File:Thermal mass refrigerator.png

Schematic of Michael Reynolds' thermal mass refrigerator. The schematic was made based on a schematic found in the book "Earthship volume 3" by Michael Reynolds.

A: insulated, gravity-operated skylight B: insulated, slide-out damper C: 4 inch rigid urethane insulation D: batts insulation E: earth F: compacted tire wall G: earth cliff H: 8 inch concrete mass I: 4 inch support blocking J: concrete floor slab K: 6 inch insulated door L: DC electric powered cooling coils (condensor coils) M: 6,5 inch liquid filled cans N: 5 inch mass divider (5 inch liquid filled cans wrapped in sheet metal)

Note that

• above N (and under H) is the freezer compartment, the refrigerator compartment is below N.
• the liquid in the cans is either cheap beer or water
• the damper is pulled out when it's colder outdoors as in the freezer/refrigerator, and closed

when it's vice versa

• the air duct/drain goes to outside the house (not to inside the house). A branch off can be made however on this pipe (that leads to the outside) going to the fireplace. When the fire is lit, the fire then consumes air hence pulling through air from the bottom of the refrigerator
• the compressor and the evaporator coils (the parts of the refrigeration unit that become hot) can be placed inside the house (not inside the refrigerator, freezer or above it); note that these parts are not shown in the schematic

License

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