In Russia, cars are purchased by different people - different in status or average income. The offered cars are different in terms of comfort and equipment. But the Russian winter is one for everyone. And often motorists in the cold season can be quite cold in a cozy place. Even a standard stove turned on at maximum does not always cope with creating a comfortable temperature. An additional interior heater will help to solve this problem.
What are the tasks?
Not every car is stored in a closed and heated garage. More often, a car just stands either in an open parking lot, or in the owner's yard. It's no secret that the metal body cools down quickly. The glass inside is covered with condensation, which then turns into an ice crust. All interior details in a car that has been on the street for at least a couple of hours, including the seats, acquire a temperature that is recorded overboard.
In the morning, the owners try to create a comfortable temperature in the cabin.
However, one heater after a night stay is clearly not enough for this. Even if you start driving a cold car, it will take more than one hour until the cabin becomes warm.
If from the very beginning you take all the heat for heating the air in the cabin, then there is simply not enough heat to warm up the engine, which means that the cabin will not be able to warm up normally and quickly. In this situation, only an additional stove will help.
When the driver is freezing, there can be no question of any effective control of the car. It has been proven that when a person is cold, he experiences severe stress and can lose control and attention. That is why additional heating devices are needed.
Types of additional heating
Today, several types of this equipment are offered for motorists. All these options differ among themselves in the type of installation, the amount of required energy, device and cost.
The most widely used devices are liquid and air types.
Also, heaters are divided into and powered by an engine or electricity.
Additional electric heater for car interior
This is probably the simplest group of all such devices. These devices are connected to the cigarette lighter socket, and this element is more often installed on the front panel. For an affordable price, young drivers fell in love with such units. More experienced people try to use these devices on rare occasions - as a hair dryer for heating glasses.
Among the advantages are the affordable cost for all and ease of installation. The installation does not require the involvement of specialists. This equipment is powered either from a battery or from a generator. The device can be used immediately after switching on. The discreet shape, neutral appearance and the same neutral colors will allow it to fit into any salon.
Among the shortcomings, a large number of fake products on the market are distinguished - a suspiciously cheap additional heater for the passenger compartment can be simply dangerous. If you use it at full capacity, you can quickly drain the battery - it is not recommended to use the device if the engine is not running.
Also, this group of equipment can negatively affect the wiring in the car. In addition, many argue that electric additional heating does not have a high heat transfer.
Electric heater device
There is nothing special about the design. In terms of design, these products resemble an ordinary hair dryer. The temperature of the heating element increases (more often this is also by means of a fan, warm air is blown into the passenger compartment. Often they have two operating modes - heating and ventilation.
Car enthusiasts are advised to purchase a sufficiently powerful device - most of what is available on the market has power from Many people purchase such heaters, but they are not very effective. They are capable of warming up either one leg or a small section of the windshield in frost.
It is best to install such a car interior heater under the seats, and not connect to the cigarette lighter, since you can burn the fuse, but directly to the battery - this is more reliable. However, you shouldn't buy these hair dryers.
Electric heater with ceramic heater
These devices are connected to the cigarette lighter socket. Among the advantages are simple installation, efficiency. This auxiliary heater does not burn oxygen during operation. It's easy to connect and use.
Autonomous heating
In most cases, these stoves are installed on minivans, in the salons of minibuses, residential vans or trucks. The heater is powered by fuel. The system has a separate, independent combustion chamber and exhaust pipe.
Installation of an additional interior heater is possible only in the engine compartment. The device operates independently of the engine, therefore it is called autonomous.
Among the positive characteristics, one can single out independence from engine heating, the possibility of adjusting their interior, the absence of unnecessary details in the interior, and readiness to work immediately after starting. And unlike hair dryers, the equipment is quite efficient, it gives off heat well and has a high power.
But there are no drawbacks anywhere - installation is much more difficult compared to installing a hair dryer. If you want warmth in the cabin, you will have to pay a little more for gasoline - the device increases consumption. The cost of ownership is higher than that of a hair dryer. Well, in addition, during operation, this additional heater of the car's interior makes a lot of noise.
As for the device, it is a metal cylinder that houses the combustion chamber and electronics.
The latter controls the process. The system is connected to the fuel pump, equipped with a combined and temperature control unit,
Additional radiator
Among the huge number of available devices for heating the passenger compartment, these devices also stand out.
Many drivers have tried and claimed this heater is highly efficient. This heater of the car's interior is connected to the standard cooling system together with the standard stove. Tubes are passed inside and then the radiator and fan are fixed.
