For those consumers who live without central air-conditioning, and who's windows are not designed for a portable air-conditioner unit,wouldn't it be great to have a standard, regular fan altered slightly to incorporate a cooling medium to actually blow cold air (or at least colder than current room temperature). Ideas for the cooling medium are perhaps either something similar to the hot-packs you use when skiing (you break them and they stay warm for hours) or something that one would keep in the freezer and pull out to put in the fan (however, it cannot thaw and drip). Better yet, maybe there is a technology being developed such that there would be cooling coil, just like a heating coil. If this were the case, the "coil" could be the "cage" around the typical household fan. If this fan existed, perhaps even those with air-conditioning would prefer it. Depending on the technology, it may cost less, and fans can be moved from room to room, are easily placed on tables or the floor, and can be put away when not needed.
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Well, to make something cool, you need embark on a physical or chemical reaction where you cause a material to absorb heat,which causes it to change state and and its heat forced from it so the heat can change back into a state which can be absorbed again, or simply move the heat form some place you don't want it, to someplace you don't mind it, and without wasting too much resources (water, fuel, or electricity), and have dangerous substances non existant, or in sealed systems.
In less humid climates, evaporative coolers can be used.
An aluminum container with fins for ice over which a fan could blow might serve as a cooler but it would be bothersome to keep replacing the ice from a refrigerator or a freezer. There already exist many electric space heaters over which a fan could blow to distribute the heating but it is an expensive heating method.
Sounds as though you're describing a light-weight AC unit. Otherwise, I could envision a fan that has coils of Freon woven throughout each blade.
A few downsides would be the possibility of the Freon leaking (fans are much more prone to abuse or falling than a stationary AC unit).
Additionally, the air may not spend enough time in contact with the fan blades to be cooled by the Freon.
what you are describing has already been invented, by Thomas Edison, when his colleague's daughter was dying, stuck in a hot hospital room. it was a fan with a series of aluminum fins, connected to a container of ice, it was common for a short time, but it is relatively impractical, becuase it is more efficient to have A/C than to constantly make ice for this device, and the same will be true of any device which requires cooling in a freezer. besides, this site is all about creativity and enguinity, so engineer a way to make an air conditioner fit your window, it is far more practical
what you are describing has already been invented, by Thomas Edison, when his colleague's daughter was dying, stuck in a hot hospital room. it was a fan with a series of aluminum fins, connected to a container of ice, it was common for a short time, but it is relatively impractical, becuase it is more efficient to have A/C than to constantly make ice for this device, and the same will be true of any device which requires cooling in a freezer. besides, this site is all about creativity and enguinity, so engineer a way to make an air conditioner fit your window, it is far more practical
I've managed to reduce the indoor temperature in my house considerably with two low-tech add-ons.
1. A thermostatically controlled attic fan. It blows air out wighted louvers that I placed in the former window-space at one end of the attic. All three items can be bought for under $150 at a big-box hardware store. No great skills are needed to install and connect the pieces.
2. Awnings over the sunny sides of the house (not just the windows, but a large segment of the siding as well). I leave them up all summer. I got mine from Sunsetter, an inexpensive source.
PS: Even if you already have an air conditioner, adding an attic fan and large awnings will cut its job in half, saving you electricity. And putting less wear on the air conditioner.