An air-heater based on nitrogen-absorption of EMR -- practical?

[GreenXenon]

Hi:

I'm thinking of a theoretical device that could be used as an air heater for the home. This device emits a wavelength of EM radiation that is best absorbed by nitrogen. This causes the N2 molecules to heat up. Since the air on earth's atmosphere consists largely of nitrogen, could such a device be used to keep a house warm during winter?

As air is pumped into the house from outside, it passes through this device, absorbs the radiation and gets warm. Finally, the air enter the rooms through the vents.

The advantage I see to such a device is that it wouldn't cause the house to have the classic "heater" smell.

What would be the disadvantages -- excluding cost -- of such a device? Could any of you suggest something better?

Thanks,

Green

[The Daring Dufas]

Possibly the small nuclear reactor needed to power it? :-)

TDD

[.p.jm.]

Get a heat pump, or a hot water system.

Global warming ?

[GreenXenon]

Why would a nuclear reactor be necessary?

[GreenXenon]

Why hot water? The whole idea of this hypothetical device is hot dry air without the disturbing smell of a heater.

[.p.jm.]

Exactly. So, you have a boiler heating water to 180 F ( or less ). The 'burning smell' of space air going across a heat exchanger with a flame on the other side never happens in the space air at that temperature. You circulate the hot water to radiators, or to coils in an airstream, at between 100 F and 180 F, depending on system design, controls, and loads. Within that range, air does not 'burn', dust in the air does not burn, and there is no 'burning smell' imparted to the space.

You add no humidity, no burning smell. Voila.

That's French.

[The Daring Dufas]

You would have to add the burning smell artificially for people who complain that they don't know the heat is on unless there is that smell. :-)

TDD

[.p.jm.]

Coupl' of habenero's at dinner should take care of that ....

[The Daring Dufas]

The EM radiation would require 50 megawatts to heat enough air for a one thousand square foot house. The method of heating was tried by Dr. Arnold J. Noobnoodle in 1963 when electrical power was much cheaper. The other not unexpected problem was the production of nitrogen oxides which when combined with the water vapor in the air also produced nitric acid which attacked most of the existing items in the test dwelling. It ate the faces off the mannequins and killed the house plants.

TDD

[.p.jm.]

That was actually the origin of the word 'oop-skis'.

[Grumpy]

I think that all of you taking wrong direction Just think If you ate some of Mexican chilly and bean You get methane gas to run furnace convection heat from body it self it gave you lot of natural energy and you not hungry how's that for Uncorr!!!

[.p.jm.]

dog pissing all over the house doesn't help much either.

Pressure washer broke again ?

[Jon Elson]

Have you ever experienced hydronic heat? I grew up in a home with it, and now live in a home with it. Never get that "hot smell", which I have always believed was airborne dust that landed on the heat exchanger and got burned, as the heat exchanger metal gets pretty hot in typical hot air furnaces. The water loop runs at 185 F in my system, that just is not hot enough to make the hot smell.

The one downside of the hydronic system is it is harder to humidify the air throughout the home, as there is no circulating air to carry it to all rooms.

Jon