Among the advantages, one can single out an understandable principle of operation, effective heating after the engine reaches operating temperatures. The equipment is available in any car dealership, and the cost is lower than for stand-alone devices.
Such an additional heater for the car interior also has disadvantages.
The main disadvantage is the complexity of installation. Operation depends on the engine temperature, for greater efficiency, the cooling system will have to be filled with working fluid.
Installation
The first step is to remove the torpedo, the second task is to get to the stove. Then the hoses and everything else are disconnected from the main system. An additional radiator can be connected in series.
The installation of a second pump is also required. Its task is to increase the circulation of coolant through the contours of the stove and thereby increase heat transfer. The pump is placed between the tap and the radiator of the stove. The pump button should be installed on the dashboard. Also, don't forget about the fuse.
Whichever auxiliary heater for the car interior is chosen, it is necessary to carry out preparations before installation. If the car is not insulated enough, the bulk of the heat will simply escape through the cracks.
The interior heater is one of the most important devices in a car during the cold season. The comfort of travel directly depends on it, and even the most severe motorists correct the “stove” malfunctions first of all. How does this device work?
There are two types of interior heaters: those powered by the engine cooling system and those that burn fuel in a separate device. Gasoline-fueled stoves are completely outdated and are now not used as a main heater. However, they did not disappear completely, but formed the basis of autonomous heaters, which are widely used in freight transport.
Passenger car interiors are heated exclusively by the engine cooling system. The general principle of operation of such a heater is simple: the coolant takes heat from the engine and, passing through the radiator of the "stove", gives it to the passenger compartment. Let's consider a typical heater in detail.
Heater radiator
A radiator is installed inside any car heater. This is a real radiator, very similar to the one installed between the headlights, only small. It also has cooling channels and fins, and hot antifreeze or antifreeze circulates through it. The heater radiator is installed in a heat-resistant plastic housing.
The flow of hot coolant from the engine passing through the radiator can be controlled by a valve, as was done, for example, on the VAZ classic. The tap regulated the flow, in much the same way as in a conventional home mixer, and, due to this, the temperature of the air in the cabin was regulated. This is an extremely slow and very inaccurate method. Therefore, in modern heaters there are no taps on the radiator and the coolant circulates inside it constantly.
The temperature of the air from the stove is regulated by an air damper.
Air damper
If there was only a hot radiator in the car “stove”, there would be little sense from it. Yes, hot air rises, but in the case of a car, this is clearly not enough. For example, a windshield would have to wait several hours to thaw. To speed up the heating of the passenger compartment, it is necessary that additional air passes through the heater radiator, and preferably under pressure.
This air is taken from two places: from the street or from the cabin. Read about air intake from the passenger compartment below in the Air recirculation section, and here we will consider how outside air enters the heater.
In order for air from the street to enter the heater, a special air intake is provided, which for most cars is located in the area of \u200b\u200b\\ u200b \\ u200bwipers. Through this channel, air enters the heater housing and ... Then there are two "extreme" options: the air either goes through the hot radiator or bypasses it. Mixing of these options in any proportion is also possible. What does it mean?
In front of the radiator, in the air channel, a damper is installed, the position of which determines how much air will go through the radiator and how much bypassing it. It is due to the position of this damper that the temperature of the air from the stove in modern heaters is regulated. That is, the temperature is determined not by the amount of hot liquid in the radiator, but by the amount of air that heats up from the passage through the radiator.
Air recirculation
The intake of air from the passenger compartment is called recirculation. This function is available on all modern cars, but it is not available on many old Russian models, but in vain. Recirculation is essential when driving in dusty or smoky areas, and also helps warm up the interior faster.
The meaning of recirculation is that the heater takes air not from the street, but from the passenger compartment through a special, additional channel. An additional damper is installed between the channels, depending on the position of which one of the channels is closed. Thus, when the street channel is blocked, the already warmed up cabin air goes to the heater, which helps to create comfortable conditions for people faster.
The recirculation mode is activated on the torpedo with a button or a slider. In the first case, a rather tricky system works, which includes an electric valve and a vacuum actuator that moves the damper. In the second, everything is simpler - the slider moves the lever and moves the recirculation flap through a flexible rod.
If during fast driving the outside air can enter the heater "by inertia", then when standing, for example, in a traffic jam, this will not happen. It will not get into the “stove” by itself and air from the passenger compartment when recirculation is on. For forced air intake and more efficient heating of the passenger compartment, there is a fan in the heater design.
