using an automotive heater core for heat movement/recovery for a small cabin

Hi, this is my first post, sorry if i'm breaking any rules. This may sound like a R Golberg approach, here it is..I have been thinking of using a  car heater with core to attach to a  stove flue.. in the popular way that its done using thermal expansion to move the water. my cabin is small (150 sq') and the floor can't support much weight, ruling out thermal mass storage for the time being, the primary function would be to circulate heated air. I imagine I would need to provide some sort of pressure relief system. Currently considering solar or a bunch of thermal electric generator modules to power the 12v fan. OR should I just place a TEG fan on top of my small stove. I am weak in math, so please don't think that showing me a complex equation will improve my understanding. However I do test my designs outdoors, and take safety precautions.Anyone considered this before? feedback is appreciated.

Hi Jason, my advice would be to post a few more details about your cabin. This will give the other members of the forum a better frame of reference for giving advice. I see that you are in BC, but details like your climate, elevation, and orientation of your cabin to the sun, number of windows etc. all come into account when working out how to best heat any building. Also how is your cabin constructed? is it insulated? If your goal is to heat the building more efficiently then there are many other options to consider that are less complicated than the one you are proposing. However if you are determined to stick to your plan, I would start with providing more information about your building, good luck!

One option for moving heat around in  the cabin, if that is your goal, would be a sterling engine powered fan.  There are several versions out there.  If you Google "Vulcan Stove Fan" you will find one example.

Thanks for the replies, this was not intended as a long term solution, there would be no cost to me, and I already have all of the parts. I am just experimenting, our climate is similar to Seattle, cloudy and cool save for summer. I am also in a rainforest. Solar is not feasible for me at this point. My cabin is a 5min walk from main house, the space when finished will be well insulated, I am not sure of the r value, 10’x10’x8’tall, with the front coming up an additional 8’..sloping to the rear. It’s intended purpose is a room for reading a book, sleeping,  temporary escapes, safehouse..lol. Heat would only be needed 1-2 nights per week. I don’t like being too cold, and it’s a wet cold here. My question is more driven by curiosity perhaps, as I already have present heat options, propane and kerosene.. but I would prefer to use the abundance of dead wood and pine cones I already have. Thanks again for the replies

I should add that I have already built a small metal wood stove lined with firebrick, baffle and secondary air.  This is the stove I am experimenting with. 4” flue. Elevation is aprox 300ft above sea level, aprox 1km from ocean