Can you trasfer a certain quantity of heat from a large water tank to a small one to raise its temperature?

Question

Usually heat flows from a body at higher temperature to the one at lower temp.till an equilibrium is struck i.e.till both the bodies have the sme teperature,is it possible to utilise the quantity of heat available in large bodies say a large water tank to raise the temperature of a smaller waterbody?

Answer 1

If you do not want the two to mix, you could use a heat transfer device, such as a coil submerged in the warm liquid that then flows to the cold liquid. The entire device could be closed loop. The fluid inside the device would transfer the heat from one body to another.

Answer 2

Normally heat can be transferred using the following methods:-

Convection
radiation
conduction

IN this case, if you are allowed to mix the water from the two tanks, just connect them with a pipe or something,

radiation may not work here because radiation works efficiently only at higher temperatures (when you can see the glow, like hot lava or molten steel, or a glowing bulb etc)

Conduction, here you could use a coiled pipe to pass the hot water from the larger tank without leaving the pipe, and flow back to the larger tank. Heat will dissipate (conduction) through the walls of the pipe of the hotter water to the cooler water. Make sure the pipe is of a conductive material preferably copper, aluminum, or otherwise any metal.

Answer 3

It is not the total quantity of heat that is important, it is the temperature. Think of it this way. Water flows from a higher level to a lower level due to gravity. If the smaller water tank is at a higher level or equal level to the larger tank, can water flow into it? No. similarly, heat cannot flow from one body to another without a gradient (difference in level of temperature).

Answer 4

As for heating. You can get a submersible aquarium heater for around $20 as for chilling it down to 50 degrees the cheapest route would be to add ice to the tank or freeze a old 2 liter and let it float in the tank. A chiller will run you well over your $50 budjet.