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Solar collector circuit device. How to make an inexpensive solar collector with your own hands

Energy resources. Free solar energy will be able to provide warm water for household needs at least 6-7 months a year. And in the remaining months - also to help the heating system.

But the most important thing is that simple solar collector can be made by yourself. To do this, you will need materials and tools that can be bought in most building stores. In some cases, even what is found in an ordinary garage will suffice.

The solar heater assembly technology presented below was used in the project "Turn on the sun - live comfortably" . It was developed specifically for the project by a German company Solar Partner Sued , which professionally deals with the sale, installation and service of solar collectors and photovoltaic systems.

The main idea is that everything should turn out cheap and angry. To produce the collector, fairly simple and common materials are used, but its effectiveness is quite acceptable. It is lower than the factory models, but the difference in price completely compensates for this shortcoming.

The sun's rays pass through the glass and heat the collector, and the glazing prevents heat leakage. Glass also prevents the movement of air in the absorber without it, the collector would quickly lose heat due to wind, rain, snow or low ambient temperatures.

The frame should be treated with an antiseptic and exterior paint.

In the body are made through holes for the supply of cold and removal of heated liquid from the collector.

The absorber itself is painted with a heat-resistant coating. Usual black paints at high temperatures begin to peel or evaporate, which leads to a darkening of the glass. The paint should dry completely before you fix the glass coating (to prevent condensation).

Under the absorber there is a heater. Most often used mineral wool. The main thing is that it can withstand fairly high temperatures during the summer (sometimes more than 200 degrees).

From the bottom the frame is closed with OSB stove, plywood, boards, etc. The main requirement for this stage is to make sure that the bottom of the collector is reliably protected from moisture ingress.

To fix the glass in the frame, make grooves, or fasten the slats along the inside of the frame. When calculating the dimensions of the frame, it should be borne in mind that when the weather (temperature, humidity) changes during the year, its configuration will vary slightly. Therefore, on each side of the frame, a few millimeters of stock are left.

A rubber window seal (D- or E-shaped) is attached to the groove or bar. On it is put a glass, on which the sealant is applied in the same way. From above it is all fixed with a galvanized sheet. Thus, the glass is securely fixed in the frame, the seal protects the absorber from cold and moisture, namely the glass will not be damaged when the wooden frame "breathes".

The joints between the glass sheets are insulated with a sealant or silicone.

To organize solar heating At home you need a storage tank. Here the water heated by the collector is stored, so it is worth taking care of its thermal insulation.

You can use as a tank:

non-working electric boilers
different gas cylinders
barrels for food use

The main thing is to remember that in a sealed tank pressure will be created depending on the pressure of the water supply system to which it will be connected. Not every tank is capable of withstanding pressures of several atmospheres.

In the tank make holes for the input and output of the heat exchanger, input cold water, and the fence heated.

The spiral heat exchanger is located in the tank. For him, use copper, stainless steel or plastic. The water heated through the heat exchanger will rise upwards, so it should be placed in the lower part of the tank.

The collector is connected to the tank by means of pipes (for example, plastic-plastic or plastic pipes) from the collector to the tank through the heat exchanger and back to the collector. It is very important to prevent heat leakage: the way from the tank to the consumer should be as short as possible, and the pipes must be very well insulated.

The expansion tank is a very important element of the system. It is an open reservoir located at the extreme upper point of the liquid circulation circuit. For the expansion tank, you can use both metal and plastic containers. With its help, the pressure in the collector is controlled (due to the fact that the liquid from the heating expands, the pipes can crack). To reduce heat loss, the tank must also be isolated. If there is air in the system, it can also go out through the tank. Through the expansion tank is also filling the reservoir with liquid.

The solar collector is a device whose main functional purpose is the conversion of solar energy into thermal energy. In technical terms, it is quite simple. Therefore, with a certain level of knowledge to make a solar collector for heating with their own hands will not be very difficult.

Modern solar systems are used as an auxiliary heating equipment that recycles solar radiation into useful energy home owners. They are able to fully provide hot water and heating in the cold season only in the southern regions. And then, if they occupy a large enough area and are installed on open, not shaded by trees areas.