Heater fan
Heater fans in Russian cars are of two types: with a real propeller (VAZ "classic") and turbine type. "Propeller" fans have long become a thing of the past as weak and unreliable (Read:) and gave way to powerful turbine fans.
A turbine fan is a special wheel with blades of a certain shape, mounted on the shaft of an electric motor. As it spins, this wheel creates a powerful flow of air in one direction. In the case of a car heater, this direction is towards the radiator.
The heater fans have several rotation speeds, which are selected by the driver on the “stove” control panel. In the simplest case, the fan speeds are switched by a rotary switch to at least four positions (off and three speeds). Although there are very primitive options with a three-way button without backlighting and any amenities.
The fan speeds are generated by resistors. A switch on the torpedo supplies current to the fan motor in such a way that at any speed other than maximum speed, the motor is connected through a suitable resistor. These simple devices reduce the current flowing through them, and the motor shaft rotates more slowly. At the last, maximum, speed, the fan is connected directly (bypassing the resistor unit) and, accordingly, rotates and blows at full strength.
Air ducts and air distribution system
Junction box and heater air ducts VAZ-2110 In order for the air from the heater to effectively enter the windshield, glass of the front doors, in the foot zone of the driver and passengers, and even heat the rest of the cabin space, it is necessary to bring the air as close as possible to these “targets” and distribute it evenly. This is done due to the developed air duct system hidden under the torpedo.
Air ducts are solid or prefabricated plastic pipes that are assembled into a single system. Air that has passed through the hot radiator or bypassing it enters this system and its further movement is determined by a distribution flap or several flaps.
The control of these dampers is located on the torpedo in the form of a rotary switch (or ancient sliders with levers). The dampers can be mechanical (with the help of flexible rods), vacuum (when the dampers are moved by vacuum drives operating from the discharge in the engine intake manifold) or electric drive (using electric motors).
Depending on which mode the driver selects, the dampers assume such a position that air from the heater goes, for example, only to the windshield or to the windshield and to the legs or in some other combination.
The air ducts are terminated with deflectors. These are the same bars on the torpedo, from where the air is blowing. Modern deflectors are quite complex and interesting devices. As a rule, each such "lattice" has a whole set of functions: you can change the direction of the air horizontally and vertically, the force of the air pressure, or even completely block the path of the air by "turning off" the deflector! All this is done with the wheels / levers on the bottom or on the sides of the deflector. Accordingly, the direction of the air changes due to the swivel blades and changes in the position of the deflector itself, and its "shutdown" - by closing the individual small damper, which tightly blocks the path of air from the heater to the outlet of the corresponding deflector.
All this together, gives the broadest possibilities for creating a comfortable microclimate in the cabin.
Climate control and other features
This article discusses the simplest "basic" car "stove". This principle is the basis of any heater, however, it can be added and complicated by the introduction of additional devices, for example, an air conditioner.
In this case, the "stove" is capable of not only heating, but also effectively cooling the interior. And the addition of an electronic component makes it possible to implement the climate control function. In general terms, climate control is implemented by sensors that determine the temperature in the cabin and send appropriate signals to the electronic unit. Depending on these signals, the unit controls the same dampers by itself, using electric drives. And he does it in such a way as to constantly maintain the temperature set by the driver. That is, it is enough for a person to choose the temperature and airflow mode, and the car will do the rest by itself.
Remember how the great Mendeleev was indignant: "Oil is not fuel, you can also heat with banknotes!" But then the scale of extraction and combustion of this valuable chemical raw material could not be compared with the present. Even today, when almost all transport is powered by petroleum products, heating boilers and boilers with fuel oil is considered a luxury from poverty and despair - in developed countries much cheaper and renewable energy sources are used. But all these macroeconomic truths are canceled out by a simple everyday situation: night, frost, KAMAZ with a truck on the side of the highway ... And the driver who faces a dilemma: whether to use engine cylinders as heating boilers, setting the parameter of instant fuel consumption to infinity, or by tightening of that steppe, and the deaf, amerzal the coachman ... ", repeat the fate of the hero of the folk song?
