Peanut oil in your OWB? What a professor told me

[deerhuntrer]

I have to admit Im stumped on this one. While sliding in our town with my kids and other kids, one of the parents and I started talking. He was a prof. once at a university. One thing led to another and we got onto the subject of heating. I told him I had a OWB. He said I should put peanut oil in my lines. I said what? He told me that peanut oil will not boil at 212 and it has a greater heat transfer than water. I told him that I wasnt going to try it on my OWB (one thing Im sure the warranty would be void, 2 I dont take strangers advice). What do you all think? A quack? I thought so but stranger things have happened

 

[jebatty]

Someone said to fry a turkey in peanut oil. I think I'll try that.

 

[steam man]

By any chance did the old prof mention what would happen if you ever let the oil get cold in the lines?

 

[jebatty]

Peanut oil solidifies right around 32F.
http://www.tis-gdv.de/tis_e/ware/oele/erdnuss/erdnuss.htm#temperatur

 

[atlarge54]

Sounds like the "NUTTY PROFESSOR" to me.

 

[steam man]

I'll take a guess and say that any typical hydronic system pump will not like peanut oil long before it gets to 32deg simply because of its viscosity. If you note on the web site you listed the pumping temperature is app 12 deg C or 53 deg F. The pump is also probably positive displacement. I suppose as long as you stayed above 53 deg everything will be fine.

 

[Nofossil]

The higher viscosity would seriously affect your flow, and it has only half the heat transfer of water per degree per pound. The professor will have to explain a bit more to convince me.

 

[wdc1160]

Where I am from we have a great number of people who seem to have indepth expertise on nearly every topic. Its a good skill to have to be able to "tell when people run out of the truth but keep talking." Good for you Darren

 

[Gooserider]

I don't know about putting it in hydronic systems, but I'd be very suspicious... I have a bunch of the stuff, because I DO use it to fry turkeys a few times a year (expensive way to cook a turkey, but once you've fried a turkey you'll never put one in the oven again...) The stuff is essentially solid at 32*, and starts getting to be about like gear oil to pour under about 50* I've never done a viscosity reading, but over 100* or so, it's not bad at all.

The big reason Peanut oil is good for frying, is that it has a MUCH higher flash point, so you are less likely to have problems with fires. You still need to be careful, but the margin of safety is better. Rancid Rapeseed (aka cannola) oil is especially NOT suited for frying (IMHO it isn't suited for FOOD but that's another story) as it has a very low smoke point and will start to break down by the time you get it up to the 350* you need to fry a turkey. Most other vegetable oils are better, but not by much. However Peanut oil will stay stable to well over 500* and I accidentally have gotten it over 700* w/o problems, though it did ruin the taste of that batch of oil.

It is not something I'd want to put in a hydronic system though, unless the system was specifically designed for it.

Gooserider

 

[Redox]

Assuming the viscosity issue didn't kill you, the fact that it carries less heat per pound would mean that you have to move many more pounds of it to do the job. There is even a loss of efficiency if you use glycol, though less than using an oil. Oil/silicone heat transfer fluids are usually reserved for very high temperature applications. It's hard to beat plain 'ol H2O as a coolant, and it's cheap, too.

Most glycols will give you "burst" protection at only 30% concentration meaning that they will form slush, but not freeze solid.

 

[Nofossil]

The big reason Peanut oil is good for frying, is that it has a MUCH higher flash point.....

...but not higher than water ;-)

 

[steam man]

I swear I am going to fry a turkey before I die. This thread brought memories from way back. Using alternatives as a working medium has its history. Back in the 70's I did a research paper on using mercury as a heat transfer fluid in large power plants (I know, I know). For all those who think nuclear power is a nightmare, mercury vapor plants were closer than you think. GE couldn't just keep it in their light bulbs. For some interesting reading go check out http://www.dself.dsl.pipex.com/MUSEUM/POWER/mercury/mercury.htm. Could you imagine that stuff in your boilers?