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December 5, 2007
Kandle Heeter — Invented by a bookofjoe reader so it has to be good
Anytime one of my crowd tells me they've come up with something out back in their skunk works, I immediately sweep aside whatever is scheduled to give their creation pride of place.
It's the least I can do, consider what you pay me.
But I digress.
Doyle wrote, "I have invented a candle heater. It is a steel and ceramic radiator assembly perched above a jar candle flame. It absorbs the heat of the candle and becomes a gentle radiating body giving off dry radiant space heat into home or office."
Almost as good as Humphrey or Gray Cat snuggling in with me for a read.
But I digress again.
The Kandle Heeter™ (pictured above and below with Doyle)
costs $29.95.
December 5, 2007 at 11:01 AM | Permalink
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Comments
Actually it really is "a portal into another universe" -- the Twilight Zone -- diddle diddle diddle . . . Steel has the ability to approach the temperature of its heat source, so the inner steel core will heat up into the 550 deg Fahreheit range. That is 3 ounces of steel that is very, very hot -- and is being kept hot by the candle flame. This high temp inner core is what "drives" the ceramics into a constant dry heat radiating body with an outer surface area of over 140 Square Inches and a surfce temperature of 150-180 degrees. (As the flame receeds from the "sweet spot" the temperature drops a bit -- wicked liquid candles do not do this.)
Warm air rises, it has high air pressure. No matter how much disturbance is going on at floor level, the warmest air remains above. If a room seems warmer because a bunch of kids are actively engaged in play it is because their bodies are heated up and are themselves radiating excess heat. (This can also be used as a social analogy, no matter how much ranting and raving the "lower" classes do -- the rich don't get poorer -- they remain above it all.)
The Kandle Heeter tm Candle Holder is in its third year. It is entirely hand assembled by elves, leprechauns, and visiting Ferenghi in a 100 year old redwood barn about a mile from the Headwaters Forest in VNC (Very Northern California). The most common comment from owners is "I really wasn't sure if it was working until the candle went out and no one noticed until the room suddenly got chilly and cold."
True, it is not "magic" and it does not "make heat" -- it effectively and efficiently traps the thermal energy of a candle flame at ground level and converts it into something more usable -- dry radiant space heat. Yes, all combustion produces H2O as a by product, so does breathing, but the heat of the flame keeps the H2O in its vapor form and moving away from the radiator assembly. The ceramics become very dry and always are able to be touched, even when exceeding 200 deg Fahrenheit on the surface.
Thanks, Joe, for the review. I am happy to answer any questions. There is a bodacious amount of information on the website -- plus, of course, all the other stuff.
Posted by: Doyle | Dec 7, 2007 1:54:59 AM
old idea except for the stacking of the pots. And "dry heat"? how? combustion of the wax will produce H2O.
sheesh, what an old grouch I am!
Posted by: alistair | Dec 6, 2007 12:29:51 AM
The air in our rooms is rarely still enough to allow hot air to collect near the ceiling. Two kids leaping about playing sword fights stir it up very nicely.
Posted by: Skipweasel | Dec 5, 2007 8:18:16 PM
yes, but.....a single candle is primarily emitting energy via infrared radiation and natural convection flows. The natural convection flow leads to hot gas rising directly upwards, thus more effectively warming your ceiling than anyone directly to the side of it (put your hand one foot over a burning candle, you'll see).
The novelty of the device is that it harnesses the warm air flow and transfers the energy, again via convection, into the ceramic "fins" and center rod, through which heat can then be re-emitted by the outer ceramic pot through natural convection (not much gain there), but also via a much larger infrared radiative surface, whereby the "gentle and dry" heating is duly obtained.
Arguably, a material that had a lower specific heat capacity and higher emissivity value could be used instead of the pots to increase the performance a bit, but in general, terracotta should work just fine, plus you get a better aesthetic.
Pretty ingenious for taking a slight chill off, just don't expect a furnace...
Posted by: johnjohn | Dec 5, 2007 6:35:05 PM
But but but...the heat from the candle is - heat from the candle. Doing odd things with flowerpots won't add or subtract and heat. After the whole thing's stabilised the amount of energy leaving the vicinity of the candle will the the same with or without the gizmo unless it's a portal into another universe and can leak or gain energy from elsewhere.
Posted by: Skipweasel | Dec 5, 2007 5:46:32 PM
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