Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

[Gen-Erix Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gen-Erix]

What about using a solar panel to pre-heat the oil in the fuel tank?

You leave a panel on the dash/rear dash, wherever
where its hooked up an electrical warmer on/under the fuel tank


Naturally it wont reach 160F but it could WARM the oil sufficiently
after which you would follow up with injector/filter heaters

the power output should be enough too
18 Watts
1.2 Amp@15 Volts

[Gen-Erix Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Gen-Erix]

Re: Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

no one has input?

[W123 x 2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close W123 x 2]

Re: Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

Hi,

OK saw a solar panel today that would be better but only just. eBay Australia: NEW SHARP 80W Solar Panel 12V Photovoltaic. NE-80EJE (item 330099043612, end time 20-Mar-07 11:31:47 AEDST)
but at $660 there are cheaper ways.

Your 18 watts will barely warm a coffee cup so it won't make a dent on 60 or 130 litres of WVO - even in Hawaii. The 80 watt version would probably work in your climate but not do to well where water freezes in winter.

When 200 watt 12 volt solar panels cost $200, I think you'll get movement.

Cheers, Michael

[W123 x 2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close W123 x 2]

Re: Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

I thought I'd better pre empt the next suggestion.
eBay Australia: NEW Enviro Wind - Wind Turbine Generator 200w Windmill (item 330097487744, end time 21-Mar-07 10:13:01 AEDST)

Now that offers better watts for your $$, but is a bit big and weighs a mere 71.5 kg. Mind you it would make a statement down on the beach on the roof catching the sea breeze as it warms your WVO. It's also self furling so when you reach 70 mph the blades automatically feather. Might have a few issues with overhead power lines, but nothing a little re engineering wouldn't fix.

Cheers, Michael

[Guest Close David]

Re: Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

The time warm oil is most needed is for the early morning start up. It may take several hours to bring the oil up to temp even with many times the thermal input you mention.

The fundamental problem I see is that it has been my observation that there is very little sunshine at night that would be able to allow a solar panel to generate any electricity to create any heating of the oil for the morning start up.

If a person lived in very cold climate and wanted to heat their fuel through the day, any place cold enough for daytime heating to be benificial would also have very weak sunlight that would insufficent to allow a solar cell to produce much power especially if conditions were overcast. If it were snowing, there would be no sunlight to speak of and even if there were, the car would have to be covered in solar cells to come close to generating enough power just to prevent the fuel becoming frozen let alone any useful temprature rise being realised.

If the car were garaged or parked in a covered carpark, no light would be available for the panel at any time. The solar cells would have to be located outside the building and plugged in and out every time the car came or went. Much easier and effective just to plug something into the regular power outlet and given the price of solar cells, they would take many years to come close to repaying the cost of any electricity used for what would only be part of the year in most places.

You suggest the power output from an 18W solar cell should be sufficent ( for heating I take it) but I would question how you arrived at that conclusion?

According to my calculations based on the specific density of cottonseed oil, to heat 40L (10 Gal approx) of oil from 10oC ( 50F) to 40oC (104F) in 1 hour would require 684 watts of energy input. 2 hours would require 342 watts.
With 18 watts input, it would take 38 hours to raise the oil temp the same amount which is of course a completely impractical time frame.
Your 18 watts would be good to raise half a gallon ( 2L) in 2 hours but again, that is a useless amount in the application we are talking about.

If you were able to overcome these few minor drawbacks and find a way round a few laws of Physics, your probably on a winner with this idea and may like to develop it further.

[Captain Echidna Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Captain Echidna]

Re: Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

probably a better aproach would be to build the bootlid (trunklid) as the top of your fuel tank, to make use of the suns energy directly, rather than turn solar into electricity, and then in to heat. perhaps some internal fins to help get the heat down to the bottom of the tank may help, as well as matt black paint.

Of course the trick will be to get the trunk springs right so you can open the boot when the tank is full, yet not take your head off if you open it when the tank is empty.

or use a solar pump to circulate the veg oil to the hop bootlid

[W123 x 2 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close W123 x 2]

Re: Using Solar Power to warm WVO in the gas tank?

OK since my last idea was just wind, how about a solar pool heating system? First paint car black, then attach black polypipe over horizontal surfaces of car. Have small 12 volt solar pump circulate WVO through pipes and back to tank. To enhance heating add clear poly carbonate over the pipes.

Design flaws? It would work <50% of the time and it wouldn't be a thing of beauty.

Michael