Despite the large number of varieties, the principle of work is the same for them. Any solar system is a circuit with a sequential arrangement of devices supplying and thermal energy and transferring it to the consumer. The main working bodies are solar cells on photocells or solar collectors, the manufacture of which will be discussed in this article.

Solar collectors are still serving as auxiliary energy suppliers. Completely switch the heating of the house to the solar system is dangerous because of the inability to predict a clear number of sunny days

Collectors are a system of tubes connected in series with the output and input lines or laid out in the form of a coil. Circulating technical water, air flow or a mixture of water with some non-freezing liquid circulates through the pipes. The circulation is stimulated by physical phenomena: evaporation, change in pressure and density from the transition from one aggregate state to another, etc.

The principle of solar collectors is based on the receipt and accumulation of solar energy, reported to the heat carrier

Collection and accumulation of solar energy is produced by absorbers. This is either a solid metal plate with a blackened outer surface, or a system of individual plates attached to the tubes.

For the production of the upper part of the body, the cover, materials with a high capacity for transmitting the light flux are used. It can be plexiglass, similar polymer materials, hardened types of traditional glass.

In order to exclude energy losses from the rear of the device, the thermal insulation is placed in the box

I must say that the polymer materials are quite poorly tolerated by the influence of ultraviolet rays. All types of plastic have a sufficiently high coefficient of thermal expansion, which often leads to depressurization of the shell. Therefore, the use of such materials for the manufacture of the hull of the collector should be limited.

Water as a heat carrier can be used only in systems designed to supply additional heat in the autumn / spring period. If the all-the-year-round use of the solar system is planned before the first cooling, the technical water is changed to a mixture of it with antifreeze.

In air heliosystems, air is used as a coolant. Channels for its movement can be made from a normal profiled sheet (click to enlarge)

If the solar collector is installed to heat a small building that has no connection with autonomous heating cottage or with centralized networks, a simple one-circuit system is constructed with a heating device at the beginning of it. The chain does not include circulating pumps and heating devices. The scheme is extremely simple, but it can only work in the sunny summer.

When you turn on the collector in dual-circuit heating, everything is much more complicated, but the range suitable for suitable for use days is significantly increased. The collector processes only one contour. The prevailing load is assigned to the main heating unit, which operates on electricity or any type of fuel.

To make a solar collector, you can use a ready-made circuit, you can build your own pilot model and test it in practice (click to enlarge)

Despite the direct dependence of solar devices on the number of sunny days, they are in demand, and the demand for solar devices is steadily rising. They are popular among folk craftsmen, striving to direct all kinds of natural energy in a useful channel.

Classification by temperature criteria

There is a sufficiently large number of criteria by which these or other constructions of solar systems are classified. However, for appliances that can be made with their own hands and used for hot water supply and heating, the most rational is the separation according to the type of coolant. So, systems can be liquid and air. The first species is more often applicable.

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In addition, a temperature classification is frequently used, to which the collector working bodies can be heated:

Low temperature. Variants that can heat the coolant to 50 ° C. They are used for heating water in tanks for irrigation, in bathrooms and showers in the summer and for improving comfortable conditions in cool spring-autumn evenings.
Medium temperature. Provide a coolant temperature of 80 ° C. They can be used for space heating. These options are most suitable for the arrangement of private houses.
High-temperature. The temperature of the heat carrier in such installations can reach up to 200-300 ° C. Used on an industrial scale, installed for heating production halls, commercial buildings, etc.

In high-temperature solar systems, a rather complex process of transferring thermal energy is used. In addition, they occupy an impressive space, which most of our lovers of country life can not afford. The process of manufacturing them is labor-intensive, the implementation requires specialized equipment. It is practically impossible to make such a variant of the solar system independently.

High-temperature solar cells on photovoltaic inverters at home make it difficult

Self-made collector production

Making a solar device with your own hands is an exciting process, bringing a lot of benefits. Thanks to him, you can rationally apply free solar radiation, solve several important economic problems. Let us analyze the specifics of creating a flat collector supplying heated water to the heating system.

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Materials for self-assembly

The most simple and affordable material for self-assembly of the solar collector's housing is a wooden block with a board, plywood, OSB plates or similar options. Alternatively, you can use a steel or aluminum profile with similar sheets. The metal case will cost a little more.