Money down the drain
At idle, the KAMAZ engine eats up about 8 liters of fuel per hour, and the engines of most tractor trucks, threshing on the spot, are not particularly economical. Simple calculations show that even in the temperate climate of central Russia, at least 60,000 rubles are spent “into the chimney” for heating the cab during night stops every season! From every car. And this is without taking into account the cost of premature overhaul of the engine, hundreds of hours of idling cylinder rubbing with pistons. What can we say about our northern regions, where during the time of the state diesel fuel there was a "good" tradition to start the engine at the end of October in order to drown it in early April ... Pre-heaters helped to get around without such barbarism, and for trucks in the army version they produced "autonomous vehicles »With the supply of combustion products to the engine sump, which, in the absence of current oils, ensured the melting of the gel-like M8G2 and subsequent start-up even in a crackling frost. However, the prestart does not solve the problem of heating the cab - by driving the heated antifreeze through the cooling system, it dissipates most of the power - at least 14 kW out of 15 developed - in the engine compartment, that is, it heats mainly the environment. In addition, the prestart will heat the standard KAMAZ "stove" simultaneously with the heavy engine, that is, for a very long time and maximum - up to 60 degrees. That in severe frost it is clearly not enough - it will even be cold to sit behind the wheel, not to mention a sleeping place. And the roar of a 15-kilowatt burner is not very conducive to sound and healthy sleep. Autonomous liquid heaters also have an objective technical drawback - high (90–130 W) electricity consumption by a water pump - there are often cases when an old battery turns out to be completely "planted" in the morning, and instead of going to the line in a warm cab, the driver will have to fiddle with wires and Katyusha. It is no coincidence that during the factory optional installation of prestarting switches, for example, on German cars, an additional battery is usually supplied with the heater. Another thing is the air "autonomous", operating on the principle of a hair dryer, as, by the way, it is called in the driver's slang. The cooling of the heat exchanger by the air flow taken from the cabin and naturally coming back into the cabin is not as intense as with the liquid, therefore, with the same power, the “hair dryer” turns out to be more overall than the prestart. But he does not need the power of the latter, because almost all the energy from the burnt fuel (with the exception of 3-5%, which is carried away by the exhaust gases heated to 300-400 ° C) is released as heat in the car cabin, then dissipating into the environment by its walls and glasses. Two kilowatts of "airman" is quite enough to arrange a real "Tashkent" for the driver of a mainline truck or the driver of a truck crane, excavator, etc. With a power of 4 kW, heat is more than enough even for a winter overnight stay in Yakutia, but 8-9 kilowatt units heat the cabins of large buses. The much smaller volume of the flame ensures quiet operation - there is no blast of the "blowtorch" like a liquid heater does. Energy from the battery is consumed only by low-power consumers - even in a 4-kilowatt mode of maximum output, the current from a 24-volt battery does not exceed 2 A, and with a power of 1.5 kW - only 0.5 A. That is, during a long winter night, the battery does not will spend also the twentieth of its capacity. The fuel consumption in such a moderate mode will be about 0.2 liters per hour, that is, 40 (!) Times less than that of a KAMAZ engine at idle. But not only the economy plays in favor of the autonomous heater - the growing intolerance of society towards air pollution is also important. European culture is gradually penetrating the environment of our truckers - many of them, having traveled around the world and installed all kinds of "airtronics" in their cabs, have already begun to forget how they once coughed at night, inhaling gray smoke from their own and neighboring diesel engines. Today, without drowning the engine in the collective parking lot, you risk hearing a baseball bat knocking on the door in five minutes. And you settle down with your rattling for the night in the city, an empty bottle will be thrown from the balcony at once "to defeat" - into the roof of the cabin. Without a warning throw on the asphalt ... And do not be surprised that it is the Germans, with their warm winters, near zero degrees, who are skilled in the production of autonomous heaters. Yes, in Europe, truckers - all without exception - sleep in comfortable three-star motels, but they also have to stand for an hour or two in a warehouse or customs office under the chilly Baltic wind. And what else can you keep warm, if not with a "hair dryer", when the law prohibits threshing at idle? In Russia, the path of distribution of air heaters is painful, long and thorny - among the people of this type, a “stove” is firmly associated with the word “Zaporozhets” and is subjectively perceived as a thing that is of poor quality in its essence. The experienced chauffeurs still remember the pictures of the "humped" and "eared" people who suddenly smoked right on the move, and someone forever captured the sight of a burning gasoline lane running after a car with an unsuspecting driver ... Extreme capriciousness of autonomous heaters (for The Shadrinsky auto-aggregate plant produced in Melitopol minicars) forced the owners to look for any alternative, such as winding thick copper wire on the exhaust pipes for direct heat transfer to the passenger compartment - just to get rid of the hated, annoying smell of gasoline and burning of the unit. But years passed, a wave of "used" foreign cars, including minibuses, rolled over, and Russia finally learned what an autonomous heater "made by hand" is. With skillful hands ...
