About 100 years ago there was a thing called an "Icey Ball", it was two spheres connected by a pipe that contained ammonia. By heating one sphere you caused the other to cool. Unfortunately, I have only been able to find plans for "Icey Balls" as no one make them any more.
Our two Refers at home are “Ammonia over Hydrogen” Heat driven Refers.. The one in the Brown Cabin is a TriPower 120Vac, 12Vdc, Propane, and the one in the Blue Cabin is just straight Propane.. This is 120 year old, and very mature technology, but it does work, with few issues.. The TriPower uses 120Vac if available, and Propane if AC is not Available, and 12Vdc if neither of the other two aren’t available.. 100# Propane Bottle lasts us most of the summer, including use in the Propane Cooking Stoves in each Cabin...
Believe me, I have looked into this because I have 2 nieces and 2 nieces-in-law that are Type 1. I have looked into making insulin (my nephew is a chemical engineer) and it would not be easy. The major problem is finding a steady supply of raw materials, especially in a SHTF situation. Currently my plans are to acquire a month or two of medication and rotate it. I have studied the pre-insulin treatment of diabetics and their life-expectancy...with medication, severe restrictions to diet and luck they might last a year or two. Sometimes I'm not sure if it would be worth the trouble, but then I reason that if it was me that I would want to have the option. The hardest thing about the historic treatments, besides offering no long-term hope, was the fact that as a care-giver you are going to have to be a "bastard" as one doctor of the time put it...you are going to have to STARVE your loved ones...they will be skin and bones when they die!
Yep!! I know refrigeration guy that MIGHT be able to cobble together something. He's semi-retired and might enjoy the challenge.
I have a few 12 volt powered coolers that would work great for that with a solar panel and a couple deep cycle battery's I used them at my hunting camp to keep the beer and meat cold for the weekend.
I lost a great niece to diabetes last Dec. Died WAY TOO young. I was going to whine about my Parkinson's. You guys have it much harder. I really respect you all, for fighting the good fight like you do.