Materials must meet the requirements that are imposed on structures used in the open air. The life of the solar collector varies from 20 to 30 years. Accordingly, the materials must have a certain set of performance characteristics that will allow the design to be used throughout the life.

The most inexpensive and simple version of materials for the manufacture of housing - the use of lumber and chipboard

If the casing is made of wood, the durability of the material can be ensured by impregnation with water-polymer emulsions and coating with varnish-and-paint materials.

The main principle that should guide the design and assembly of the solar collector is the availability of materials in relation to the price and the opportunity to purchase. That is, they can either be found in free sale, or independently produced from available raw materials.

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Nuances of a thermal insulation device

To prevent losses of thermal energy, an insulating material is mounted on the bottom of the box. It can be foam or mineral wool. Modern industry produces quite a wide range of insulation materials. For the insulation of the box you can use foil insulation options. Thus, it is possible to provide both thermal insulation and reflection of sunlight from the foil surface.

If a rigid foam or polystyrene foam board is used as an insulation material, grooves can be cut to lay the coil or pipe system. Usually the collector absorber is laid on the thermal insulation from above and fixed firmly to the bottom of the hull in a way that depends on the material used in the manufacture of the hull.

Thermal insulation serves to reduce the loss of thermal energy through the bottom of the shell. The device in a metal case is made without heat insulation inefficiently

Heat collector of solar collector

This is an absorbent element. It is a system of pipes in which the heat carrier is heated, and parts made more often from copper sheet. Copper pipes are considered to be the best materials for the manufacture of a heat sink. Home craftsmen invented a cheaper option - a spiral heat exchanger made of polypropylene hose.

An interesting budget solution is the solar energy absorber from a flexible polymer pipe. For connection to devices at the inlet and outlet, suitable fittings are used

The choice of materials from which a solar collector can be manufactured is quite wide. it can be a heat exchanger of an old refrigerator, polyethylene pipes, which are used for water supply, steel panel radiators, etc. An important criterion for efficiency is the thermal conductivity of the material from which the heat exchanger is made.

For self-made the best option is copper. It has a thermal conductivity of 394 W / m². In aluminum, this parameter varies from 202 to 236 W / m².

Copper pipes are considered to be the most optimal option for the manufacture of a heat receiver for heat engineering properties and wear resistance

However, the big difference in the parameters of thermal conductivity between copper and polypropylene pipes does not at all mean that a heat exchanger with copper pipes will issue hundreds of times more hot water.

Under equal conditions, the performance of the heat exchanger from copper pipes will be 20% more efficient than the performance of the metal-plastic versions. So, heat exchangers made of polymer pipes have the right to life. In addition, such options will cost much less.

Regardless of the pipe material, all connections, whether welded or threaded, must be leakproof. Pipes can be placed both in parallel to each other, and in the form of a coil. The arrangement of pipes in the form of a coil reduces the number of connections, which reduces the likelihood of leaks and ensures a more uniform flow of the coolant flow.

The top of the box in which the heat exchanger is located is covered with glass. Alternatively, modern materials, such as an acrylic analog or a monolithic polycarbonate, can be used. The translucent material may not be smooth, but corrugated or matte.

In the classical version, the box with the collector is closed with tempered glass, plexiglas, polycarbonate or similar material. Folk craftsmen adapted themselves instead of glass to use polyethylene

This processing reduces the reflectivity of the material. In addition, this material must withstand considerable mechanical stress. In industrial samples of such heliosystems, special solar glass is used. This glass is characterized by low iron content, which provides less heat loss.

Accumulator tank or precompartment

As a storage tank, you can use any container with a volume of 20 to 40 liters. A series of slightly smaller reservoirs, connected by pipes in a sequential chain, will do. The accumulation tank is recommended to be insulated, tk. The water heated in the sun in a container without insulation will quickly lose thermal energy.

As a matter of fact, the heat carrier in the heating solar system must be circulating without accumulation, because The heat energy received from it must be consumed in the period of receipt. The storage capacity is more likely to act as a distributor of heated water and an air chamber, which maintains the stability of the pressure in the system.

The storage tank in solar systems operates as a water distributor and a reservoir supporting the pressure

Stages of Solar System Assembly

After the manufacture of the collector and the preparation of all components of the structural elements of the system, one can proceed to the direct installation.

