ENGINEERING CHALLENGE! (Indoor Heating)
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
ENGINEERING CHALLENGE! (Indoor Heating)
1) Solution must incorporate a twenty five or fifty five gallon steel drum.
2) It must cause heat to radiate horizontally from a small heat source.
3) Source of heat must be acceptable in an indoor environment. (Light Bulbs are an option here). Moderate propane use is acceptable.
4) It must not require modification of the room or home in any way.
5) It should preferrably be decorative, rather than detract from decor.
6) It must be portable.
7) It must be store-able to get it out of the way in summer.
8) It must be moveable (implied by #7 and #6 above).
9) It must use commonly available fuel.
10) CONSTRUCTION COST LIMIT! $50.oo (excluding heat source. This also discludes hiring of a welder - it is assumed you do your own welds and/or cutting)
Go for it people, let's see what you can dream up!
2) It must cause heat to radiate horizontally from a small heat source.
3) Source of heat must be acceptable in an indoor environment. (Light Bulbs are an option here). Moderate propane use is acceptable.
4) It must not require modification of the room or home in any way.
5) It should preferrably be decorative, rather than detract from decor.
6) It must be portable.
7) It must be store-able to get it out of the way in summer.
8) It must be moveable (implied by #7 and #6 above).
9) It must use commonly available fuel.
10) CONSTRUCTION COST LIMIT! $50.oo (excluding heat source. This also discludes hiring of a welder - it is assumed you do your own welds and/or cutting)
Go for it people, let's see what you can dream up!
Last edited by Greywolf; Dec 7, 2006 at 08:22 PM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 8,462
Likes: 4
From: Durant, OK (SOSU)
I just want to see how
1) Solution must incorporate a twenty five or fifty five gallon steel drum.
and
5) It should preferrably be decorative, rather than detract from decor.
are going to work together.
1) Solution must incorporate a twenty five or fifty five gallon steel drum.
and
5) It should preferrably be decorative, rather than detract from decor.
are going to work together.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
If a cable spool can be a coffee table - go figure!
Besides, "Welded Art" is a beautiful thing.....
(I didn't claim it was for everyone, did I?)
PS: It doesn't have to be as tall as it was originally. -Think outside of the "BOX"
The "SPUR THOUGHT" was that unusual ideas come from unusual minds. And we have an amazing number of eclectic artisans here...
My own thoughts are that common heater ideas follow using screen mesh in cylinder forms - and I wondered: "WHY? Flat plates ought to work better..." (Kind of like cylinder jugs on motorcycles). You see that a lot in kerosene heaters.
What if you have a base heat source, and need to distribute it efficiently? A single point creating a lot of heat - that needs to be spread out so that it can be picked up readily.
It's easier to raise surrounding air ten degrees with a spread out transfer than it is to jack it up fifty degrees. If the heat source is very hot - it may go right to the cieling and find a way out....
So then - you want a heater that distributes at room or floor level, instead of rising straight and being lost to the attic. See what I mean? It has to be evenly distributed. It must MIX with the surrounding room air.
Besides, "Welded Art" is a beautiful thing.....
(I didn't claim it was for everyone, did I?)
PS: It doesn't have to be as tall as it was originally. -Think outside of the "BOX"
The "SPUR THOUGHT" was that unusual ideas come from unusual minds. And we have an amazing number of eclectic artisans here...
My own thoughts are that common heater ideas follow using screen mesh in cylinder forms - and I wondered: "WHY? Flat plates ought to work better..." (Kind of like cylinder jugs on motorcycles). You see that a lot in kerosene heaters.
What if you have a base heat source, and need to distribute it efficiently? A single point creating a lot of heat - that needs to be spread out so that it can be picked up readily.
It's easier to raise surrounding air ten degrees with a spread out transfer than it is to jack it up fifty degrees. If the heat source is very hot - it may go right to the cieling and find a way out....
So then - you want a heater that distributes at room or floor level, instead of rising straight and being lost to the attic. See what I mean? It has to be evenly distributed. It must MIX with the surrounding room air.
Last edited by Greywolf; Dec 7, 2006 at 10:11 PM.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
Likes: 22
From: The Big, Oregon
I'm thinking a 25gal drum, cut into three pieces- the bottom six inches and top six inches will be used, while the center piece will be discarded. The top and bottom will be spaced out to their original locations, but with a parabolic cone shape in the middle, with the point down, made of reflective stainless steel, surrounded by five rods from quartz heaters. This design would reflect the heat outwards, and combine a 60's flair with a modern industrial look. If there are kids or pets around, maybe wrap it with some aluminum or stainless mesh to keep them off the hot rods.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,628
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Canada
I'm stuck on:
... is there a fan involved? heat rises vertically so not sure how the horizontal thing is gonna work.
Other than that, weld a rack about 10" from the 'top' of the barrel, cut small door slightly under the rack; invert, put a couple/three 100 watt trouble lights in it, close door, turn door to wall.
2) It must cause heat to radiate horizontally from a small heat source.
Other than that, weld a rack about 10" from the 'top' of the barrel, cut small door slightly under the rack; invert, put a couple/three 100 watt trouble lights in it, close door, turn door to wall.
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Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,628
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From: Calgary, Canada
How much heat are you wanting out of this, like fireplace heat or just supplemental? For the $50.00, you can get a 1500W space heater that will take up about 10 square inches and have $25.00 left over.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
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From: Drummonds, TN USA
Parameters are undefined. "What feels warm?"
That 1500 watt heater might also rise fairly straight up, warm a small area of cieling, and radiate out of your (or my) attic space.
Is there a more efficient way to spread warmth?
And yeah I know - an eight inch thick adobe roof would be excellent...
That 1500 watt heater might also rise fairly straight up, warm a small area of cieling, and radiate out of your (or my) attic space.
Is there a more efficient way to spread warmth?
And yeah I know - an eight inch thick adobe roof would be excellent...
Postmaster
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,628
Likes: 0
From: Calgary, Canada
Hmm, I still like the light bulbs in the barrel idea. Actual heat lamps will be a little bit more efficient when it comes to the heat:light ratio and the big barrel will diffuse the heat over a larger, omnidirectional area.
A couple friends and a bottle of whiskey. 
Is there a more efficient way to spread warmth?
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
They say black is a color that attracts heat, silvering reflects it.
I suppose there are some possibilities there.
I tell ya what - I'm going to try to "guide" this, and leave much of my own thinking out of it - just to see where we go with it. Like a "BRAIN SHARING" session.
I suppose there are some possibilities there.
I tell ya what - I'm going to try to "guide" this, and leave much of my own thinking out of it - just to see where we go with it. Like a "BRAIN SHARING" session.
Last edited by Greywolf; Dec 9, 2006 at 12:26 PM.
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