Hey guys. Non-engineer here. 20 years experience as a general contractor. I can build a hell of a custom bathroom, but not so much engineer things...
Here's my idea.
I'm building an enclosed travel trailer that will function as a living space as well as, possible mobile business. I've watched youtube videos on how to assemble Tesla powerwall style battery banks using tons of 18650's. So I have a power supply sorted out, but I got to thinking, I wonder if I could take a heater core for a vehicle, since it already has a radiator style to it, fill it 80% with anti-freeze, and heat it with a simple, low-voltage, low-amperage induction heater. Heat the internal anti-freeze just as you would in a vehicle, and then blow the heat off with a 12v computer fan.
I'm thinking, a heater core comes with an inlet and an outlet. If I fill the core with anti-freeze, and then solder on end caps to the inlet and outlet or join them together with a few 90 degree elbows to make it a closed circuit, and of course solder in a overflow nipple similar to what you would find on an actual radiator to make an allowance for expansion, (so the thing doesn't explode as it expands). Then wrap the joining piece of copper with an induction coil to heat the internal fluid.
I like the idea of low-voltage low amperage for the sake of having a standalone enclosure being run by a combo of solar panels, battery bank. I prefer electric over gas anything. Just trying to make it as standalone as possible.
My question is, is there such a thing as a low-voltage low-amperage induction coil, or do those things just run rampant until they explode into fire? I have no idea how they work or where I would even start on limiting the voltage. I don't care if it takes 15 minutes to get warm. I'm talking about 100sq ft space that needs to be heated, so it's not like it needs to be 5 million BTU.
Thanks for any help!
P.S. Of course, the ideal solution would be a 12v heat-pump that could be used as either an AC or a heater, but I have yet to find one that is low-voltage low-amperage and would punish my battery bank
Here's my idea.
I'm building an enclosed travel trailer that will function as a living space as well as, possible mobile business. I've watched youtube videos on how to assemble Tesla powerwall style battery banks using tons of 18650's. So I have a power supply sorted out, but I got to thinking, I wonder if I could take a heater core for a vehicle, since it already has a radiator style to it, fill it 80% with anti-freeze, and heat it with a simple, low-voltage, low-amperage induction heater. Heat the internal anti-freeze just as you would in a vehicle, and then blow the heat off with a 12v computer fan.
I'm thinking, a heater core comes with an inlet and an outlet. If I fill the core with anti-freeze, and then solder on end caps to the inlet and outlet or join them together with a few 90 degree elbows to make it a closed circuit, and of course solder in a overflow nipple similar to what you would find on an actual radiator to make an allowance for expansion, (so the thing doesn't explode as it expands). Then wrap the joining piece of copper with an induction coil to heat the internal fluid.
I like the idea of low-voltage low amperage for the sake of having a standalone enclosure being run by a combo of solar panels, battery bank. I prefer electric over gas anything. Just trying to make it as standalone as possible.
My question is, is there such a thing as a low-voltage low-amperage induction coil, or do those things just run rampant until they explode into fire? I have no idea how they work or where I would even start on limiting the voltage. I don't care if it takes 15 minutes to get warm. I'm talking about 100sq ft space that needs to be heated, so it's not like it needs to be 5 million BTU.
Thanks for any help!
P.S. Of course, the ideal solution would be a 12v heat-pump that could be used as either an AC or a heater, but I have yet to find one that is low-voltage low-amperage and would punish my battery bank