One of the variants of the coil device from polypropylene pipes with fittings and tees will help quickly assemble the solar collector (click to enlarge)

The work begins with the installation of an avenue chamber, which, as a rule, is placed at the highest possible point: in the attic, a stand alone rig, overpass, etc. At installation it is necessary to take into account that after filling with the liquid coolant of the system, this part of the construction will have a sufficiently large weight. Therefore, you should make sure of the reliability of the overlap or strengthen it.

After installing the tank proceed to install the collector. This structural element of the system is located on the south side. The angle of inclination, relative to the horizon line, should be from 35 to 45 degrees. After installing all the elements they are tied with pipes, connecting them into a single hydraulic system. The tightness of the hydraulic system is an important criterion on which the efficient operation of the solar collector depends.

According to the scheme of assembling the solar system for supplying water to a summer shower, it is possible to build a structure to heat water for irrigation or to create comfortable conditions in the cool evenings (click to enlarge)

To connect structural elements to a single hydraulic system, pipes with an inch and half inch diameter are used. A smaller diameter is used for the device of the pressure part of the system. Under the pressure part of the system is meant the input of water into the vestibule and the withdrawal of the heated coolant into the heating and hot water supply system. The rest is mounted using pipes of larger diameter.

To prevent heat losses, the pipes should be carefully insulated. For this purpose, it is possible to use foam plastic, basalt cotton wool or foil versions of modern insulating materials. The storage capacity and the pre-chamber are also subject to the warming procedure.

The simplest and most affordable option for storing storage tanks is the construction of a box of plywood or boards around it. The space between the box and the container should be filled with thermal insulation material. It may be a slag, a mixture of straw with clay, dry sawdust, etc.

The solar system is installed so that the solar collectors are located on the most illuminated side of the house or plot

Test before commissioning

After installing all the elements of the system and warming some of the structures, you can start filling the system with a liquid coolant. The initial filling of the system should be made through a pipe located at the bottom of the collector. That is, the filling occurs from the bottom to the top. Thanks to such actions it is possible to avoid the possible formation of air congestion.

Water or other liquid coolant enters the vestibule. The process of filling the system ends when the water begins to flow from the drainage pipe of the precautionary chamber. With the help of the float valve, it is possible to adjust the optimum level of fluid in the vestibule. After filling the system with a heat carrier, it begins to heat up in the reservoir.

The process of raising the temperature occurs even in cloudy weather. The heated coolant starts to rise to the top of the storage tank. The process of natural circulation occurs until the temperature of the coolant, which enters the radiator, does not equalize with the temperature of the carrier leaving the collector.

At a water discharge in hydraulic system the float valve located in the vestibule will operate. Thus, a constant level will be maintained. In this case, the cold water entering the system will be at the bottom of the storage tank. The process of mixing cold and hot water practically does not occur.

In the hydraulic system, it is necessary to provide for the installation of a stop valve, which will prevent the return of the coolant from the reservoir to the reservoir. This occurs when the ambient temperature drops below the coolant temperature. Such a shut-off valve, as a rule, is used in the night and evening.

The supply to hot water supply places is carried out with the help of standard mixers. It is better not to use ordinary single valves. In sunny weather, the water temperature can reach 80 degrees. It is rather inconvenient to use such water, flowing from a conventional tap. Thus, the mixers will allow to save much hot water.

The capacity of such a solar water heater can be increased by adding additional sections of the collectors. The design completely allows you to mount from two to an unlimited number of pieces.

The performance of the solar system is increased by installing more solar collectors

At the heart of such a solar collector for heating and hot water supply is the principle of the greenhouse effect and, so-called, thermosiphon effect. The greenhouse effect is used in the design of the heating element. The sun's rays pass unimpeded through the transparent material of the upper part of the collector and are converted into thermal energy.

Thermal energy is in a closed space due to the tightness of the duct of the collector section. The thermosyphon effect is used in the hydraulic system when the heated coolant rises to the top, while displacing the coolant and causing it to move into the heating zone.

Thanks to the thermo-siphon effect in the system natural circulation coolant

Productivity of solar collector

The main criterion, which affects the performance of solar systems, is the intensity of solar radiation. The amount of potentially useful solar radiation incident on a certain territory is called insolation.

