Appropriate Technology Course: Rocket Water Heater

https://pdcvid.com In this excerpt from the Wheaton Labs’ Appropriate Technology Course, Tim's discussion centers around the difficulties of heating water using wood, particularly due to lack of temperature regulation. While fossil fuel-based heating methods come with built-in thermostats, wood does not, posing a potential safety risk when water is heated in a closed system as it can lead to over-pressurization and even an explosion due to steam expansion. To solve this, he proposes a design where the water tank has an outlet and an inlet with the inlet at the bottom. This encourages stratification, ensuring that hot water stays at the top, and cold water at the bottom, prolonging the duration of hot water supply.


To ensure safety, Tim suggests integrating a copper coil heat exchanger into the system. This system is designed so that the pressurized water is only in the coil, with cold water flowing into it. The pressurization in the coil raises the boiling point of the water inside, preventing it from boiling even if the water in the tank boils. When the tap is opened, the water in the coil doesn't have time to boil due to reduced pressure and continuous flow. The inefficiencies in heat transfer also guarantee that the water in the coil doesn't match the tank water's temperature, avoiding overheating. This system provides a safe way to heat water using wood, but the specific usage pattern, such as in his Australian family's case, determines the amount of wood needed.


Bernal Brothers animation https://permies.com/bernal


Thanks to my patreon peeps for pushing me into making videos again   / pwvids  


Dr. Hugh Gill Kultur
Kyle Neath
Mehron Kugler
Kerry Rodgers
Bill Crim
Dolius
Bill Erickson
Greg Martin
G Cooper
Bryan Beck
Pasquale DeAngelis
James Tutor
danita neu
Polly Jayne Smyth
Opalyn Rose
William Kearns
Eric Tolbert


All my stuff: https://permies.com/stuff