Technology

This AC that works without electricity could be a godsend for Pakistanis

The cooling system is said to decrease temperatures by at least 9 degrees (5 degrees Celsius) in a short time

Ismail Sheikh June 13, 2016

Dubbed as the world’s first zero electricity air-cooler, Eco-Cooler uses re-purposed plastic bottles cut in half and put into a grid to cool the room.

Looking for ways to beat the heat? Now, you can make your own air conditioner -- one that doesn't even need any electricity. Sounds too good to be true, right? It isn’t!

Already in use in 25,000 Bangladeshi households, this do-it-yourself cooling system called Eco-Cooler is said to decrease temperatures by at least 9 degrees (5 degrees Celsius) in a short time.

The device is mounted on a board, with bottleneck-sized holes cut in a grid pattern and no electricity is involved.

PHOTO COURTESY: GREY GROUP

The idea is fairly simple, cut plastic bottles in half and mount them on a board. Then place the board over a window with wider part of the bottles outside.

Hot air will rush into each bottle, which is pushed to the rim where it starts to expand – this expansion is what cools the air before it enters the room.

Although some might not be sold on the idea, Eco-Cooler shares an explanation to change their minds. It’s the same as blowing on your hand with your mouth wide open – the air is hot. Now, when you blow with your lips pursed the air is cool – Eco-Coolers claim to do the same thing.

Grey Group, an advertising company that is leading the project, in collaboration with volunteers from Grameen Intel Social Business have installed over 25,000 Eco-Coolers in Nilphamari, Daulatdia, Paturia, Modonhati and Khaleya since February this year.

The cooler’s efficiency varies based on conditions and air flow; however, the inventors claim it has the ability to reduce indoor temperatures as much as by 5 degrees Celsius.

An instruction manual on how to build the Eco-Cooler has been posted online so anyone can benefit from it.

“After initial tests, blueprints of the Eco-Cooler were put up online for everyone to download for free. Raw materials are easily available, therefore, making Eco-Coolers a cost-effective and environmentally-friendly solution”, said Syed Gousul Alam Shaon, Managing Partner and Chief Creative Officer at Grey Dhaka.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPuh8IFbIzQ

COMMENTS (15)

Muhammad Hashim Jokhio | 2 years ago | Reply Very interesting thing

Wilfredo Arosemena | 8 years ago | Reply Interesting idea ... Question ... What is the name of the concept that allows air to be pushed from one end of the bottle to the other? Is it the difference in temperature between inside and outside?

VIEW MORE COMMENTS

observer | 8 years ago | Reply @Haji Atiya: ". A similar type of cooler has been designed by non-humans; have you ever seen the 5 foot anthills on the savannah of some African countries ? " Ant and termite colony mounts use the chimney effect to draw cooler air from outside and not the gas expansion principle.

observer | 8 years ago | Reply @Disappointed Reader: I agree. While expanding air does drop in temperature, the heat removed has to go somewhere as per the laws of thermodynamics. Since the air expansion takes place inside of the window, the heat removed has to be dissipated inside the hone and thus net effect will be nil. While this "invention" is better grounded on scientific principles than Waquar's water car, it still fails on the same fallacy of failing to satisfy thermodynamic laws.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply @Disappointed Reader: Wrong; the principle is sound but it would work better in an edifice designed to bring the air in deeper. A similar type of cooler has been designed by non-humans; have you ever seen the 5 foot anthills on the savannah of some African countries ? The ant colony living in such constructs have developed a cooling system which makes the inner air considerably cooler than the outside temperature.

Disappointed Reader | 8 years ago | Reply This doesn't work. Everyone familiar with basic thermodynamics or physics knowledge knows that the principle of cooling described here is wrong. Blowing with your lips pressed doesn't cool the air you breath. It takes the heat of your exhaled breath and spreads it into the surrounding. Air moving faster has lower pressure so it sucks in surrounding cooler air. The same principle applied to the bottles would mean that the temperature of the inside of your room is raised to cool the air coming in from the outside... Which is obviously stupid. In reality this is nothing more than an inefficient window in your room

Farhan | 8 years ago | Reply People, who are objecting to this wonderful invention should be ashamed of their lack of empathy for those who make ends meet and find it even difficult to afford a fan. You should infact be helping the people that come work at your place to set this up and feel a bit better than what they go through daily. Tremendous work, way to go.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply What hapoens if one keeps, say, 3 of these cooler boards or panels in sequence of each other and separated by, say, 3 feet of each other ? Would there be some successive drop in temperature from air flowing from the front board to the last board ?

Average Joe Bodybuilder | 8 years ago | Reply The non-target audience can read this article and send that same information to the target audience, not sure how eifficient that is to get the message out, but rather than complain, do something good this Ramzan!

Omer | 8 years ago | Reply Great idea! but unfortunately the target audience is most probably not even reading it.

Haji Atiya | 8 years ago | Reply @Mat: The piece said one can experience a 9 degree Fahrenheit reduction in temperature with their air cooler ! Not sure what you're calculating.

Zeeshan | 8 years ago | Reply For all of the above, this is for the poor ppl, stop commenting like you are being forced to used it. Poor people can definitely benefit from this idea and may it be 2 degree cooler, some respite is better than nothing. May be we can offer the idea to ppl in our vicinity, labor class etc.. Please do not criticize everything just for the sake of it. Great Share ET.

Mat | 8 years ago | Reply Madame isis 5 to 9 degree Celsius not Fahrenheit. So you it will be 41 to 48.2 Fahrenheit so now will what you say

ahmad | 8 years ago | Reply For God's sake stop calling it an AC. It will not work in normal conditions, will work mildly only when there is huge wind pressure outside. 2ndly asserting blindly that it can decrease the temperature by 5 degrees is not technically sound

Madame SiSi | 8 years ago | Reply Thanks but no thanks. In the 120 degree F. heat we are experiencing these days, just reducing the temp from 5-9 degrees isn't going to cut it ! In any case my foundation makeup would be rolling down my face like lava from a volcanic eruption.

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