All ingenious is simple
So, let's take a closer look at the “air vent” device. The principle of operation for products from different manufacturers is the same - the fuel supplied by a remote electromagnetic pump embedded in the line closer to the tank (it is always easier to pump than to suck in), dosed, under the control of electronics, enters the combustion chamber, or rather, to the evaporator. The latter is a heat-resistant body with a fairly large surface area - usually a package of wire mesh made of refractory "stainless steel". An electric glow plug with a ceramic rod is installed in front of the evaporator (open coils are a thing of the past). Air is supplied to the combustion chamber by a supercharger driven by an electric motor shaft, there is an electronic control unit at the inlet, cold end of the heater - its microcircuits are not threatened with overheating. The fins on the outer surface of the heat exchanger, where hot gases from the combustion chamber enter, are blown with air from the cabin - it is driven by a fan attached to the motor shaft behind the blower impeller. A wiring harness is laid from the unit to the control panel installed on the instrument panel, and since the communication channel on modern units is usually digital, only three cores are enough: "plus", "minus" and signal. Using the rotary knob or buttons on the remote control, you can set several operating modes of the heater - depending on the selected processor, the processor will set the required fan speed and fuel supply volume. The temperature maintenance is monitored by sensors: one can be built into the control panel or at the inlet of the air flow to the heater, the other is remote, and it is placed, for example, near the bed, extending a separate wiring harness there. The heat exchanger overheating sensor (thermal switch) is a safety element, it sends a signal to the control unit, demanding to stop the fuel supply.
When the heater is turned on, the processor diagnoses all systems and starts the program. The voltage at the glow plug gradually increases, then fuel and air are supplied to the combustion chamber, the combustion process begins, controlled by the control unit according to the signals of the flame sensor built into the heat exchanger. When the combustion is stabilized, the candle is turned off, and further the flame is maintained by a continuous supply of fuel. If for some reason the ignition did not occur - for example, due to thickening of summer diesel fuel in frost, the whole cycle is automatically repeated. After two unsuccessful attempts, the heater turns off automatically, the indicator on the control panel lights up, and upon command from the processor, the blower blows the combustion chamber for several minutes. Then you can try again to ignite. However, if the fuel corresponds to the season, then such abnormal situations on a modern heater, which is regularly cleaned from soot, are extremely rare, and after ignition, the control unit maintains combustion at maximum mode, comparing the temperature value set by the driver on the control panel with the air temperature in the cab. If the latter is lower than the set one, the heater continues to work at "full throttle", and when it reaches the desired one, the fuel supply decreases. It happens that it gets even hotter in the cab than required - then the processor gives the fuel pump a break, and orders the supercharger to blow fresh air into the combustion chamber. When the temperature drops, for example, 2 degrees below the set by the regulator, a digital command is sent: “Mahmoud! Light it up! ”, And the procedure for heating the spark plug with subsequent fuel supply is initiated according to the above scenario. As you can see, the declared autonomy of air heaters of all, without exception, firms is very conditional, since any such unit is rigidly tied to the car battery, and the death of the battery far from settlements is fraught with death and the driver. Nevertheless, the designers are in no hurry to create completely independent "hair dryers", although, at first glance, there are no technical obstacles to this. Indeed, that there are some 40 watts consumed from the battery, if an excess of 2 kilowatts is released during the combustion of fuel? Why is it impossible to rotate the shaft with a stream of combustible gases, why does the "hair dryer", in general, need an electric motor? And the thermocouple will fully pull both the fuel pump and the electronics. Ignition - with a squib. And no battery is needed. Alas, not everything is so simple. The distant resemblance of the "air vent" to a gas turbine engine does not mean anything, and by forcing the flame not only to heat, but also to rotate, we will acquire an almost insoluble problem of noise. That is, you will have to sleep under a jet howl. Not to mention the inevitable difficulties with the extraction of heat from the exhaust gases, because no one needs a "stove" that eats fuel like an airplane. Yes, and according to the prior art, the turbine and the hair dryer, to put it mildly, differ - a cabin heater of thousands of commercials for twenty (euros) is unlikely to find demand. So, in the foreseeable future, completely autonomous "airmen" should not be expected.
