wind-powered non-electric refrigerator

This is something I've been reading and thinking about for a while:
http://mb-soft.com/public3/selfsuff.html#refrig

It's kind of unfocused, but seems like a lot of good information there, or theory at least. It doesn't sound like the guy has done any of what he talks about. And my high school physics is kind of rusty so I'm a little lost with that part. But I know air cycle refrigeration is still used today, such as in airliner air conditioning. With the ground as a thermal sink like he talks about, you're really on to something. What do you think? Has anyone ever seen or heard of a system like this in actual use?

I don't know about "refrigerator" but air conditioning is do-able.  There are old (I don't know about new too, maybe?) homes in Iran which have wind towers outside.  These towers funnel air down through them, through tunnels in the ground (which cool the hot air), and lead up into the home, bringing in cool air.  Nader Khalili wrote a book on Ceramic Houses that discusses this idea.  I don't know if this is what you were thinking of or not.

It can work but there is 1 major consideration not talked about.  Warm air to cold air equals condensation!!!  A) how do you remove the water and B) how do you prevent mold??  There will always be some condensation in these systems so removing collected water is a must.  Even if you do remove it there are surfaces that will be damp almost constantly so mold generation is a distinct possibility, how would you address it?

Max K

Ryan Thomas wrote:
This is something I've been reading and thinking about for a while:
http://mb-soft.com/public3/selfsuff.html#refrig

It's kind of unfocused, but seems like a lot of good information there, or theory at least. It doesn't sound like the guy has done any of what he talks about. And my high school physics is kind of rusty so I'm a little lost with that part. But I know air cycle refrigeration is still used today, such as in airliner air conditioning. With the ground as a thermal sink like he talks about, you're really on to something. What do you think? Has anyone ever seen or heard of a system like this in actual use?

I had a kerosene reefer on one of my boats, but kero is so expensive it would only be practical where you had NO electricity.

The condensation/mold issue is addressed. He claims it has never been a problem for him, but you could easily slope it to a drain. And this isn't just "earth tubes" like are common in alternative construction, there's compression involved, which actually makes it refrigeration, not just cooling.

Sorry, not addressed!  Just because he had no problems under one set of conditions doesn't mean it isn't a concern.  What works in the dry mid-west may fail utterly in the dampness of the pacific north west or the cold of the north.  If you design expecting it and it doesn't come about you are out a few dollars for the extra design features, if you don't and it's a problem then retrofits are usually 10x more expensive not including the illness that may result.  Toxic mold syndrome is nothing to sneeze at (pun intended) .  Have you read the rest of the site?  I'd be very careful about implementing any of these ideas.  They could work but???

Ryan Thomas wrote:
The condensation/mold issue is addressed. He claims it has never been a problem for him, but you could easily slope it to a drain. And this isn't just "earth tubes" like are common in alternative construction, there's compression involved, which actually makes it refrigeration, not just cooling.

I stand corrected. It isn't addressed on that page. It is addressed on other pages on his site. I realize the guy has some whacky ideas. I actually called him and talked for a while. But a lot of his ideas check out on the science side.