Updated on:
12.11.17:
The answer to the question about how much heat is: not that much. It is like I thought, unfortunately. This technique will need a highly insulated glass covered exposure to the sun, which will keep heat losses to a minimum. If you want passive solar, you will have to work hard for it. The next question is: is it worth it?
It may be better to just use a water heater, and run a water line to the Coleman and back. The water heater needs to be outside, of course. It would be a dedicated water heater used for climate control only.
12.10.17:
The weather has cooperated, and time was available to run another test today. The bottles do get warm, but how much heat is stored into them?
Tossing and turning the bottles distributes the water throughout the bottle, I have noticed. But I forgot to do that before I put them into the Coleman. While in the Coleman, they should cause the inside of it to get warmer. How long will it stay warm, and how warm? That is what I am measuring now.
I have a feeling that this is just going to be too limited to be very useful. There will have to be a lot of water because it won't get all that hot. The results of this test may confirm that.
12.2.17:
17:30
Today's weather was not cooperative enough for a test of the colored water. Too overcast. The water gets somewhat warm, even on a day like this. However, it is not worth it to me to lug the stuff back to the trailer and put it in the Coleman. Therefore, the results from this experiment will have to wait for a better day.
Oh, and make that 22 liters, or 48.4 pounds of colored water. Makes a difference. At 30 deg F of useful temperature difference, that would yield 1452 BTU, or 1.5 megajoules. Not quite 1/2 a kwh.
10:30
Bought some dye, and now there are about 3 gallons of dark colored water. Later today, I will collect them, and put them into the Coleman. At that point, I will monitor the temperature in the Coleman in order to see how much it heats up.
I am using the camper shell that I used earlier.
With good insulation, I won't need all that much heat. According to the following, maybe as little as 50 watts per 10 degrees of warmth.
The dimensions given above have been achieved. Now I need a cold day to see how it all could work, or not work.
11.28.17 @
16:00 :
The colored bottles have been out there most of the day. I have checked them several times, and they do appear to be very warm on the outside of the bottle. Don't know for sure if the water is warm on the inside, though. I'd say the outside is well over 100 degrees F. If the inside is that hot, that would be good. If it was hotter than what I think, better yet.
I was thinking of putting these in a container I make myself. They are currently in a camper shell that is sitting on the ground. I can lift the door and put them in and take them out. Thus, they are protected from the cooler wind.
The container should do the same trick, but maybe better. It could be better because the container will be smaller. The heat loss from the bottles should be trapped inside the container and make the inside plenty hot. Lets hope so, anyway.
That's a project for another day. I can play around with this for a couple days until the dye on order arrives, so I can make a lot of colored water. The camper shell can accommodate plenty of bottles.
7:30
The Coleman is now fixed. I have an idea to explore this week. It will involve the use of dyes for heating the water that is in used soda bottles. The black colored water presumably will heat better than the clear water. These heated bottles will go into the Coleman, plus some additional water from the water heater.
Lets say that the heated bottles get up to 100 degrees Farenheit. Lets also say that each bottle holds 2 liters ( about 2 quarts or about 2 pounds ). Lets also say that the useful range for heating a room is between the water temperature in the bottle minus 70 degrees F. In this example, that would be 30 degrees F. Each bottle is capable of providing 60 BTU of heat. If there are 10 bottles, that would be 600 BTU of heat. That would be about one sixth of a kilowatt hour.
A gallon of heated water from the water heater will provide water of about 130 deg F. Each gallon will weigh about 8 lbs, with a useful heating range of 60 deg F. That's 480 BTU per gallon. Three gallons yields 1440 BTU. Combined with the bottles in the previous paragraph, will yield 2040 BTU, or about 2040/3600, or roughly 2/3rds of a kwh.
Good for heating up the little hidey hole ten degrees for three hours. Need more water! At least double that, and even that is only ten degrees for six hours.
Lots of work for a smallish result. But lets see what the colored water bottles do.
11.24.17 @ 11:00
Back from Turkey Day stuffing, but not a turkey of the feathered persuasion.
Anyway, I got an idea to put bottled water into the car. I put a thermometer in the car yesterday, before taking off for the holiday. It was over 40 degrees farenheit warmer in the car than outside. I think I could utilize that passive solar heat in order to make warmer water.
Hot water from the water heater can go into Coleman, and these bottles could add more
heat to the mix.
Maybe this will help.
In the meantime, the pump to the device is not working, so I have that going for me. Will
have to check it out.
Time is getting away from me. It is nearly noon on Black Friday, and I haven't stirred from the trailer yet.
Dern it.
The original post follows:
Part of the problem is the location of the trailer with respect to a building,
and some trees. During this time of the year, the sun is in the southern part
of the sky. That is where the trees are. Plus the trailer is located on the
western side of the building.
This is good in summer, but also bad in summer. Good in the morning, bad in the
afternoon. But, it is mostly bad all around during the winter. There's not enough
sun to do much.
Perhaps with no obstructions, enough sun can be brought to bear to make it worthwhile,
but in this place, not a chance.
I've been experimenting with the propane water heater on the trailer. It worked
a little bit the other night, but not what I had hoped for. The water seems to run
out fast when you are using it from the tap.
Maybe three or four gallons, and then it starts to get cooler.
Not good.
An idea to set up a dedicated propane water heater for this thing has popped into
my head. But wait. Could there be another way?
Seems like last year, I used the onboard pump system on the trailer in order to
store the water in the fresh water tank. That didn't work too good for the passive
solar, but maybe it might work for the propane water heater.
If I can make that thing continually heat the water, it could stay hot all night.
I'll have to wait for implementation of that idea.
Turkey day has arrived, and I will be gone visiting.
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