Air heater: choose me
And now about the features of specific brands of heaters. The German "autonomies" Webasto and Eberspaeher are considered standard - many of the technical solutions implemented by the engineers of these firms regularly appear on the products of competitors - with or without licenses. The main feature of thoroughbred Germans is a one-piece aluminum heat exchanger, such a design provides the best efficiency of the unit, but requires a fairly high production culture. The prices of heaters from both companies are approximately the same - about 29,000 rubles for a 2-kilowatt "air vent" and about 37,000 rubles for a 3.5-4-kilowatt one. One of the non-fundamental differences between different design schools is in the form of the evaporator: Webasto places it around the perimeter of the combustion chamber, and Eberspeher - at the end. Webasto's assets include a brushless electric motor, a low-noise fan and a combustion chamber with a heat-resistant sintered metal gasket. A wide range of permissible positions allows the heater to be installed at an angle of up to 90 degrees from the horizon. Webasto's "horse" is convenient diagnostics: by switch or timer signals, by analyzing exhaust gases or using a computer. The self-diagnosis system displays malfunctions by issuing one of 15 codes. The temperature regulator is simultaneously a heating switch. An external temperature sensor on a cable up to 5 m long is an option. The "Comfort" set includes a timer that turns on the heater at the set time. Air Top - this is how Webasto designates most of the models in its line of "air vents". Modern models of Eberspaecher air heaters are called Airtronic - four are enough to cover the power range from 2 to 8 kW. Among the advantages are high efficiency and a silent fan with stepless speed control. The list of options includes a radio remote control system with a range of up to 1000 m.
The Czech company Brano is represented by two models: a 2-kilowatt Breeze III and a twice more powerful Wind III. The design of the heat exchanger is like that of the Germans, that is, aluminum casting, and the prices are more attractive. Temperature regulation is smooth - from 15 to 30 ° C, among the options there is a timer.
"Air vents" from Mikuni - the one that is famous for its carburetors - is exotic in our market. The design is solid, since it is based on a license from Eberspaecher, but the absence of such a wide network of service centers as the Germans has so far holds back the spread of heaters famous for their Japanese quality.
The oldest domestic manufacturer of autonomous heaters is SHAAZ. The ancient and very low-tech, as it should be in the "defense industry", the design of Shadrinsk heat exchangers (they are hand welded from stainless steel) has one significant advantage over German casting - production flexibility. It is as easy as shelling pears to master a special-purpose and special-configuration heater for the plant - there would be a customer with money. The buyer of a large-scale heater can only rely on the qualifications of the welders - if the heat exchanger is made with good conscience, there will be no fistulas and other holes fraught with the penetration of carbon monoxide into the cabin. In the production line of ShAAZ, there remain 5 models of "air vents" of traditional design - with a capacity of 2 to 11 kW, and, in addition, two newest electronically controlled units went into series: 2 and 8 kilowatts. But they are much more expensive, for example, 02 costs 16,000 rubles against 10,000 rubles for an equal power O15.
On the contrary, at the Eltra-Thermo plant in Rzhev, they used the most advanced solution, making the heat exchanger solid, like the Germans. Moreover, the aluminum fins in it are hollow, that is, the surface heated from the inside by combustible gases turned out to be much larger than that of heat exchangers of foreign analogs, which gives good prospects for increasing efficiency. So far, Rzhevtsy have only one "air" model - "Pramotronic-4D-24". The set for 13,000 rubles includes a 12-liter tank for autonomous power supply of the "stove", diesel fuel diluted with gasoline - in severe frost.
Samara plant "Advers", which supplies its "Planar" heaters for the assembly of KAMAZ vehicles, truck cranes and other special equipment, offers "air vents" not only in 24, but also in 12-volt versions, because, for example, American trucks have a "light »Voltage of the onboard network.
The design feature is a prefabricated aluminum heat exchanger of two halves. The price of a set with a 7.5-liter tank is 12,500 rubles. There are gas-fueled heaters on the market - they are made by the German company Truma. Demand for such is very limited, but for an old gasoline tractor converted to propane-butane, nothing better than a 2.4-kilowatt Trumatic E 2400 unit can be imagined.
It has long been known that a comfortable temperature for a driver is in the range from + 21 ... 23 degrees Celsius. Cold temperatures negatively affect concentration and alertness while driving, causing irritability. And driving with limited visibility due to icy windows affects safety.
If you have at least once had to get to your car in the parking lot during severe frosts or just sit in an icy car interior, just leaving a warm home, then you know firsthand that this feeling is not pleasant. And how I would like to warm up at this moment. You can, of course, run around the car or leave the snow while the interior warms up, but there are also less radical methods. As always, there is a way out and has long been known among motorists - an autonomous one, which will gladly give comfort.
