Using a Dryer heating element with 12v batteries

dondiggity

Hello everyone!

I'm trying to create the most basic form of heat transfer I can think of but I do not know much about converting energy.

I have a dryer heating element and I want to use a couple 12v deep cell marine batteries to power it. What all would I need to make this work besides the element, fan and the batteries? Thank you so much!

This is the heat element: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NX7Y3PR?pd_rd_i=B09NX7Y3PR&pf_rd_p=b000e0a0-9e93-480f-bf78-a83c8136dfcb&pf_rd_r=T1MNYA1VRJ55JVEA6B0D&pd_rd_wg=nb9gH&pd_rd_w=JMmIo&pd_rd_r=81ec570b-c5f1-4a84-8265-b9fd7cbd6d70

bburd

That is a 240 V element. To power it from 12 V batteries you will need 20 of them connected in series. At that voltage it will draw 23 A, plus the motor.

Why do you want to do this?

mattmia2

If you powered it at 240v without a blower moving air over it, it would burn up. You could power it at a lower voltage without forced cooling.

ChrisJ

The element will work on DC

The fan motor will not unless it's a DC motor

I don't know what DC voltage that heater element will want but I have a feeling its not 240V.

Larry Weingarten

Hi @dondiggity , Here is a purpose made 12 VDC element: https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Ceramic-Insulated-Thermostatic-Heating/dp/B09KGJC7GY/ref=sr_1_5?crid=30IH3DZI85B8W&keywords=12+vdc+heating+element&qid=1667868533&s=hi&sprefix=12+vdc+heating+element,tools,211&sr=1-5 It's 200 watts. You would want a 12 VDC fan and some sort of control for it, which could simply be a switch. It all depends of what you're tyring to get done

Yours, Larry

mattmia2

ChrisJ said:

The element will work on DC

The fan motor will not unless it's a DC motor

I don't know what DC voltage that heater element will want but I have a feeling its not 240V.

It is a resistive load (and nichrome is a thermistor but that isn't super important here) so it will behave exactly the same with 240v rms ac and 240v dc.

pedmec

Did a little math. This element is 5500 watt. You will only need 458 amps if you could make it work. Feel free to correct my math

bburd

pedmec said:

Did a little math. This element is 5500 watt. You will only need 458 amps if you could make it work. Feel free to correct my math

The element won’t draw much current, or produce much heat, at far below its rated voltage.

pedmec

its just for fun if you could lol

ChrisJ

pedmec said:

Did a little math. This element is 5500 watt. You will only need 458 amps if you could make it work. Feel free to correct my math

It's a 5500w element at 240 volts.
At 12 volts its only 13.75w and will draw 1.14A.

But I interpreted your response as assuming you're using a dc-dc converter to step up the voltage, so measuring the 12V draw from the batteries.

mattmia2

ChrisJ said:

pedmec said:

Did a little math. This element is 5500 watt. You will only need 458 amps if you could make it work. Feel free to correct my math

It's a 5500w element at 240 volts.
At 12 volts its only 13.75w and will draw 1.14A.

But I interpreted your response as assuming you're using a dc-dc converter to step up the voltage, so measuring the 12V draw from the batteries.



Nichrome being a thermistor is important here.

ChrisJ

mattmia2 said:

ChrisJ said:

pedmec said:

Did a little math. This element is 5500 watt. You will only need 458 amps if you could make it work. Feel free to correct my math

It's a 5500w element at 240 volts.
At 12 volts its only 13.75w and will draw 1.14A.

But I interpreted your response as assuming you're using a dc-dc converter to step up the voltage, so measuring the 12V draw from the batteries.

Nichrome being a thermistor is important here.

I assume PTC?

mattmia2

ChrisJ said:

mattmia2 said:

ChrisJ said:

pedmec said:

Did a little math. This element is 5500 watt. You will only need 458 amps if you could make it work. Feel free to correct my math

It's a 5500w element at 240 volts.
At 12 volts its only 13.75w and will draw 1.14A.

But I interpreted your response as assuming you're using a dc-dc converter to step up the voltage, so measuring the 12V draw from the batteries.

Nichrome being a thermistor is important here.

I assume PTC?


Yes. But it means its current consumption vs voltage isnt linear. It will consume more power than you would predict just using ohms law at lower than the rated voltage.

pedmec

You guys have gone to far with a little joke. Point being if you really tried to get to 5500 watts. Having a little fun with him