h a l f b a k e r yQuis custodiet the custard?
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This idea enables vehicle owners to have engines prewarmed and passenger compartments preheated or cooled prior to driving the vehicle, all minus the fuel wasteage or inherent security dangers of remotely starting the engine without an operator present and directly in control.
Three Dewar-type flasks
are used:
A small hot-flask which sequesters heat from the engine cooling system, permanently installed. This prewarms the engine year-round to extend its life;
A larger supplementary hot-flask, installed for the winter. As well as aiding the permanent flask for engine pre-warming, It also preheats the passenger compartment; removed when the weather turns warm enough to drive without it;
A cold-thermos, installed during the hot summer to precool the passenger compartment; recharged by the A/C system while driving.
Now your car can be brought to a state of readiness with warmed engine and temperate cab, *without* having to start the engine.
Activated by a button on the keyfob it can be even more effective with phone-in On-Star type remote operation, for when you're *almost* ready to leave the mall or office.
consumer energy center
http://www.consumer...g/myths/idling.html
myths on idling exposed [Bad Jim, May 24 2008]
Baked (partially)
http://priuschat.co...rmos-heats-ice.html
The Toyota Prius uses a thermos to hold warm "coolant" [Laughs Last, Jun 05 2008]
[link]
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//weight?//
could use a few pounds off the mid-section I suppose...oh. |
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[edited]The permanent flask and and complete plumbing wouldn't weigh much: it only has to keep enough heat through (say) a 24-hour period to warm up a few quarts of oil. |
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The seasonal hot/cold bottles' size/weight would be dependant on the climate they would be operating in, engine size and passenger compartment size. |
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A 4-door sedan wouldn't mind an extra 40 pounds or so, if it meant being able to climb into a nice warm (or cool) car after a day at the office or shopping centre in any external weather. |
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pumping the oil, even the coolant, into a insulated/heated storage reservoir then returning it before starting is a good idea. Some indoor motor pools used circulation systems and there are numerous circulating heaters but an evacuate then replace |
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What is the particular problem with using remote-start? The use of an idling engine as a heater is not terribly energy-efficient, though letting the engine oil heat up before putting the engine under any stress will likely reduce wear. Cooling isn't wonderfully efficient either, but since cars generally don't have excess capacity for cooling (unlike heating) having the engine run a few minutes before boarding is likely to waste no more energy than increasing the cooling load when the car is being driven. |
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//What is the particular problem with using remote-start?// |
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Well, you can't use a remote-start if the car is parked in an enclosed garage and in extreme winter conditions, starting a cold engine often involves the human touch(/invective/kick) to get it going. Also a parked, running car is a target for thieves (who will be ticked off and break stuff when they discover the keys aren't in the ignition after they break in). |
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Idling is bad for your car. With a modern car the best thing for the engine is to just turn it on and go. Obviosly it's better than driving a sub-zero car and having your windshield ice up as you drive, but if you can heat your car up some other way it's a plus. |
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This may be a silly question, but why not run the block heater from the battery? You could start that by remote control. You'd maybe want a bigger battery, but it's simpler. |
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//run the block heater from the battery? //
You'd need a much larger battery, and in sub-zero weather they can't keep anywhere near full charge. |
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[edit] If you had a PHEV that would be feasible, otherwise the battery you'd need would be heavier than a flask as well as less efficient. |
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<churn> post edited to be more reader-friendly |
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