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Along the lines of a common crock pot, but much better insulated, the Magma Crock contains a few liters of molten rock. Consult your local igneous petrologist to determine the best choices for your location. Casts a cheery scarlet glow on the ceiling, plenty of radiant heat for those chilly winter
days. Requires 480 volt 3 phase electrical service (not available in all areas).
3 phase ...
http://www.faqs.org...ctric/AC/index.html Chapter 1 touches on the concept of "phase" in alternating-current circuits, Chapter 10 may go into too much detail ... [batou, Nov 29 2007]
[link]
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If this was bubbling for a fondue pot, I'll give you a bun to dip in it. + |
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Several litres of molten rock at 3000°C is
going to keep the party warm. |
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He: "Honey, why is the electric bill $12,000 this month?" |
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She: "Must be that new Magma Crock of yours. I told you not to leave it plugged in overnight!" |
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//molten rock at 3000°C// - actually, basaltic lava from Kilauea would be near the top end of the temperature range, at about 1170° to 1200° C. You could also make a little trip to Tanzania and pick up some carbonatitic lava that is fluid at only 500° C. (That is just barely above the first sign of a ruddy glow.) |
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Can anyone recommend a link that explains '3 phase'? |
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//about 1170° to 1200° C. // Oops -
you're right. I was muddling Centiheit and
Fahrengade. |
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At about 1900°C, a butane or propane flame would probably be better than the three-phase power solution. I'd want some way to do rock castings (chromium steels should withstand rock melting temperatures well enough to be used for dishing the stuff out). Sand casting should be able to withstand the rock as well. Granite casting would be a lot faster than granite carving. Just imagine casting your own stone objects at the dinner table. A 'rock casting at home' magazine could come out with fun patterns included with each issue. |
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Hmm - my wife's kiln goes up to 1250C (on a normal 230V single-phase domestic supply). If you go near it when it's on, the air is almost too hot to breathe and you can feel your eyeballs drying up, so a magma crock might be too hot for some people, but it's still a cool idea.
[Canuck] Our electricity bill is OK, despite doing one or two 12-hour firings up to 1250C every week. |
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//Centiheit and Fahrengade// |
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What about Kelvius and Celsin? Or is that a shampoo? |
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Oooh, I love your serving spoons, are they Alessi? |
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//Granite casting would be a lot faster
than granite carving.// but you wouldn't
wind up with granite. Granite's graininess
is due to the relatively slow cooling it
experiences underground, allowing time
for large crystals to grow. If you melted it
down, cast it, and left it to 'set' for a few
hours, you'd get something more like
basalt. |
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And all that from someone willing to heat it all up to 2726.85 K? |
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//And all that from someone willing to
heat it all up to 2726.85 K// Do you mean
809.72 degrees Newton? |
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Rolls on floor calculating... |
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perhaps some kind of rock fondue or magma fountain yummy?
getting the rock to 3000C does take a lot of power, but a well insulated crock should limit heat loss.3 phase is used in high current applications it offers no benefit to a heater which could just as easily be DC powered. |
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Totally off-subject: Is it just me or does the term "cold fusion heating system" come across as an oxymoron? |
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//3 phase is used in high current
applications it offers no benefit to a
heater which could just as easily be DC
powered.// I think the point is that 3-
phase can deliver more power than a
conventional domestic system. In most
UK houses, the heaviest circuit is the
cooker, running at something like
30amps maximum. At 240V (rms) AC,
this equates to something like 7kW,
which may not be sufficient. |
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As for using DC, that would be silly.
Most homes don't have a substantial DC
supply, and there's no advantage (for
heating) in rectifying AC into DC. |
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// Can anyone recommend a link that explains '3 phase'? // |
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Yes, but not to you; 3-phase is for clever people only. Just sit quiet and watch the pretty flashing lights and NO DON'T STICK YOUR FINGERS IN THE MAGMA .... too late ... |
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// butane or propane flame would probably be better than the three-phase power solution // |
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With hydrocarbon fuels, you'd have to have a flue to get rid of the combustion products, and suck in a load of air too. With electric heating, no fumes... |
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