Time Lapse Infrared Video of Single Pipe Steam Radiator Heating Up

Gordo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rj7Y9RVyXGg

Sorry for the shaky quality of this video. "I" was the tripod pressed up over the toilet to get this shot. It is shot at one frame per second and played back for you at 25 frames per second, so what you are looking at is 12 minutes of compressed real time.
It seemed much longer!

Chris_L

@Gordo, thanks for posting this.

It is interesting to see that the radiator sections get hot from the top down (beginning at about 8 seconds). Who says heat rises?

I have the same type of radiators and have noticed the same thing. I think I know why.

KC_Jones

Chris_L said:

@Gordo, thanks for posting this.

It is interesting to see that the radiator sections get hot from the top down (beginning at about 8 seconds). Who says heat rises?

I have the same type of radiators and have noticed the same thing. I think I know why.

Hot fluids rise, steam is just another fluid.

MikeJ

Very cool (hot) thanks for sharing.

Chris_L

KC_Jones said:

Chris_L said:

@Gordo, thanks for posting this.

Hot fluids rise, steam is just another fluid.

True, so wouldn't you expect the bottom of each section to heat up first?

brooklynfrenchie

We're looking at the outside surface, not the inside volume.

We can't see the steam (and its heat) rise, inside. We can only see where the steam's condensed, and released its heat to the radiator, outside.

Inside, the top will be hotter than the bottom, because steam rises, so of course the outside heats up, top-first.


I thought it was neat the way the last section broke pattern, because of the vent...

PMJ

@gordo,

Do you have a video for a 2 pipe rad filling from the top?

Chris_L

@brooklynfrenchie, I think you can see where the steam is going in the video. It is the where you see white, just as in @Gordo's other videos.

And I think the reason you see the radiator heating from the top is that the steam is traveling down from the top--in the column closest to the camera. (If you watch to the end, you'll see the last section heating from both the top and bottom.)

In my three-column radiators, the center column heats up first, from the bottom, and the outside columns (or at least the one facing the room) heats from the top as shown in the video.

Seems to me the steam is going up through the center column and down through the outside ones, since they are connected at the top.

Gordo

PMJ said:

@gordo,

Do you have a video for a 2 pipe rad filling from the top?

Actually, I don't yet. But, since you asked, I'll put it on my list.

Please check out my YouTube channel for other videos, a few of which you may find of interest if you are into steam heating. Please like, comment and subscribe.

It really helps to know I have an viewership that is looking for something other than the umpteenth cute cat video (not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you.) Thanks!

PMJ

Gordo said:

PMJ said:

@gordo,

Do you have a video for a 2 pipe rad filling from the top?

Actually, I don't yet. But, since you asked, I'll put it on my list.

Please check out my YouTube channel for other videos, a few of which you may find of interest if you are into steam heating. Please like, comment and subscribe.

It really helps to know I have an viewership that is looking for something other than the umpteenth cute cat video (not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you.) Thanks!

Will do.

nicholas bonham-carter

You can always put some cats in your videos as well!—NBC

Gordo

nicholas bonham-carter said:

You can always put some cats in your videos as well!—NBC

Yes, I'll see if I can get an infrared video of a cat on a radiator.

BobC

@nicholas bonham-carter A couple of decades ago we had a large lop eared to,cat in the neighborhood who looked like he would tear your arm off, he was really a very gentle cat to those he trusted.

I used to feed him in the winter and always left the garage ajae so he could get out of the wind. One day I went down the cellar to see how my old Delco DB4 was doing, it had been unusually cold that week That was a tall boiler, almost 4 ft tall. I checked the sight glass and I felt like someone was watching me. As my eyes looked around I spied the 18 pound tom relaxing on top of the boiler, I scratched behind his ears and he started to fall asleep. The top if that boiler got pretty warm but never really hot. I looked around and found the cat had pushed a cracked cellar window pane in and jumped down onto a workbench.

I went up and got some food and milk for the old gent. i will say a cat is the best mousetrap God ever made.

Bob

Canucker

> @Chris_L said:
> @Gordo, thanks for posting this.
>
> Hot fluids rise, steam is just another fluid.
>
>
> True, so wouldn't you expect the bottom of each section to heat up first?

No. The bottom heats as the steam passes but it all wants to go up because of the difference in the density. Once it hits the top of the rad it starts to really give the heat where it's stopped moving and begins to fill the rad. I'd love to see a glass radiator in action. The closest I've seen is the glass coil condensers where I work. There were large glass tube and shell but we got rid of them years ago

Gordy

@Canucker a glass/Pyrex rad would be interesting.

Canucker

@Gordy I always had fun watching the condensers, playing around with their flow rates and system pressures to see how the vapours reacted. Learned a lot back then, really helped me visualise what's happening in the piping and I'll bet you'd have a hoot playing with them too

luketheplumber

cats + radiators = heaven!