Hi all,
my first post here, I have been searching the www and I think I have the basics covered... But I am always looking for ways to simplify or cut expenses (or both). The current design (nothing built yet) is very simple. I have a house with two stages of roof.
- On the lower stage, I will make as many collector panels as I can, design not relevant at this point.
- Underneath the higher stage, I will make locate the system which will be syphon fed. Gravity will assist, no electrics, only maybe for some gauges. I will make a non return valve in the system to be sure I won't loose any heat.
The system currently is designed with a 200 litre water tank, under full pressure of the water supply, with a heat exchanger in it fed by the syphoning collector system. This will heat the water, warm water is fed through my water heater which only adds the required energy on bad days, and does nothing on good days. But the 200 litre stainless steel well isolated tank with heat exchanger is very expensive, and few second hand ones come available so far.
So, back to the drawing board. I would like to change the system around. I will make a large (non stainless) tank, filled with the same liquid as the collector system. For this I can use an old air compressor tank. No air will be in the system, the liquid will have an anti-corrosive component. It will most likely be engine cooling liquid. A header tank with a level sensor will make sure no air gets into the system.
Outside of the tank I will of course insulate. This way all heat generated by the collectors is gathered in the tank and most will stay there.
Inside the tank I will fit a small heat exchanger, which is fed the cold incoming water from the main supply. The exchanger uses the energy stored in the tank to instantly heat the water flowing throught the exchanger. OK, I need a mighty fine exchanger, but I have some ideas about that. It is all a matter of conduction.
Why bother? Well, as I started I am looking for a way around using:
A) A pressurised tank.
B) A stainless tank.
Hence, an expensive tank.
Please feel free to comment constructively,
Cheers,
Hugo
my first post here, I have been searching the www and I think I have the basics covered... But I am always looking for ways to simplify or cut expenses (or both). The current design (nothing built yet) is very simple. I have a house with two stages of roof.
- On the lower stage, I will make as many collector panels as I can, design not relevant at this point.
- Underneath the higher stage, I will make locate the system which will be syphon fed. Gravity will assist, no electrics, only maybe for some gauges. I will make a non return valve in the system to be sure I won't loose any heat.
The system currently is designed with a 200 litre water tank, under full pressure of the water supply, with a heat exchanger in it fed by the syphoning collector system. This will heat the water, warm water is fed through my water heater which only adds the required energy on bad days, and does nothing on good days. But the 200 litre stainless steel well isolated tank with heat exchanger is very expensive, and few second hand ones come available so far.
So, back to the drawing board. I would like to change the system around. I will make a large (non stainless) tank, filled with the same liquid as the collector system. For this I can use an old air compressor tank. No air will be in the system, the liquid will have an anti-corrosive component. It will most likely be engine cooling liquid. A header tank with a level sensor will make sure no air gets into the system.
Outside of the tank I will of course insulate. This way all heat generated by the collectors is gathered in the tank and most will stay there.
Inside the tank I will fit a small heat exchanger, which is fed the cold incoming water from the main supply. The exchanger uses the energy stored in the tank to instantly heat the water flowing throught the exchanger. OK, I need a mighty fine exchanger, but I have some ideas about that. It is all a matter of conduction.
Why bother? Well, as I started I am looking for a way around using:
A) A pressurised tank.
B) A stainless tank.
Hence, an expensive tank.
Please feel free to comment constructively,
Cheers,
Hugo
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