RIGID 12V Mini Compressors are compact variable-speed BLDC rotary compressors designed for battery-powered and space-constrained vapor-compression refrigeration systems.

The miniature QX-series 12V compressor platform includes the QX1401VDL and QX1901VDL, providing nominal cooling capacities of 300W and 450W respectively. Both compressors weigh approximately 720 g and use a variable-speed BLDC rotary architecture.

For higher-capacity 12V applications, RIGID also offers larger 7.5 cc DC compressor platforms with nominal capacity up to approximately 1,040W under specified operating conditions.

Typical applications include portable refrigeration, miniature freezers, liquid chillers, electronics cooling, medical equipment, vehicle refrigeration, battery cooling, portable air conditioning and other OEM thermal-management systems.

Cooling capacity varies with compressor speed and refrigeration operating conditions. Compressor selection should therefore be based on the required evaporating temperature, condensing temperature and refrigerant—not nominal wattage alone.

RIGID mini compressors typically use R134a or R290 (custom), a widely available and eco-friendly refrigerant.

Depending on the speed and application, cooling capacity ranges from 100W to 1,040W (3,546 BTU/h).

There are four popular 12V series compressors, specially designed for mobile and compact cooling systems.

1. QX1401VDL: 300W (1,023Btu)
2. QX1901VDL: 450W (1,535Btu)
3. XB075Z12: 1,040W (3,546Btu)
4. HB075Z12: 1,040W (3,546Btu)

It features a variable-speed BLDC motor and operates efficiently across a wide RPM range (2,000–6,000), offering excellent energy savings.

Speed is controlled via a square wave signal to the driver board, which allows dynamic adjustments based on load and temperature.

No, it operates at low noise and vibration levels—ideal for sensitive environments like medical or personal cooling.

The compressor runs on 12V DC, suitable for battery, solar, or vehicle-powered systems.

• Low installation costs
• Lightweight & small size
• Low energy consumption
• Low operating noise (48dB)
• Fully hermetic, No maintenance
• Battery, solar power, DC power run
• World’s smallest DC compressor
• Apply to HBP, MBP & LBP applications
• Applications: Heating, Cooling, and Refrigeration.

Input power ranges from approximately 30W to 330W, depending on operating speed and load.

Applications include portable fridges, mini freezers, electronics cooling, medical coolers, spot coolers, and solar A/C systems.

Yes, it’s ideal for off-grid setups powered by solar panels or battery systems.

Absolutely. Its 12V compatibility makes it a great solution for cars, RVs, trucks, and marine cooling.

Yes, the compressor’s small footprint and precise control make it suitable for electronics thermal management.

RIGID provides a patented driver board specifically designed to work with its mini compressors for seamless speed control.

Yes, with an AC-DC converter, the compressor can be powered from a standard AC source.

Yes, the compact size and mounting flexibility make installation straightforward in most small systems.

Yes, all RIGID DC inverter compressor models are available with a matched driver board for plug-and-play setup.

Yes, RIGID offers technical assistance and custom solutions tailored to your cooling needs.

You can purchase directly from RIGID's official website or authorized distributors.

RIGID offers two miniature 12V BLDC rotary compressor platforms in this capacity class.

• The QX1401VDL has a 1.4 cc displacement and a published nominal cooling capacity of 300W.
• The QX1901VDL has a 1.9 cc displacement and a published nominal cooling capacity of 450W.

Both models provide:

• 12V DC operation
• R134a refrigerant configuration
• 720 g compressor weight
• 82 × 56 mm package
• Variable-speed BLDC rotary compression
• 2,000–6,000 rpm speed range
• ACRC-DA1510 electronic drive board

The QX1901VDL is the higher-capacity option when the application requires approximately 450W-class cooling under its rated operating condition.

However, “450W compressor” should not be interpreted as 450W cooling under every refrigeration condition. Actual capacity changes with evaporating temperature, condensing temperature and compressor speed.

Start with the required cooling capacity at the actual refrigeration operating point.

The primary difference is compressor displacement:

QX1401VDL

• 1.4 cc displacement
• 300W nominal cooling capacity
• Working current: 1–6.5A

QX1901VDL

• 1.9 cc displacement
• 450W nominal cooling capacity
• Working current: 1–8.0A

Both use 12V DC power, R134a, the ACRC-DA1510 drive board and a variable-speed BLDC architecture.

The QX1401VDL is suitable when the thermal load is lower and minimizing power consumption is important.

The QX1901VDL provides greater refrigerant displacement and higher cooling capacity for applications with a larger heat load.

Final selection should be verified from the compressor performance curve at the required evaporating and condensing temperatures.

Yes. RIGID 12V Mini Compressors are designed for DC-powered refrigeration systems and can be integrated with compatible 12V battery and DC power architectures.

Typical power sources include:

• 12V battery systems
• Vehicle electrical systems
• Battery packs
• Solar-plus-battery systems
• Regulated DC power supplies

The compressor uses a BLDC motor and dedicated electronic drive board. It should therefore be operated through the specified controller rather than connected as an uncontrolled DC motor.

The electrical system should be sized for:

• Compressor operating current
• Maximum current
• Controller requirements
• Cable voltage drop
• Fuse/overcurrent protection
• Battery capacity
• Required runtime
• Compressor duty cycle

For the QX1901VDL, the published working-current range is 1–8A with a 10A maximum.

Yes, provided the required low-temperature operating point falls within the compressor's approved operating envelope.

RIGID identifies the QX-series miniature compressor platform for LBP, MBP and HBP refrigeration applications.

