Adding diesel power to the Nissan Leaf

[oil pan 4]

No this isn't an engine.
It's a heater. It's a miniature heater that burns fuel oil for heat and puts that heat into liquid coolant. The only moving parts are the fuel pump and a fan to circulate combustion air.

I added this to post number 1.

[ksa8907]

Originally Posted by Angel And The Wolf

then, you are talking about routing the coolant from a liquid cooled diesil engine into your cabin? So, it doesn't really matter how many KW you get from the ICE, just how many BTUs of heat? you could replace the ICE's radiator with a heater core, or you could move the ICE's radiator into the car, or with swithcing valves, you could vary between the two radiators. Beter to keep the exhaust outside.

I think he is looking at diesel fired heaters. Think block heater but the energy comes from burning fuel and not electricity.

[freebeard]

I don't know where the engine talk came from. This is very similar to the Eberspächer and West Bend gasoline heaters for air-cooled VWs. Similar reason too, the stock heater needed help.

[Angel And The Wolf]

I think it was me, in post 16. I misunderstood, and thought he was looking for extra electricity for the heater. My mistake.

[RedDevil]

I wonder if a fuel cell heater could be of use.

The electricity could ideally run a heat pump to achieve a thermal efficiency of more than 100% overall.
Or it could recharge the car while preheating it.

[bennelson]

As somebody who has already installed a similar heater in an electric car, I think you will be very happy with the choice.

Heat is just a BAD way to use electricity. Burning things is a great way to make heat, but a terrible way to power a car. Using a fuel-burning heater turns your EV into a sort of micro-hybrid, appropriately using fuel for heat and electricity for propulsion.

Of course, you also want to use seat heaters, pre-heat, and heated steering-wheel (if ya got it!)

My Mitsubishi iMiEV has a tiny 16kWh battery, and a very inefficient resistive electric heating system. Adding the fuel burning heater has worked great to help extend winter range by using the electricity for power instead of heating the cabin.

Here's my whole playlist of working with the heater and installing it in the car:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvhP...BD9GjK23iQ_P1O

Another neat little winter hack (whether your car is gas or electric) is to use a 12V electric blanket. Very efficient use of energy. Warms up fast. Great for humans, but it won't defrost your windshield.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNTyKd4W_UQ

[Snax]

There are a few people on the i3 forum who use the electric blanket idea. On the coldest days, one person is claiming to getting an extra 10-15 miles out of the smallest battery version that way.

Coupled with the heated seats, it's really then just about keeping fingers and toes from getting icy and the windshield clear.

[RedDevil]

The blanket in my car looks almost exactly like that, same pattern and color though it isn't electric. I used it once only at -14 C on the chair, it does indeed help (transfers cold less fast than the chair does) but I should have taken it inside first.

[ethanol]

A fuel powered heater is not a bad idea at all but would choose a heater made for gasoline/ petrol.

All petrol heaters, or at least those from Eberspächer, Webasts and Volvo Flygmotor run flawlessly on E85 (85% bioethanol, 15%gasoline) att no matter how low temperatures here in Sweden, so that is an alternative if you prefer an almost fossil free heater.

Other advantages with E85 in a petrol heater compared to diesel burning heaters are that exhaust fumes do not smell so bad and are probably not as unhealthy as diesel fumes and there is much less smoke when the heater is starting up.
A disadvantage of E85 compared to diesel is that it contains less energy so you’d burn a greater volume for the same amount of heat, but as the amount of fuel is so small anyway that is hardly an issue.

In the electric cars with NiCd battery from the 1990’s made by French car manufacturers Citroën, Peugeot and Renault a petrol powered Eberspächer? was OEM fitted and I know the these worked just fine on E85 as well.

see for example wikipedia Citroën_Berlingo_électrique -> heating

"In order to minimise battery usage, a petrol driven heater is fully integrated to vehicle. It typically takes 5 to 10 minutes to warm and provides excellent cabin heating. ”

[oil pan 4]

I have been working on diesel engines and diesel fuelled heaters since 2002. Not worried about the smell or fumes.
The less explosive natural of diesel fuel is more appealing than gasoline.
Plus I don't want gasoline alcohol mix turning to varnish over the summer and eating away at the internals of my $800 heater.
Then gasoline or alcohol fuel will start to stink as soon as it warms up and starts evaporating. Diesel fuel is completely stabile at 120F
Winter here can hit like an avalanche. It can go from 50F nights to snowy 10F nights in mid October in a week like it did this year so the heater needs to stay ready as soon as fall rolls around.
Rolling coal in the leaf won't just mean buying anthracite from tractor supply.