DIY interior heater (12 volts)
The market offers a wide range of different freestanding stoves of different types and layouts. They all have their pros and cons. But if you live by Ferdinand Porsche's principle: “If you want to do something well, do it yourself”, then the information in this article will be very useful for you. So, straight to the point.
In order to assemble an autonomous interior heater, you don't need to reinvent the wheel. It is enough to get acquainted with the methods of air heating known to us for a long time and adapt them to the necessary requirements. Let's start with what we need:
- Source of power;
- A heating element that will convert the absorbed energy into heat;
- to create a stream of warm air;
- Heater control mechanism;
- Fuse.
Let's take a storage battery (AKB) and a car generator as a power source for a 12 V heater. We advise you to get a battery charge indicator, as an autonomous stove will be a good energy consumer.
The choice of a heater is as obvious as in any heating element - a nichrome spiral. Due to its properties, nichrome (an alloy of nickel and chromium) has a high resistance, but it is still a conductor, therefore, when electric current is applied, it heats up a lot.
To create a flow of air, we will use a regular cooler, for example, from a computer power supply. The very same power supply case can be used as. And the button located on it serves as a control mechanism for the heater (for correct and safe operation, it must be connected via a relay).
The circuit for connecting the auxiliary heater must be necessarily interrupted by a fuse of the required rating. The closer it is to the battery, the less likely it is to damage the car's wiring in an emergency.
We figured out the general design. But this, as practice shows, is not enough. It is also important to select the resistances of the heating elements and their connection diagram in order to prevent overloading the on-board power supply. That, as a result, will lead to the battery discharge. We will try to find the optimal consumption current. For example, for a Daewoo Lanos car with a Bosh or Hella generator with a charging current of 85 A. For such a power source, the current consumption of 10-15 A will be practically invisible.
Let's get down to the assembly itself. We mount the entire autonomous heater in the computer power supply case. We attach the nichrome spiral threads to the ceramic tile using bolts and nuts. When installing tiles in the body, the main thing is to ensure that the air flow passes through the heating element, taking its heat.
It is important to select the cross-section of the wires for the connection, taking into account the calculated current strength. For example, for a copper wire of 10 A, 1 sq. mm section. The fuse is also selected according to the calculated current strength.
The twelve-voltage autonomous interior heater will bring twice as much pleasure to the owner, since he not only made his car more comfortable, but also saved the budget. Now you are not afraid of any frosts and the fear that the standard heater will fail at the most inopportune moment. If the rear window heating fails, it can be warmed with a similar heater. Do not forget to insulate your car, though. To do this, you need to replace the old door seals, as well as treat the car with thermal insulation so that it does not give off precious heat to the atmosphere.
As you know, the quality of the cabin heater on domestic cars leaves much to be desired. And if on passenger cars you can put up with this problem, then on commercial transport - no. After all, sometimes you have to transport goods over long distances. Some are working on the finalization of the standard stove, but the result is not The most correct choice is the installation of an autonomous system. It is also installed on the Gazelle. Well, let's take a look at what this element is and how to install it.
Characteristic
(or in the language of drivers "hair dryer") is a device used to heat the cab, as well as the engine. In the latter case, the "hair dryer" is called a preheater. The autonomy itself is a small device measuring 25 by 20 centimeters.
Installed in the cabin or in the engine compartment. It is a separate, self-contained engine. Usually runs on diesel. But some put gas autonomy on the Gazelle. Additionally, a timer is located in the cabin, thanks to which the device is programmed. On expensive models such as "Webasto", the launch can be done from the remote control. The heater is powered by an on-board network of 12 or 24 volts. Fuel for combustion is taken from a tank or from a separate container (usually a small, 10-liter plastic tank). Thus, when the mixture is burned, heat energy is generated, which is then sent to the passenger compartment. The car engine itself can be turned off. Autonomy is a parking heater and works regardless of the standard stove or motor. By the way, the exhaust gases are led out through separate pipes. Thus, the driver receives clean and warm air in the passenger compartment.
Varieties
Autonomy on the "Gazelle" can be different. There are several types of these heaters:
- Dry.
- Wet.
Dry autonomy is a cheaper option for the heater. However, this "hair dryer" lacks the function of engine heating. It is not connected to the engine cooling system. Therefore, during operation, heats only the interior or the cabin. Reviews say that this type of autonomous vehicle is not suitable for diesel vehicles. Therefore, it is reasonable to install it only on a Gazelle with ZMZ and UMP engines. Although some bet on Cummins. In this case, however, the system will not be preheated. It is more difficult for the engine to start in cold weather.
Wet autonomy
They are installed mainly on heavy trucks. Their peculiarity is that they interact with the coolant (hence the so characteristic name) of the engine. During operation, heat is generated to heat not only the cab, but also the motor itself.
Experienced motorists know how hard it is to start a diesel engine in. After all, not only diesel fuel thickens, but also oil. It is very difficult for the crankshaft to turn under these conditions. An autonomous heater can raise the engine temperature to 40 degrees Celsius. This is a significant plus for diesel cars.
Manufacturers
The main manufacturers of wet autonomous vehicles:
- "Webasto".
- "Ebershpreher".
Additionally, the systems can be equipped with a GSM module with the ability to program the start of an autonomous unit. But the trouble is that the cost of such heaters starts from 50 thousand rubles. And if for a Volvo-type truck tractor this is a small expense, then for a low-tonnage Gazelle it is a significant waste of funds. In addition, the volume of the cabin is different for them. And "Webasto" mainly produces autonomous units for 2-3 kilowatts. Practice has shown that one and a half kilowatts of energy are enough for the Gazelle. The question arises: which autonomous system to choose?
"Planar"
This is the Russian analogue of Webasta. For "Gazelle" the autonomy from the 2D series is ideal. Reviews note that this model perfectly heats the cab at -30 degrees. The initial cost of such a heater is 22 thousand rubles.
Additionally, the model can be equipped with a GSM modem. If this autonomous system is installed on a Gazelle with a diesel engine, it should be understood that this "hair dryer" is dry and is not a preheater. Nevertheless, the device does an excellent job with its main function - cabin heating. The autonomy installed on the Gazelle has the following technical characteristics:
- The maximum power is 1.8 kilowatts.
- Fuel consumption - 240 milliliters per hour.
- The volume of heated air is 75 cubic meters per hour.
- The fuel used is diesel.
- Nominal power supply - 12 or 24 V.
- Startup mode - manual.
- The total weight is 10 kilograms.
Equipment
The Planar 2D package includes:
- Heater.
- Fuel tank 7 liters.
- Remote Control.
- Fittings, hoses and fasteners.
The autonomy is installed on the Gazelle with your own hands or in a service center.
It is recommended to carry out installation in specialized workshops. If the installation is done by hand, you automatically void the warranty. Fortunately, those who are selling such heaters also install. You can put the "hair dryer" on the spot. In time, it takes no more than four hours. The installation cost does not exceed five thousand rubles. Below we will look at how the installation is done.
How to install an autonomous system on a Gazelle?
First you need to decide on a place. Where is the installation of autonomous systems on the Gazelle usually carried out? It is often hidden under the passenger double seat. Therefore, it must be taken out. This seat is mounted on four studs with bolts. We need a 10 wrench (preferably with a ratchet). Do not forget to put all the washers and nuts in a separate box and take the seat out.
The chair is moderately light, so you can handle it alone. Next, we fold back part of the floor upholstery and drill several technological holes. They must correspond to the outer diameter of the pipes that go to the fuel supply and to the exhaust gas outlet. Then we connect the tank. It can be placed between the cab and the booth - this is the cleanest place. But make sure that after installation there is normal access to the filler neck.
Next, we lay the fuel hoses and, threading them through the created holes, we connect them to the autonomy. Now the electrical part remains. It is necessary to supply "plus" and "minus" from the battery. The wires are laid under the floor. Near the gearshift lever there is a joint of the floor covering - we draw a cord between it. It is brought to the battery through small holes in the lower right part of the cab. If you look from the side of the engine compartment, it will be located immediately behind the battery (slightly higher and hidden by an elastic band). The timer is connected according to the scheme indicated in the instruction manual. The block itself is brought up and attached to the rear wall (between the driver's and passenger's seats). If you have a sleeping bag installed, you will need a corrugation at least two meters long. It is important that it is heat-resistant: the air from the autonomy is very hot, and the plastic can melt. We connect the corrugation through the splitter and pull it onto the sleeping bag. A hole of the corresponding diameter is made in the roof. The corrugation is laid at the right edge of the passenger seat. This is how the autonomous system is installed on the Gazelle. It remains only to install the standard seat in place and fix it on the same nuts.
Conclusion
So, we found out how the autonomous system is installed on the Gazelle and what this element is for. An autonomous heater is a very useful thing for a truck. With it, you will forget the eternal problems with a regular stove, since it will be enough for your eyes.