For a miniature refrigerator or freezer, engineers should specify:

• Required cabinet temperature
• Evaporating temperature
• Maximum ambient temperature
• Expected condensing temperature
• Product heat load
• Cabinet insulation
• Refrigerant
• Required pull-down time

A freezer operating with an evaporating temperature below -20°C has a very different compressor operating point from an air conditioner operating with an evaporating temperature above 0°C.

Therefore, the published 450W nominal capacity of the QX1901VDL should not be used directly as its freezer cooling capacity.

Use the QX1901VDL performance curve to determine available capacity at the required low-temperature condition.

Yes.

A 12V BLDC compressor can serve as the refrigeration engine of a battery-powered miniature liquid chiller.

A typical refrigeration circuit consists of:

QX compressor → condenser → expansion device → liquid-cooling evaporator → compressor

The evaporator can then remove heat from water, glycol or another process fluid.

The QX1901VDL is particularly relevant to compact liquid-cooling systems because it combines:

• 12V DC input
• 1.9 cc displacement
• 450W nominal cooling capacity
• 720 g compressor weight
• Variable-speed operation

For liquid-chiller selection, RIGID needs more than the required cooling wattage. Provide:

• Heat load in watts
• Coolant type
• Coolant inlet temperature
• Required coolant outlet temperature
• Coolant flow rate
• Maximum ambient temperature
• Available condenser airflow
• Required operating time

These parameters allow the compressor operating point to be checked against its performance curve.

The QX1401VDL and QX1901VDL use variable-speed BLDC motors operating from approximately 2,000 to 6,000 rpm.

Increasing compressor speed generally increases refrigerant mass flow and refrigeration capacity within the approved compressor operating envelope.

Variable-speed operation allows the refrigeration system to reduce compressor speed when the thermal load falls and increase speed when additional cooling capacity is required.

This can support:

• Cooling-capacity modulation
• Reduced ON/OFF cycling
• Better temperature regulation
• Lower partial-load power consumption
• Battery-energy management
• Faster response to changing thermal loads

However, compressor capacity is not determined by RPM alone.

Actual performance also depends on evaporating temperature, condensing temperature, refrigerant, superheat, system charge and heat-exchanger performance.

For engineering design, use the compressor performance map rather than assuming that cooling capacity increases linearly with RPM.

Yes.

Miniature vapor-compression refrigeration is particularly useful when the equipment requires active cooling but has limited space and weight available for the thermal-management system.

Potential applications include:

• Medical devices
• Laser systems
• Electronics
• Imaging equipment
• Laboratory instruments
• Battery systems
• Portable diagnostic equipment
• Personal cooling
• Compact liquid-cooling loops

The QX1901VDL weighs approximately 720 g and measures approximately 82 mm high × 56 mm diameter, allowing vapor-compression refrigeration to be integrated into equipment where conventional compressors may be too large.

For electronics or medical cooling, compressor selection should start with the heat load, target temperature and maximum ambient temperature.

If liquid cooling is used, coolant temperature and flow rate should also be defined.

A BLDC rotary compressor and a thermoelectric cooler use fundamentally different cooling technologies.

A thermoelectric cooler transfers heat through the Peltier effect and has no refrigerant compressor.

A miniature vapor-compression system uses:

compressor → condenser → expansion device → evaporator

For applications requiring several hundred watts of active cooling, vapor compression can be an attractive architecture when electrical efficiency, battery runtime and heat-rejection capability are important.

A compressor system, however, requires additional refrigeration components such as the condenser, evaporator, expansion device and refrigerant circuit.

The correct comparison should therefore be made at complete-system level. Engineers should compare:

• Required cooling capacity
• Cold-side temperature
• Ambient/hot-side temperature
• Electrical input
• COP
• Weight
• Package size
• Noise
• Temperature-control requirements
• System complexity

For applications where a Peltier system is approaching its practical cooling or power limit, a 12V miniature vapor-compression system is another architecture worth evaluating.

No.

The QX1901VDL has a published nominal cooling capacity of 450W, but compressor capacity changes significantly with refrigeration operating conditions.

The most important variables include:

• Evaporating temperature
• Condensing temperature
• Compressor RPM
• Refrigerant
• Suction superheat
• Refrigerant charge
• Heat-exchanger performance

For example, the same QX1901VDL used in a high-back-pressure air-conditioning application and a low-back-pressure freezer application will not produce the same refrigeration capacity.

RIGID's own DV1910 direct-refrigeration system uses the QX1901VDL compressor but is specified at approximately 130W cooling capacity under its LBP application condition.

This illustrates why compressor selection should be based on the required operating point rather than nominal compressor capacity alone.

For an OEM design, specify:

Required capacity + evaporating temperature + condensing temperature + compressor speed.

For an accurate compressor recommendation, provide the refrigeration operating requirements rather than only the desired compressor wattage.

The most important parameters are:

• Required cooling capacity
• 12V DC supply characteristics
• Evaporating temperature
• Condensing temperature or maximum ambient temperature
• Refrigerant
• Target temperature
• Application type
• Available installation space
• Maximum allowable current
• Required operating duration
• Expected annual production volume

For a liquid chiller, also provide:

• Coolant type
• Coolant inlet temperature
• Required outlet temperature
• Coolant flow rate

For air cooling, provide:

• Return-air temperature
• Required supply-air temperature
• Airflow
• Condenser inlet temperature

For refrigeration/freezer applications, provide:

• Cabinet volume
• Target temperature
• Pull-down requirement
• Insulation
• Product load
• Maximum ambient temperature

The five most important parameters for initial compressor selection are: