PLEASE HELP! In-wall lava lamp

[james]

Hello lavalampers!
we are currently undertaking a project for one of our clients who wants to build an in-wall lava lamp. Actually, its built into the side of a pool - so you can see through it into the pool.
approx dimensions. 2m tall, 450mm wide, 150mm thick.
it will be flat and needs to be able to provide enough heat to operate the total height (2 meters).

has anyone seen something similar before?
trying to get some construction ideas, to help in the design process.
any links to info or pics would be great.

thanks for your help,
james

[Alita Jean]

I don't have any tips for you except that water is a much better conductor of heat than air, which would cause the lamp to lose heat very rapidly. You will need to have an insulating layer of air surrounding the lamp behind the in-pool window, but a layer of air behind glass will reflect light like a mirror if viewed from a slanted angle underwater. Maybe an inch or so will be all the clearance you need. Air circulation around the chamber will allow heat to escape from the top of the lamp - more circulation means faster flowing lava, but you will also need somewhat higher wattage for optimal flow. Please keep in mind that if one side loses heat faster than the other, the lava bubbles will flow up on the warmer side and down on the colder, which does not represent the classical flow.

The scale that you are working on is huge for a lava lamp, so your best option would be to employ the help of someone with a chemistry degree to research, formulate, and fine tune the lava. The cost of buying enough lamps to fill a container of this scale would be astronomical, as opposed to most small projects where it is usually the other way around.