all the help I need, to put me in business, as a potential competitor! Is this how it works in the U.K.?

[keepitcool]

With all the information you request who will actually hold the patent? You want a design, spec's and cash. Sounds like we would be starting our own business.

[Woodman]

I didn't say I wanted something for free, this is an opportunity that I'm looking for a partner on. I need someone to take on the design of this portion of the system, and area I'm not experienced in. If I need to, I'm sure I can learn everything I need to be successful here, but someone who already knows this area would be better able to pick this up, and it would allow me to focus on the rest of the puzzle!

Now, who out there can do this, not for free?

[The Viking]

Woodman,

What you are asking for is very specific and in a very (small) specialised niche of refrigeration.

There will only be a handful of guys (gals?) who knows the "proper" design of these systems and who also could get your design to work without years of development.

Sorry, but those persons are likely to be found within the organisation of an existing manufacturer.

The good news is that the existing units are working on NPG/LPG/propane (oil/petrol???), your idea of wood fuelling would therefore be really interesting for a small to medium sized manufacturer of this kit.

In my opinion, your best bet would be to find a partner amongst the people actually currently building the kit but with different fuel source.


Good luck,

[Woodman]

I agree, some design level engineer, with a knowledge base on an existing unit is exactly who I'm looking for!

I have experience with large, industrial lithium bromide systems myself, including some patents, but I'm not as familiar with all the intricacies of the ammonia cycle units. I've never, personnally seen anything bigger than a refrigerator using this cycle, although I'm told there are larger units out there.

Rather than me screwing around, wasting my time and money making mistakes trying to develop a system from scratch, I'm looking for that person who can jump-start the process, and I'm willing to pay for that knowledge, or include them in as a partner in the company! I figured this site might attract someone like that.

[The MG Pony]

Afriad only way to get what you want is the good old fassioned way of writing a busines proposal and start mailing to the big manufactururs and beating the cement and chating with any and every tech and his dog.

Some thing like this may be attractive to them as they can win rural contracts, to do so you'd need to flesh out a concept drawing of the unit and then the burn chamber is what you need to design and patent for your self, as thats what your really selling them.

I all ready have a very simple way to run my propane fridge off wood or any heat source for that matter (Solar, engine waste heat) and I keep my system clean well at it!

[Toosh]

I agree, some design level engineer, with a knowledge base on an existing unit is exactly who I'm looking for!

I have experience with large, industrial lithium bromide systems myself, including some patents, but I'm not as familiar with all the intricacies of the ammonia cycle units. I've never, personnally seen anything bigger than a refrigerator using this cycle, although I'm told there are larger units out there.

Rather than me screwing around, wasting my time and money making mistakes trying to develop a system from scratch, I'm looking for that person who can jump-start the process, and I'm willing to pay for that knowledge, or include them in as a partner in the company! I figured this site might attract someone like that.

Hi Wood, I googled this you might find something on there of interest

http://www.renexpo-bucharest.com/heatpump.html

Regards Toosh

[Woodman]

I'm not interested in contacting ANY current manufacturer of absorption chillers. As I said, I held patents, now expired, on lithium bromide systems, and I've tried this route. "Steal it if you can, or block it if you can't steal it." is the tactic of these cut-throats.

I'm at a point in life where I have the financial capability to fund the development, start the business locally and get a "seed" population of systems in service to prove the concept. All I need is a little help with the absorption system design, and I'm on my way. If I can't find anyone interested in helping, I'll just do it myself, make the mistakes and build a successful system, eventually. It's just time and money!

I'm currently considering multiple, small refrigeration circuits, with the heat transfer fluid circuits headered together to match tonage requirements. I can then focus on developing something close in size to existing, refrigerator circuits, that will be able to operate within the framework of the total system. Maintenance issues (tipping the unit upside down occasionally to purge the evaporator of water) make this design attractive. But, I'd sure like to find somebody to bounce this kind of stuff off of, there may be a good reason why this is the wrong approach!