The magnitude of insolation varies widely in different parts of the globe. To determine the average indicators of this value, there are special tables. They show the average value of solar insolation for one or another region.

Data on solar insolation in a certain region can be obtained from special maps and tables (click to enlarge)

In addition to the amount of insolation, the capacity and material of the heat exchanger affect the performance of the system. Another factor that affects system performance is the volume of the storage tank. The optimum tank volume is calculated based on the area of the collector adsorbers.

In the case of a flat collector, this is the total area of the pipes that are in the collector box. This value, on average, is equal to 75 liters of the tank volume, per one m² of the area of the collector tubes. The storage tank is a kind of heat accumulator.

Prices for factory instruments

The lion's share of the financial costs for the construction of such a system is the production of collectors. This is not surprising, even in industrial samples of solar systems, about 60% of the cost falls on this structural element. The financial costs will depend on the choice of this or that material.

It should be noted that such a system is not able to heat the room, it only helps to save on costs, helping to heat the water in the heating system. At the very least, it can fully provide hot water within 6-7 months. Considering the rather high energy costs that are expended on heating the water, the solar collector, integrated in the heating system, substantially reduces such costs.

The solar collector is quite simply integrated into the heating and hot water supply system

For its manufacture, fairly simple and accessible materials are used. In addition, this design is completely non-volatile and does not need technical maintenance. Care of the system is reduced to periodic inspection and cleaning of the collector glass from contamination.

Video for the manufacture of solar collectors

The process of manufacturing an elementary solar collector:

How to assemble and commission a solar system:

Naturally, an independently made solar collector can not compete with industrial models. I use improvised materials it is rather difficult to achieve high efficiency, which industrial designs possess. But the financial costs will be much less, in comparison with the acquisition industrial installations. Nevertheless, the self-made solar collector will significantly increase the level of comfort and reduce the cost of energy, which is produced by classical sources.

This solar collector was designed by the author independently on the basis of the old radiator. The solar collector allows you to use hot water in the summer, which is heated by natural heat from the sun's rays. Such a design will be especially useful in a holiday home, where the supply of hot water does not usually take place.

To create a solar collector, the following materials were used:

1) Old flat radiators in the amount of two pieces.
2) sheets of metal or sheet metal
3) metal-plastic pipes
4) cranes
5) Fittings
6) glass windows
7) two barrels with a capacity of 160 liters

Let's consider the basic stages of creation of a solar collector on the basis of an old radiator of heating.

To begin with, it is necessary to become acquainted with the basic principle of operation of this model of the water heater. Cold water from the well is pumped into the tank, for this purpose the author has installed pumping station. Water is fed into the tank through the tap, which allows you to adjust the water level in the tank.

After heating hot water Directly without a tap falls into the bath, as the water in the tank is not under pressure. Thus, hot water flows into the bath itself when the tap is opened.

On the roof of the house the author installed two radiators so that the top of the radiator was lower than the storage tank. Also, for the purposes of natural circulation of water, the pipes of its supply from the storage tank are installed at an angle, towards the radiators.

Due to the fact that the tube, which receives heated water in the tank was connected just above the middle of the tank, the most heated and hot water is always accumulated at the top of the storage tank.

Thus, in the summer, when the average temperature of the air in the shade is 25+ degrees, the water in the tank per day can warm up to 50-60 degrees.

So the author made a simple manipulation with the barrel in order to keep it warm throughout the night and the water was still warm in the morning. For this, the barrel was wrapped with mineral wool and foil, after which the storage tank became a kind of large thermos.

Now about the design of the water heating system itself.
Two flat radiators were placed on the roof of the author's house.

For the convenience of fastening, two metal boxes of their tinplate and metal sheets were made, into which the radiators were placed. From the top radiators in the boxes were covered with glass to protect them from wind and dirt. The author used two radiators at once in order to reduce the time of heating the water, respectively, the more radiators, the faster the water will heat from solar heat.

The top of the radiators installed on the roof is below the storage tank level, so the sun-warmed water naturally enters the tank. As expected, the water supply pipes from the tank are made with a slant down towards the radiators.

Here you can see the photos of manufacturing metal boxes for radiators:

That's how the radiator was placed in the box itself:

But the picture of the tank located in the attic of the house:

Since the author used quite old radiators that had been lying around for a long time, when the system was first started, rusty water went for a long time, but after the radiators were washed, the water quality returned to normal.

