On Sat, 22 Mar 2008 09:19:58 -0400, in message

"Roger Long" wrote:

With a small engine like mine and modest electric loads otherwise, wouldn't
it me more efficient to put the largest compressor that a toothed belt pully
and engine PTO limitations would permit on the front end of the engine?
Then have a large cold plate in the box and draw it down as quickly as
possible keeping the engine under maximum load. It wouldn't give you the
fine temperature control of a constantly running 12 V. fridge system but
would be as good as ice. Drawing down the cold plate would be like buying
ice (and probably nearly as expensive at next year's fuel costs).

The conversion from fuel to electricity to charging and back to motive force
has got to use up more fuel than just running the compressor directly.

You might find it easier and adequately efficient to put in an
Isotherm cold plate with their smart controller that detects when the
engine is running and runs the compressor faster to suck up those amps
and freeze the plate. I put one in 3 years ago and have been very
happy with it. A big maintenance advantage is that your engine
vibration is not work hardening the copper elements of your
refrigeration.

Ryk