raw · notes · ingested 2026-07-02
DIY adsorption chiller — amateur-build reality check (research note)
confidence: medium
Source: https://permies.com/t/30590/Intermittent-Adsorption-Refrigerator
Source: maker-web sweep (Permies thread + Sumathy + Hackaday + YouTube). Credibility: Medium (mostly non-peer-reviewed maker sources; honest gap-finding).
Key points
- Fully documented amateur builds are rare — discussion and incomplete attempts abound, but almost none finish with a sealed/evacuated vessel and a measured result.
- Best reproducible builds are student bench prototypes (Chachad & Bhadane zeolite-water; JETIR solar zeolite).
- Permies thread: zeolite/silica + water ~4:1, copper vessel + coil condenser, steam-purge + vacuum evacuation, TLUD/solar-oven regen — never completed (cost). YouTube zeolite-in-vacuum demo (Harbor Freight pump, unverified).
- Recurring stall: sealing/brazing a high vacuum without proper equipment.
- DIY-adjacent references: Sumathy charcoal+methanol solar ice-maker (0.92 m², ~4–5 kg ice/day, COP ~0.1); Hackaday San Jose State (“14 lb ice/day”).
- Gap: a documented, measured amateur build is unfilled — start with the safe zeolite/silica-water route, not methanol/ammonia.