So I finally ordered a 6/1 Ashwamegh. As my power plans are largely undecided, I'll try extending my growing season by adding hydronic "root zone" heater in my raised-bed garden. I'll fill the Ashwamegh tank with a gallon or two of fuel and start it before bed on cold nights.
There's not much in the way of implementation details about such systems on the internet, at least not that I could find. I saw two vague descriptions. One site sad you should dig furrows every 18" to 24" for heat pipe. The other described the use of coils of PEX, the narrow, flexible PVC-style pipe for hydronic applications. The ideal temperature for roots is 100 degrees F, I don't know what is the safe upper range Adherents maintain that root zone heating is more important than air temperature and that I'll see 12 foot sunflowers and like wonders.
I have 200 sq ft of raised beds, all 22 inches deep.
I'm looking for suggestions for the heating system. I could load Listeroid with a pump and circulate coolant through the garden for instance. I think the coolant temperature would be too hard to regulate though.
The next plan would involve a DC generator, water heater, a circulation pump, and a water->water heat exchanger. This would employ two water loops: a themosiphon for the Listeroid and a circuit from pump to water heater to the garden hydronic pipes. I'd exchange heat from the coolant to the water heater intake with the heat exchanger.
I favor a DC generator over an alternator because I'll probably get a battery bank some day. I still haven't found a DC head that would load the Listeroid properly and efficiently though.
Any suggestions?