Water Chiller for Drinking

[sarvajal]

We're a social enterprise attempting to provide clean drinking water to rural areas throughout India. We currently have machines that produce 500 L of clean water per hour. As part of our distribution we want to provide chilled water to our customers.

Since we are working in poor & remote areas, we want to develop a method to chill the water produced by our machines, at a low cost of approximately Rs. 10,000 (~$220 USD).

Temperatures in the area's we're working in get as high as 45 C (113 F) - meaning our water is usually around 30 C. We need to chill this water to 18 C.

Does anyone have a relatively inexpensive method of chilling water (in-line) that does NOT use a used refrigerator, A/C, dehumidifier, etc.

[DEVIL]

Hello and welcome to the forum

If it would be that easy we would be left unemployed

You could cool it in the earth (if it's possible) but not in that masses
so ... i don't know a method nor think u will find one

[Brian_UK]

Welcome, are you wishing to chill the water at the point of use such as a drinking water tap or are you trying to cool bulk quantities?

[mad fridgie]

The only to chill down cheaply without mechanical refrigeration is to use an evaporative cooler (closed heat exhanger for drink in water) of course is dependent on local ambient humidity level.

[Magoo]

MF, he has a budget of $USD250.00, I think a local saying applicable is peeing into the wind.
Hell, we could sell one of those icebergs heading towards Dunedin.

[sarvajal]

@Brian_UK

We're trying to do this in bulk quantities. We provide the chilled water in 20L cool jugs. In an hours time, we can sell easily 250 - 500 L.

@mad fridgie

We're still open to mechanical refrigeration/ compressors/ refrigerants, etc. The only constraint is that we don't want to go out and buy an full refrigerator/air conditioner off the shelf and mess with that.

Ideally, we're looking for the best way to build our own In-Line water chiller. We'd like to route some of our water (maximum flow of 140mL/sec) through this in-line water chiller, and keep it in a separate storage tank.

Hopefully this provides more clarity. Let me know if this is still possible.

[mad fridgie]

You have a duty of around 7Kw, Technically easy, but doing it for US$220 well thats another question.
I charge US$1000 a day, do you want to go down that track.
What regulations do you need to meet, here there are many!

[sarvajal]

As a social enterprise, we'd like to be environmentally friendly, including energy wise.

It only gets to 30 C in our hottest of locations at the hottest times of the year. Typically the Water is room temperature most of the year. With that said, over 90% of our cooling needs will be of a much lower duty.

[mad fridgie]

There would be very little difference in price between a 7Kw and 5kw or even a 3Kw.
To do it on the cheap and have no double barrier, but a cheap outdoor part of an air conditioning unit.
Install some copper tube into a tank, connect up to the air cond unit, make sure you have an expansion device.
Place water in the tank (full) turn on the unit, leave to cool over time. turn off when cold.

[sarvajal]

Thanks mad fridgie.

Is this the only option - to use an external A/C? How are aquarium water chillers working? Can't we construct our own aquarium water chiller? These are usually in the $300-600 price range. If we build it in-house we can hopefully save.

[mad fridgie]

Thanks mad fridgie.

Is this the only option - to use an external A/C? How are aquarium water chillers working? Can't we construct our own aquarium water chiller? These are usually in the $300-600 price range. If we build it in-house we can hopefully save.

How many are you looking at making?

[mad fridgie]

Most of the aquarium chillers I have seen are in the watts in size , not Kw watts size (also remember that I am in the west so things are more expensive in comparision

[sarvajal]

How many are you looking at making?

We're looking to make 50-100 before the summer months. We'll probably make this amount per year.

[mad fridgie]

Not many really
Do you have your own fin press,sheet metal work shop, if not then you have to buy all the components, on these numbers your are no going to get large discounts, still believe in the size you are looking for best option buy outdoor AC unit, all done aparts from evap coil.
The reason for the evap coil (bourdon tube) is that you can not damage it by freezing if there is a problem, if you want an enclosed heat exchanger you need good levels of protection (which cost?)

[sarvajal]

Most of the aquarium chillers I have seen are in the watts in size , not Kw watts size (also remember that I am in the west so things are more expensive in comparision

I've seen quite a few aquarium chillers that can handle 500+ L.

See the link for an example:"luby-china.com/tools_info.asp?keyno=429"

[sarvajal]

Not many really
Do you have your own fin press,sheet metal work shop, if not then you have to buy all the components, on these numbers your are no going to get large discounts, still believe in the size you are looking for best option buy outdoor AC unit, all done aparts from evap coil.
The reason for the evap coil (bourdon tube) is that you can not damage it by freezing if there is a problem, if you want an enclosed heat exchanger you need good levels of protection (which cost?)

I'm not too worried about manufacturing prices, as we're in the capital of outsourcing. So most of the components we can get on the cheap because of labor costs, etc.

[mad fridgie]

I'm not too worried about manufacturing prices, as we're in the capital of outsourcing. So most of the components we can get on the cheap because of labor costs, etc.

Good position to be in, just make them.

[DEVIL]

A solar power refrigeration could do the trick ,u could use a solar panel to produce electricity and drive a 12V compressor (bit this is not a cheep investment).

I thing the best approach would be like the first refrigerators that was used some time ago, and probably here in Romania longer then in other countries (Absorption refrigerator), to use a Solar Absorption Refrigeration, u could make it all from cheep materials, an it uses no electricity, just a solar panel (not electrical) to produce the heat.

I included some links to better understanding

http://www.ese.iitb.ac.in/~icaer2007...01_TS1%20A.pdf
http://www.sjtuirc.sjtu.edu.cn/news/...%20101%20K.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absorption_refrigerator

[Sheeque09]

Hi All, Have just been getting our boat ready for the cold have drained the water tank, did what was suggested further up with the calorifier open the tap, open up the shower to let water out but how does it fill again when I want it to, does it just fill from the tank once I open that up again? Thanks in advance, Richard & Sandra