Similarly, the author of the collector of this design recalls that in winter, the water from the heating system must be drained. Therefore, it is worthwhile to provide for special drainage cranes at the bottom of the radiator. The best way to drain water from the storage tank is to shut off the pumping station and then open the cold water tap. Thus, all the water in the tank drains itself. In the event that you do not salt water from the solar collector for the winter, then in the frost the structure is deformed and will become unusable. Although the collector itself is made of fairly cheap materials, but with proper maintenance it will be able to work for a long time.

The solar collector is a group of metal plates, which are usually installed on the south side of the roof. They are painted black, as it is the surface of black color that heats up faster, and holds the heat longer. These metal plates are placed in a frame of plastic.

Typically, several such metal collector sheets are mounted on the roof, since when the sun's rays touch the surface of the roof, the energy enclosed in these rays is evenly distributed over the entire surface of the roof. Therefore, the more sheets are installed on the roof slope, the more energy they accumulate.

The whole principle of solar power plants can be represented as follows:

The coolant-water moves along the collector through special pipes. The circulation of water can be carried out both in a natural way, and artificial, that is, with the help of circulation pumps. First, the collector is heated from the sun's rays, then this heat is transferred to the heat carrier. The heated liquid then flows through the pipes and enters the storage tank, which is a special water tank.

The walls of this tank have good thermal insulation, so that it does not lose heat. Also in this tank can be built in additional electric heaters, which will automatically come to the working phase, if suddenly there will be prolonged overcast weather in the street, and the collectors will not heat up. Water in this tank can stand as long as long as the owners do not prefer to use it for their own purposes.

Proceeding from the foregoing, it can be concluded that the whole principle of solar power is reduced to converting solar energy into heat.

Kinds

There are several types of solar collectors:

Flat. To date, representatives of this category are very popular in the field of use. This solar system consists of a plate of platinum, which is painted black. This sheet is enclosed in a metal frame, the outer side of which is covered with glass, for better light transmission. In devices of this type, everything is done to minimize the loss of heat loss.

Glass for such structures is made in such a way that the iron content in it is as low as possible. This contributes to better transmission of solar energy. Solar energy passes through the glass and heats the collector surface, in which the coolant moves. Further, this coolant is heated by platinum plates.

Collectors that accumulate solar energy in solar installations, in another way, are called absorbing plates. They are produced not only from platinum. Instead of it, metals such as copper and aluminum can be used, which are distinguished by high thermal conductivity.

Liquid. In installations of this type, liquid is used as the coolant. Heat exchangers are installed under the absorbent element, and are attached to it from below. They may have the appearance of a coil, or separate tubes running parallel to each other. The coil, of course, is a convenient option, since the risk of a possible leak is reduced to a minimum. Liquid solar power plants can be divided into two subspecies:

Open ended. In such systems, water is used as the coolant. It heats up in the installation, and is sent to the tank, from where it comes for use. Such systems are inconvenient to use, since during low temperatures, water freezes and can break pipes.
Closed. In systems of this type, the role of the coolant is played not by water, but by a special non-freezing liquid. In the installation, it is heated by solar energy, and enters the heat exchanger, which is a tank inside which there is a sealed closed tank for water. The heated non-freezing liquid transfers its heat to the water, which immediately heats up and goes to use.

The air.If water has a number of drawbacks, such as freezing and boiling, then using air as a coolant will help to completely eliminate these drawbacks. Indeed, air does not freeze at low temperatures, and also does not boil at high temperatures. Thanks to these advantages, air is an excellent coolant. In addition, in air solar plants are used inexpensive materials, and the operational work is very easy.

The design of solar solar panels includes several collectors, the role of which is played by metal plates. Between them the coolant moves by natural convection (there is an option where fans are used). Then the heated air enters the room. The downside is that the air is a bad heat carrier.

Scheme and construction

The design of the solar collector itself is only part of a large-scale work. The point is that for the correct operation of the entire system, you need to design the correct harness. Here we will consider a scheme in which the solar power plant operates on two tanks. One of the tanks is a heat accumulator, which is used for heating, and the other is a DHW.

