The Need Addressed by the Invention
In locations where winters are severe and extreme cold is encountered, internal combustion engines, as in automobiles, light aircraft, and other vehicles, become sufficiently cold (unless they are garaged in heated spaces) that they are very difficult, often impossible to start. Starting problems arise when engines become so cold that their lubrication oil becomes sufficiently viscous that cranking of the engine does not cause starting within the capacity of the battery. Engine starting is made possible by heating the engine sufficiently to reduce oil viscosity enough to enable cranking to be achieved.
Emergency vehicles, such as ambulances, fire engines, and the like, cannot be allowed to become unstartable due to engine coldness. Such vehicles often are garaged in heated structures, and so starting problems due to coldness are minimized at the base stations of such vehicles. However, situations arise where such emergency vehicles are away from their base stations, and so can become sufficiently cold they become hard to start.
As another example, many light aircraft are not parked in heated hangars. Rather, they are parked in the open. In cold weather, they experience the same engine starting difficulties as do automobiles and the like. Such difficulties are easily overcome by pre-heating the engines.
Automobiles and light aircraft use electrically powered starting mechanisms. Electric power is provided by storage batteries which are useful to provide power for functions other than operation of the vehicle or aircraft in which the batteries are located.
It is seen, therefore, that a need exists for a portable device which is sufficiently compact and lightweight that it can be carried or stored in an automobile, ambulance or light plane, for example, and which can be used safely and conveniently to heat a cold vehicle engine to enable engine starting. The device should provide large quantities of heat at low cost, and should operate on fuels which are readily obtainable and safely transportable. Such a device can be used to advantage to serve other purposes under other circumstances if desired.