Ok Guys n Gals.
We have been busy working on the Dunk Tank Studio getting it ready to start doing some more shoots and sessions in the spring but we have a major hurdle and need some help. We've decided to run this as a bit of a competition with the winner having the oportunity to come and play in the Dunk Tank or to have a batch of free downloads.

Now the competition is a bit tricky, I don`t know the answer myself which is where you guys come in.

Each time we have filled the tank we have not been able to re heat the gunge to a sensible temperature to make it more enjoyable. This has been the stumbling point for the last batch of sessions. Now what I'm looking for is a practical , cost effective way to warm the gunge up to around 30 degrees C. We have tried several options which havent really worked. We tried putting a couple of Imersion heaters in the gunge but we just ended up with burnt gunge. Putting hot water in the gunge just waters it down. I've thought of using the tubuler heaters like they use in greenhouses and sealing them in a plastic bag but not convinced on health and safety.

So if anyone can come up with a practical idea that actually works and isn`t going to cost a small fortune you win our competition.

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Would it be possible to prepare the batch with less water than desired, leaving it thicker than desired, only to achieve the ideal ratio of water to other ingredients when hot water is mixed in just prior to the start of a shoot? Experimentation using carefully measured quantities in small batches should help you arrive at an optimal mixture. Once you have that ratio, the math should be simple to scale up that recipe for a tank-sized batch.

Though this may not be ideal, an alternative would be simply to conduct the shoots in an environment that can be made warm. The gunge may still feel cool if entered from a heated room, but the coolness may be more pleasant than problematic if the air above is substantially heated.

Regards,
messydom

One thought would be to insert sealed piping through the mixture. This could be coper coils or heat reated PVC piping. Attach one pipe to a hot water heater and the other pipe to the return to the hot water heater and use a water pump to circulate hot water through the pipe. The hot pipes will transfer the heat to the gunge without watering it down. Make sure to install shut off valves so the pipe can be removed when it's play time. Also, something like a boat paddle to stir the gunge for even heating. Of course a young lady could be used as a substitute.

Hope this helps.

The most efficient way would be to create a RIM system comparable to the one use by small and medium breweries. The system is somewhat symple.. You heat the slime in a side tun and a pump keep it circulating, it can even be electronic and control by a thermostat.

Here's the plan of a system a guy did
http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f11/rims-system-plans-119969/

Heres another with more detail instructions

http://breweryconstructionguide.com/rimscontsys.html


good luck ;)

You know those outdoor heaters that all the pubs were buying in till recently when people said they were bad for the environment, and that if you want to drink on the patio on the evenings you can damn well freeze?

How about putting a dozen of these or so round the outside of the gunge tank? You might need to put the latter on a raised dais to get as near the heat as possible.






No, I somehow don't think I'm going to win either....

Although those outdoor heat lamp things are meant to lose 90% of their heat to the environment, it has to be a quick easy solution. Also there is no way you'd need a dozen, I'd say no more than 2, if they can be lowered to the correct height. Because of all the hoo-har about the environment and the development of technology I do believe they are pretty cheap now - you could probably get 2 for £100. It is a fairly inefficient and a not very green solution but for the short amount of time they're used (an hour before a session?) + the pleasure from warmer gunge, it has to be worth it!

I give this idea my civil engineering seal of approval

It's an immersion heater, used until recently in most central heating systems. Run a copper coil through the gunge with hot water in it. Stirring is optional, I'd say you don't need to do that until afterwards (Like microwaving some food, stirring will even out the temperature). It's the same principal as using radiators to heat a room, or water cooling to keep your car engine cool.

Downside could be cost, and it'll take a little bit of engineering skill and hard work to make a decent system.

I'd say air heating is inefficient, and a pump wouldn't move the gunge without burning out (it looks quite thick), you'd have to use an Archimedes screw if you really thought it necessary

It's far better for it to be cold; only adds to the experience of getting tipped in for the victim and the reaction you'll get from the model. That's not to mention the "wet t-shirt" effect

if its portable could you move the tank to a small room where temperature can easily be monitored due to a thermostat?

Running pipes from a heating system through the gunge would be the cheapest option since if you have a heating system for your studio all you would need is some extra pipes to run into the tank and out again which you can get from your local DIY store.

Have you tried heaters used for aquariums? You would probally need a couple of them and probally a submersible pump Both are relatively inexpensive

I had thought about running some sort of pipe contraption to heat it up, this has always sounded the best idea. The aquarium heaters wouldn`t do very much. To give you an idea, when we heat it for water we use a 3kw pool heater. To bring the temperature up from 16 degrees to a comfortable 34 degrees takes over 12 hours ! The gunge is going to need a similar amount of heat to do much so I'm guessing the pipes and water heater would probably work best. My other plan, altho probably a bit iffy, was to use some of the tubular greenhouse type heaters but put them in a heavy duty poly bag. Ive used them on other stuff and they get hot but not too hot too melt the poly bag.

This would be less expensive than a hot water circulation system, but from a convection point of view the air would be less efficient in transfering the heat to the pipes. I would say put a lot of right angle bends in the path along with a baffel at the end to reduce the opening. This might help heat the piping better.

A possible alternative to pipes or electric heaters would be to use something along the lines of the handwarmers or heat-packs you can buy almost anywhere these days.

Ie. A sealed container filled with exothermic reagents.

Suspending a couple of these in the gunge until it reaches the desired temperature would be simple and shouldn't burn it.

There are some downsides however, such as the fact that getting them large enough to heat the quantity of gunge you'd need will probably mean going for a homemade version. Whilst this isn't too difficult if you know what you're doing, it increases the risk that one might split or leak and ruin the gunge altogether.

As for the cost, that would depend on which reagents you use and who supplies them. I'd personally opt for quicklime which is probably the most commonly used reaction in the commercial products.

In the end it probably comes down to whether your more of a plumber or a chemist as which route you go.

http://www.waterbedandfuton.com/euro_220v_heater.htm??

could go under.. or wrap it , stirring occasionally?

what about a under floor heating system like a large heat mat? that could work and there are no pipes in the tank that need removing and cleaning everytime

You could try the silicone-rubber "heat sheets" for plastic containers:

http://www.mcmaster.com/#thermal-tape/=al23wa

(Scroll down to the bottom of the page to find them)

I'm a little surprised how expensive they are, but it is probably faster than trying to plumb a hot water circulation system into the tank.

Here's one - try using hot water bottles, which could be placed around the rim of the tank - cheap, economical, enviromentally friendly. Only problem i can see though would be that it would onkly keep the gunge near the edge of the tank warm - but hey ho! can't have everything!

Jo xx

Couple of useful links:

http://www.thermalinc.com/math/roundtank.htm
Gives the power output needed to heat a given volume of liquid over any time period, would give you a rough estimate of what size heating element to use. I have no idea what your gunge is made of, but looking in that list you can probably find something similar (I used glue with 2/3 water).

http://www.powerblanket.com/
A product designed for heating barrels, a bit of research would probably find a UK-based supplier. Would also reduce heat losses from the warmed gunge when not in use.

EDIT: Invest in a lid as well if you don't have one

How about placing numerous hot-blooded females in the gunge (naked of course to improve heat transfer) until they get cold and hence heating it up?