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Forum Index : Solar : Passive Solar Water Heating
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MacGyver Guru  Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Crew Hi; me again. I have another hair-brained idea for heating water. I live in North Texas now, on a small farm out in the middle of nowhere. I've been using a flat-plate, home-made collector panel, BUT there are some problems. First off, the wind here is GREAT for windmills; not so much for large solar panels mounted on roof, wall or ground. To that end, I have come up with a clever solution: I will be constructing a small patio (about 12' x 12') of BLACK ASPHALT. Withing the walking surface, I will embed a 50-foot length of Type "L" soft copper, 1/2" in diameter in a "serpentine" fashion. There will be each end sticking out one corner. One end will be connected to the bottom of a 50-gallon storage tank mounted about 12 feet above, inside my second story. The other end of the embedded copper tubing will be run to the hot side of the tank. As the sun heats the "patio" that heat transfers to the copper tubing and the water held within and because the storage tank is located "above" the collection surface, the thing will "thermo-siphon" thereby canceling any need for an active pump. I will use a solenoid valve to shut the system down if the water gets too hot. Being inside a patio, the likelihood of it blowing away is nil. When Winter sets in, I'll merely switch the bypass valves back to use the water heater as the electric version it was meant to be and purge the water from the buried pipes using compressed air (from one of my several air-compressor windmills, of course). Easy Peasy -- I'll post a picture this Spring, when I get-'er-done. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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Oscar4u Regular Member  Joined: 23/02/2011 Location: New ZealandPosts: 42 |
Hello Mac Solar water heaters are great. Have a couple myself "I will use a solenoid valve to shut the system down if the water gets too hot". I do not believe that is a good idea because I think you will potentially make a steam bomb! Leave you with that thought. Best wishes Oscar4u - for all your rotary cowshed repairs |
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solarwind Regular Member Joined: 03/02/2008 Location: South AfricaPosts: 51 |
Yep! Rather fit a pressure relief valve! You don't have success until you've tried it! |
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VK6MRG Guru Joined: 08/06/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 347 |
Do you need a relief valve? If it is an open system I would think not. But if it is a closed system..... Absolutely! Its easier to ask forgiveness than to seek permission! ............VK6MRG.............VK3MGR............ |
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Greenbelt Guru Joined: 11/01/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 566 |
This would be nearly 13 square meters. (Many more pipes) one per foot. Data from different sources indicate that Solar Radiation is equal to or greater than one kilowatt per square meter. store the energy in a big water tank, insulated underground, 1000 Gallon, 3784 liters, one lb of water will hold 900 btu at boiling point.8000 Pounds + water will hold 7,200,000btu. 1 kilowatt = 3200 btu.dividing 7200000 by 3200 = 2250 kilowatt storage at max temperature. This is all theoretical but figure a possible twenty percent success WOW still 450 kilowatt hours 37.5 kilowatt for 12 hours. this will keep a lot of frost away. any comments good or bad. sun power -----------------------------Cheers,-----Roe Time has proven that I am blind to the Obvious, some of the above may be True? |
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| MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
Crew Thanks for the comments. As for all the 'safety' issues, relax. I'm a 48-year veteran retired plumbing contractor. It will be safe, no worries. . . . . . Mac Nothing difficult is ever easy! Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman, "Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!" Copeville, Texas |
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