Cooler air circulation

[Stainless]

I've built a 1.3 cubic foot drawer-style cooler for my converted cargo trailer out of wood and rigid insulation. There's a tray for a roughly two or three pound block of ice in the bottom of the cooler.

The cooler has power for a light inside, and I'm wondering if a little computer fan as well would be beneficial. I haven't been able to find any data to determine if the additional half-amp draw on my precious battery supply (I am a boondocker) for air circulation would be worth the energy cost.

Does anyone have any thoughts?

[Vedette]

I didn't do a ton of math....but just went by principal, and built at an external air conditioner that worked like a swamp cooler to pump cool air (filtered) into our teardrop????? In principal....it worked perfectly! But, in 108 degree temps in Bullhead City......it failed dismally! The 20 lbs of ice that was supposed to last through the night, worded to cool off the teardrop in about 15 minutes before we retired to bed.
but , within an hour, the ice was gone and the air lowing from the fan was hot!
Not as thought!
GoodRroads
Brian & Sandi

[Stainless]

I didn't do a ton of math....but just went by principal, and built at an external air conditioner that worked like a swamp cooler to pump cool air (filtered) into our teardrop????? In principal....it worked perfectly! But, in 108 degree temps in Bullhead City......it failed dismally! The 20 lbs of ice that was supposed to last through the night, worded to cool off the teardrop in about 15 minutes before we retired to bed.
but , within an hour, the ice was gone and the air lowing from the fan was hot!
Not as thought!
GoodRroads
Brian & Sandi

My mistake, I should have been more clear. This is a food containing cooler box that is very well sealed, to a point where I can feel the air rush when I close the horizontally hinged lid. The foam box is two inches thick everywhere. I am wondering if it's worth the energy consumption to have a fan inside to circulate the cool air from the ice around the food.

[Vedette]

oops?
Brian

[mustangcats]

You can buy a small refrigerator fan that uses its own battery power. http://www.amazon.com/Camco-44123-Fridg ... B0006IX7TW

[JaggedEdges]

Be aware though that the fan doesn't "consume" electricity, so much as turn it into low grade heat, so you're effectively installing a 5 watt heater.

Ice box designs I've seen in classic teardrop plans, have the ice block on top and let convection do the work.