Diesel Heater Install with an EGR for exhaust heat recovery 

Yes I have to make sure I keep the trailer somewhat level, my summer tires are larger so it slopes back and would have a spot for it to pool

Thanks, I've got a few more parts coming for it so there'll be a couple

I was thinking about that a few nights ago, i finally have a good fan set up and controller so im going to play around a bit and see what temps im actually absorbing and dissipating all the heat.

I had seen the adjustable pump posted before, I had figured if I ever had running issues I’d switch to it but this has been great even non-adjustable

only few wires not hard to chop them and extend

I believe it, doesnt take long on high to make the coolant lines too hot to touch. I need to work on a way to dissipate the heat better

I guess i just can’t understand how it could only be 1.25kw. I saw the video as well. I would think you would be doubling the heat output. I’m working on doing the same concept. I’ve got a heater core, just need to get an egr and a couple hoses.

@@robcolumbus5330 I'm afraid it gets worse - they established the 5kw is more like 3.5kw

@@trevortrevortsr2 5kW could be intake from oil.

Yeah I’d think that’d work, on this set up you can feel the heat moving without the pump

Pump came off a 12v VR6 Jetta, 99-02 or so not sure when they switched to the 24v.

Can you give some info on the parts you used to do it?

Ill have to take a look thanks, alot of the trans cooler fans were 10-15 amps.

I just finally got it dialed, I ended up getting thermostatic relays to run the fan and pump at set temps. Hoping to do a video on it shortly

Yes it would make it simpler but you would require an all aluminum rad and large enough runners. Another person had commented using more coolant as a “heat storage” so the fan could continue to run and heat even after the diesel heater has shut off prolonging the turn back on time.

Only some will accept a code, these are 3 digit and there’s people that have tried every digit and it won’t accept it. The 3 blade fan is apparently the easiest way to see if it’s non programmable.

That’s what he is doing with the EGR cooler except with water. Water was better heat transfer and it’s safer because you don’t need to worry about CO.

@chevy6794 water is fine and all. They do make heat exchangers. But that is not an EGR. Exhaust gas recirculation system. Returns the exhaust to the intake of an internal combustion engine to improve emmisions by placing inert gasses into the combustion chamber displacing oxygen and lowering fuel consumption. It also clogs the intake runners with soot and carbon deposits. This system is a thermal heat exchanger. The water absorbs heat, and then it should flow to another exchanger where air is forced through it. What I am saying is that a pot of warm water will not be efficient to heat the room alone. It will help. Forced air is more efficient, and adding humidity to the forced air "feels" warmer. The idea I had was the cool the exhaust with forced air from a source without using more electricity than is used. No extra fan. My diesel heater uses a forced induction system to run the main chamber in then along exhaust pipe inside another to feed the intake so the air is warmed on entry to the units heat exchanger that blows into the room. So it sucks warm air from the exhaust into the heating chamber and then the room. Well, the sleeping area of the tractior trailer, rv. Mine is a real wabasco bunk heater. It is intended to heat an 8x8x10' area to 90°f in minutes during freezing events.

@@mrheart4242 thanks. I know what an EGR is. EGR cooler. An EGR cooler cools the exhaust gas with coolant before it is brought back to the intake. The reason why they use coolant is because it has way better heat transfer. 23.5 times. I never said anything about a pot of water. In this set up he is using a heat exchanger to pull the heat back out of the water that was heated from the EGR pulling the heat out of the exhaust. As he shows in the video the delta T on the cooler and the exhaust is very good. He also mentioned in the video he does not want humidity. So what I was saying is he is doing the same thing you mentioned except he’s using water. Water is better because it’s has exceptionally better thermal transfer and you don’t have the concern of an exhaust leak being pumped back into you living area. To get the same efficiency with air you would need a huge exchanger. One draw back however like you mentioned is complexity. In your truck it might be advantageous to use that system to heat your glycol and keep the trucks engine warm for start up.

