I need some design help and ideas for my dog box
 

Since summer time is upon us, where I train it get's up to about 100 before we stop training the dogs. Heat exhausting is very dangerous so I was thinking that building an A/C like system into the dogs boxes would be awesome. I already have fans set up, but just moving hot air won't be enough. I was thinking that I could do one of two things, ice to cool the air either before the fan or after the fan would be great.

Here are pictures of my set up.

This is inside the box.

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/2...gboxinside.jpg

This is the outside.

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/5...boxoutside.jpg

I was thinking of purchasing one of these. You freeze it and the fan blows across it and cools the air.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...OL._SS400_.jpg

Any ideas would be appreciated. Also, what about dry ice?

Without seeing a larger pic of the setup I think you should place styrofoam sheets in the inside of your box to mitigate the radiant heat.

Portable Air Conditioners


Don't know if your alternator can handle a load that small one would require power wise.

one option is to put a metal tub or 5 gallon bucket in the enclosure. i gather this is for when you're driving to the training area ?

then to put a 20 pound bag of ice in the tub/bucket right before you hit the road. the phase change of melting ice takes (absorbs/ consumes) a lot of heat.

i also suggest putting a digital thermometer ($20 about at Radio Shack) in the enclosure and testing it before putting the dog in there. i have one that has 2 thermocouple's, including a remote one on 15 feet of cable. so you could run a cable into the Canine Enclosure & monitor the temperature to make sure El Poocherino is comfortable.

Great Idea's guys.

OK this is my plan. This for the dogs.

Chillybuddy Cooling Jacket

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And this is for the dog box and truck.

SilverShadecan reduce enclosed area temperatures by up to 20%! Eliminate the heat build-up problems of conventional shade tarps and tents that absorb the sun's rays, generate heat and trap it inside.This highly reflective fabric acts like a mirror reflecting away the sun and it's heat,while facilitating any cooling air flow. The fabric is durable, light weight, easy to use, rot and mold resistant; it won't run or unravel and can be washed with a garden hose.


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I figure if I can keep the dogs temperature from the get going and keep the boxes cool I should be good to go. I let you guys know what I find after I test this out.

Definitely insulate the dog box, rigid insulation panels would be the easiest. I can't tell from your OP, is this a crate in your vehicle, or a box at home? You could always get some flex duct and a couple in-line fans to duct cool air in from elsewhere. Just a few ideas, I have more...

MFer, the box itself is insulated and it's in the back of my truck

No dry ice, when it melts it releases alot of carbon whatever.
i remember some storys about ppl found dead in the basement because of it.
and when i was a kid, we used to make a "mineral water" with some other kids, just put a piece of a dry ice in the water and watch pretty bubbles for 2-3 minutes, voila - icy cold carbonated drink.
stay away from it

http://gold-silver.us/forum/attachme...4&d=1338451205
godsolid.jpg

if you use dry ice to re-carbonate beer that's gone flat, how does it affect the taste ?

Depending on how much money and how settled into your house you are, you could make a pipe circuit that circulates water through some buried pipes, and the fan could blow across the pipes/hard hoses. Like a Geo-thermal system. You don't have to go too deep either.

Some of that Evap. cooler material at the hardware store, before the fans suck side

the Ice will only make a slight difference, its the evaporation that cools the air.

Get little fish pump to wet it from a gallon jug recirc. tube with pin holes in it. Or some how get it wet every hour without wetting the fan.

The ice could get it wet.

http://www.google.com/search?q=small...w=1280&bih=861

So the dog crate's in your truck? Just turn on the a/c, dummy.

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Found this one too.

http://www.swampy.net/petairconditioner.html

It shouldn't affect the taste at all IMO! Not that I have thought this as a great problem!

Lib, you found what I was looking for as my suggestion. I knew there were cheap versions. Thanks.

I think I like the 2cnd one the best, it has a venting option for piping in the cold air vs having the unit inside. Np, your welcome.

Dry ice might freeze the dogs eyes shut... I wouldn't feel comfortable with that.