Check valves. The main function of the check valves is to prevent the reverse flow of water, that is, it causes the water to flow in one direction. In this scheme, check valves are installed in the path of fluid outlet from the manifold, so that the liquid does not return to the device. Two more check valves are installed at the output from the tanks.
Circulation pumps. They are important. In this diagram, two pumps are used. One of them is installed at the outlet from the DHW tank, and the other is located at the outlet of the heat accumulator. If only the pump standing at the DHW will work, then the whole system will only work for DHW heating, and if only the pump standing next to the battery tank will work, then the system only works for this element. You can also turn both pumps on.
Shut-off valve. In this scheme, in the storage tank the coolant flows in two coils: in the upper and lower coils. The fact is that in the upper coil, the resistance is greater than in the lower coil, so most of the water flows precisely in the lower coil. In order to balance the flow of the heat carrier, it is necessary to install a shut-off valve at the liquid inlet to this tank.
Filter. It must be present in any system. Its function is to hold back large particles of debris that are present in the liquid.
The flowmeter. It is needed in order to see how many liters of water flow in one minute. This indicator is regulated by a shut-off valve.
Pressure indicator. With this element, you can determine the level of pressure in the system. Nearby install a subversive valve in the event that suddenly the pressure exceeds the norm.
Expansion tank. In the system, water will begin to expand due to heating. Surplus comes in expansion tank, and when cooled, they will again begin to circulate. If this tank does not exist, the surplus will come out through the blasting valve, and when cooling in the system, water will be missed.
Air outlets. In solar systems, air vents are used automatic type. They are installed in the upper part of the system. It is necessary in order to automatically remove accumulated air from the system.
Valve for draining. Through this tap, the coolant can be drained from the system.

Here from such elements the system of the given scheme consists.

There are other designs, but the whole operation principle remains the same, only some valves and valves may need more or less depending on the circuit.

Necessary materials and tools

Solar power plants can be purchased in special institutions, but you can do it yourself, as the purchase will be very expensive. Solar collectors at home can be made from different materials, such as plastic bottles, hose, polypropylene, but the most economical in terms of material and the easiest is the manufacturing process solar battery strictly radiator cooler.

To do this, you need the following materials:

Carpet made of rubber.
Scotch
Foil.
Ordinary glass.
Wooden beams for the manufacture of frames.
The device for soldering.

All these materials can be purchased at no particular cost. If they are already available, then we can get down to business.

How to make a solar collector by yourself - step by step instruction

If the old refrigerator is already out of order, then it should not be thrown away, since its condenser can be an excellent material for assembling the collector. In the manufacture of this device, the following step-by-step instruction should be followed:

It is necessary to disassemble the condenser, rinse it thoroughly, clean it of freon, and measure it.
After having made the necessary measurements, it is necessary to begin to produce a wooden frame, that is, a casing. To do this, use wooden beams.
Now you need to take the foil and put it on the bottom of the manufactured case. This is done so that the heat exchanger can be heated not only from the front, but also from the rear.
Now, armed with adhesive tape, it is necessary to glue all the cracks around the perimeter of the case.
Then you need to nail the additional bars from the back of the device. This is done to ensure that the heat exchanger is fixed firmly.
Now in the frame make a small hole for the removal of pipes.
On the bottom side of the frame you need to mount several screws so that the glass is held securely and does not slip.
Now cover it all with glass, and with the help of adhesive tape seal all the holes.

That's all! It remains only to install it somewhere on the roof, and tie it to the rest of the elements heating system at home.

Nuances

When manufacturing and operating the collector, you should pay attention to the following points:

Water, heated by means of such a collector, should be used only for technical needs, since in the condenser still remains freon.
It is not necessary to use the condenser of the refrigerator, you can also take the radiator from the car.
If provided for circulating pump, the water storage tank can be installed absolutely anywhere. Instead of a high-capacity circulation pump, you can take a conventional aquarium pump. If the system provides for a natural circulation of the liquid, the tank must be located above the collector itself.

Solar collectors - good way to save energy. Solar energy is free, so at least 6-7 months a year you can get warm water for household needs. And in the remaining months - also to help the heating system.

The solar collector can be made independently. To do this, you will need materials and tools that can be bought in most building stores. Or what you find in your garage.