@chevy6794 that is. The issue. The heat exchange is air to air. Moving it to water, then back to air, is a thermal net loss. Calling it EGR is a falsehood. Moving heat through water is fine in mass. Using a heated coolant. Circulating it. Then, returning it to air for heating purposes. On a small scale, it is inefficient. On a mass scale. It is functional. If it was efficient, then your lawnmower would have a radiator. Some of the larger ones do. The small engine (heater) may benefit from liquid cooling. But it is negligible to the power consumed by the fluid Moving system. The fluid must be circulated. It requires a pump, heat exchange into the coolant, a heat exchange from the coolant to air, and an air pump/handler to move the air past the. Exchanger to circulate the air. I am not saying it can not be done. To minimize power consumption and to maximize efficency. An air to air heat exchanger. Using the flowing air from the unit. Just extra material. No increase of power consumption. A smooth pipe radiates heat. A finned pipe has a greater surface area of witch radiation, which is greatly increased. A 2' section of pipe. With aluminum cooling fins attached. A thermal conductive layer between. Should remove a greater ammount of heat. Using the alredy present and running fan. You know what. I was waiting for the frost to melt. I'm out. Chat with yourself. The end I win. By the way. I am a retired structural engineer. I enjoy travel horsemanship and fixing broken junk. Masters in engineering drafting and design. The math is simple. Give it a go. Love ya.

@chevy6794 BTW. He went right to a pot of water with a coiled exhaust tube. Getting heat in is easy. Getting heat out is expensive. Thermal batteries. In theory. Yes. In practice, not so much. That is why the 4 that were built are scrapped or abandoned. Easy in. Expensive out.

There is a kit available that does that. It is meant to heat water for your typical hot water uses. It is aimed at rv'ers and van dwellers

My main thought with that was the body temp is 200c and the heater core was only 50, I’m not sure what the air temp was but it was uncomfortable to have my hand in front of it. I’m hoping to find a little trans cooler fan and give it a try

Heat the water as a by product of heating the trailer or just use the heater for heating water? Using the exchanger to heat water as a byproduct of works great, it’ll boil the little water that I have in this system quickly. If just wanting to heat water they sell diesel “coolant” heaters which would be much more efficient.

That sounds like it would work nice and easy, I forgot to talk about the condensation in the video. Everything’s sloped downwards slightly when hooked to my vehicle so it all flows out the tail pipe.

Careful with the condensate. It isn't just water

I can already tell you that it won`t work with single panel radiator. Tested with two different setups with same result -black smoke and lost efficiency. Didn`t have time to confirm but most likely single panel radiator have too small throughput and block fumes

I tried that but on low its about 90C burn temp, i had read that 120C is about the lowest you want for a clean burn/low soot build up.

Yes I’ve found that now, the systems only 3-4L. I’m waiting for a cold day to show my updated version. Using 2 thermostatic relays to control pump and fan and using a tranny cooler fan for more air flow. Right now I have the pump kick on at coolant temp of 25C and the fan kick on at 50C/off at 30C. Even with the heater on 6 the fan pulls enough heat out that it drops back down and kicks the fan off. I can put my hand on the exhaust comfortably so there’s no heat loss just too small of a “reserve”.

@@JoshsJettas that’s super cool. Looking forward to an update.

I have ran it in alpine mode but case temps drop, I think if ran for long periods of time it would result in sooting

from what i saw its best to get the controller and motherboard as a set from aliexpress or others. I got one in a few weeks.

@@JoshsJettas Thanks Ill check that out. Great idea with the egr, btw, definitely going to try this. We love our mk4, just rolled 220k and had it painted!

If you are in a northern climate the fuel is usually winter fuel with a lower cloud point. If not you could add k1 kerosene or fuel conditioner additive to lower the cloud point

Yes we have winter diesel here so no issues with it gelling, anti-gel additive is quite cheap as well. With the tank inside even without winter diesel I think it’d be fine.

@@JoshsJettas Would there ever be a case that a fuel heater is needed?

@@GM-fv8bn Im not sure at what temp winter diesel gels at but ive never had issues down to -30. I know my cars the return fuel which has been warmed from the pump goes to the filter first, diesel can get waxy blocking filters before fully gelling.

No just straight diesel. From what I’ve read the cons out weight the pros with waste oil

I'll have to wait and see, the generator T's in at 60 degree downward angle down through the floor with no restriction. It seems to create a low enough pressure at the T to pull fresh air through the heater intake so I dont think i have to worry about exhaust going the other way.

That'd explain why it falls apart then

It’s not being used on the alh so may as well use it somewhere