Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
(OP)
Hello all,
I am in need of a device or a system that can covert ice/snow into steam on a small scale. My spacing requirements limit me to about a volume of 2.5' wide, 3.5' high, and 3.5' deep. Is there anyway to accomplish this?
Thank you
I am in need of a device or a system that can covert ice/snow into steam on a small scale. My spacing requirements limit me to about a volume of 2.5' wide, 3.5' high, and 3.5' deep. Is there anyway to accomplish this?
Thank you





RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
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RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
1. Small scale refers to size constraints of the system which are 2.5'x3.5'x3.5' as mentioned before.
2. This system has to be able to handle a 1 lb of snow/ice every 15 to 30 seconds.
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
Maybe something similar to 3 or 4 of these: h
This seems on the hairy edge of not doable, at least, not in the volume you've specified. What's outside of this volume?
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RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
The ice should be able to convert to steam nearly instantly, but you'll still need to make up the 83 kW plus about 20 kW of parasitic loss. The ice that's in contact with the crucible should flash into steam, which should also warm up the bulk of the ice that's not yet in contact.
Ought to be pretty spectacular in operation, one would think...
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RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
Look at Sussman electric for the small electric boiler, and you can retrofit their boiler feed system with a steam coil in it.
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
But in the end you need
1 lb snow every 30 seconds
144*60*2=17,000BTU/hr
Certainly doable.
Your electric boiler firing steam into the jacket of the open
snow holding tank, water dropping to the bottom and pumped out some going to the boiler and the remainder to the output ,
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
Can you reverify your numbers? I have a 15kBTU/hr stovetop, and I can't even begin to boil 2cups of RT water in 30 secs, much less melt snow AND turn it to steam.
17kBTU/hr*30s = 1660W*90s, which is just barely enough to bring water to boil in a microwave oven, but it won't convert to steam in that time.
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RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
Latent heat of ice = 80 kcal/kg which means 54.36*80 =4348,8 kcal/hr
Sensible heat (from = 0°C to 100 °C) means 54.36 * 100 = 5436 kcal/hr
Latent heat of vaporization (at atmospheric pressure) = 540 kcal/kg which means 54.36*540=29354,6 kcal/hr
Total thermal power required 39139,2 kcal/hr that is 154700 BTU/hr (no thermal loss from the reservoir taken into account)
If ice is at a temperature below 0°C it is necessary also to take into account sensible heat to heat ice (specific heat of ice cp = 0.50 kcal/kg)
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
Now if you want to process "snow", this stuff comes in multiple mass varieties which affects its volume and melt capacity and thereby affects the size requirements of the equipment overall in order to handle the volume increases and the increased energy requirements to convert the snow/water/stm.
Good luck trying to fit this equipment into a 2.5'x3.5'x3.5' envelope.
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
My bad- left out a few numbers namely heatup to boiling and latent heat, especially the latent heat
Should be
(144+180+1000)*120=158,800 BTUH
an error of only factor of 10.
Project not so doable in 2-1/2 feet of space.
Try thermonuclear.
RE: Converting Ice in Steam on small Scale
What is the purpose of the device, why steam, how is the snow fed to the boiler?