The following technology was used in the project "Turn on the sun - live comfortably." It was developed specifically for the project by the German company Solar Partner Sued, which professionally sells, installs and maintains solar collectors and photoelectric panels.

The main idea is cheap and angry. For the production of the collector, fairly simple and common materials are used, which can be bought at a nearby store, or even found in your garage. At the same time, the collector efficiency remains at a decent level. It is lower than in factory models, but the difference in price completely compensates for this shortcoming.

There are different types of solar water heaters, but they are all based on a simple principle: the black surface absorbs solar heat, then this heat is transferred to the water. The simplest models can be constructed from available materials and do not require pumps or other electrical equipment. An effective solar collector can be used even in the winter time due to the use of antifreeze liquids - antifreeze.

The described solar collector system is passive and does not depend on electricity. She does without pumps. The hot fluid moves between the collector and the tank according to the convection principle, thanks to the simple rule - the heated liquid always rises.

The principle of operation of such a solar collector is as follows:

The sun heats the fluid in the reservoir
The heated liquid rises on a collector and a pipe in a tank-accumulator
When the hot liquid enters the heat exchanger installed in the water tank, the heat is transferred from the heat exchanger to the water in the tank
The liquid in the heat exchanger, being cooled, moves downwards in a spiral and comes from the hole in the bottom of the tank back to the collector
The water heated in the tank accumulates at the top of the tank
Cold water from water supply network / tank enters the bottom of the tank
Heated water is taken from the outlet at the top of the tank.

While the sun is shining on the collector, the liquid in the pipes of the absorber is heated, moves to the tank and thus constantly circulates. This process ensures the heating of water in the tank in just a few hours with intense solar radiation.

The main element of the reservoir is the absorber. It consists of a metal sheet that is welded to metal pipes. Several pipes are installed vertically and welded to two large diameter pipes, located horizontally. These thick pipes for liquid entry and exit must be parallel to each other. And the liquid inlet (the bottom of the absorber) and the outlet (the upper part of the absorber) should be located on opposite sides of the panel (diagonally). To connect thicker pipes, drill holes for the diameter of the vertical pipes.

For the best transfer of heat from the metal plate to the pipes it is very important to ensure maximum contact of the plate with the pipes. Welding must be along the entire element. It is important that the metal sheet and the tubes fit snugly together.

Absorber is placed in a wooden frame and covered with glass, which protects the collector and creates an inside effect of the greenhouse.

Usual window glass. Optimal thickness - 4 mm, while maintaining a good balance of reliability and weight. It is desirable to divide the required glass area into several parts. So it's more convenient and safer to work with him.

The use of several layers of glass or double-glazed windows will give an increase in efficiency, but will increase the weight of the structure and the cost of the system.

The frame should be treated with an antiseptic and exterior paint.

In the body are made through holes for the supply of cold and removal of heated liquid from the collector.

Under the absorber there is a heater. Most often, mineral wool is used. The main thing is that it can withstand fairly high temperatures during the summer (sometimes more than 200 degrees).

The joints between the glass sheets are insulated with a sealant or silicone.

Accumulation tank. Here the water heated by the collector is stored, so it is worth taking care of its thermal insulation.

You can use as a tank:

non-working electric boilers
oxygen cylinders
barrels for food use

In the tank make holes for the entrance and exit of the heat exchanger, the introduction of cold water, and the fence heated.

The spiral heat exchanger is located in the tank. For him, use copper, stainless steel, or plastic. The water heated through the heat exchanger will rise upwards, so it should be placed in the lower part of the tank.

The collector is connected to the tank by means of pipes (for example, plastic-plastic or plastic pipes), from the collector to the tank through the heat exchanger and back to the collector. It is very important to prevent heat leakage: the path from the tank to the consumer should be as short as possible, and the pipes must be very well insulated.

The expansion tank is a very important element of the system. It is an open reservoir located at the extreme upper point of the liquid circulation circuit. For the expansion tank you can use both metal and plastic dishes. With its help, the pressure in the collector is controlled (due to the fact that the liquid from the heating expands, the pipes can crack). To reduce heat loss, the tank must also be isolated. If there is air in the system, it can also go out through the tank. Through the expansion tank is also filling the reservoir with liquid.

More features of the structure, necessary materials and rules for establishing a solar collector can be learned by downloading a practical guide on the project website. published

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