Pics of my new design solar heater

[green]

Well I said I would post some pics of my new solar heater so here you go. Along with a little explaination of what I was thinking. I wanted to think outside the box like I usually do, so that is litteraly what I did. I made a soda can solar heater without the insulated box. All I needed to do was place it inside the window instead of outside. Now some people would say just let the Sun shine in, which it does anyways, this doesn't block that much, but the Sun usually just shines in and warms the kids toys (this porch is used as a play are for my kids) and I don't think the toys are very efficient at converting the Sunlight to warm air. My solar heater sits on the window sill and blows out warm air converting the Sunlight efficiently to heat energy.

All it is made of is 5 coffee cans with holes in the top and bottom, with 3 soda cans inside each, attached one on top of the other, painted black, with a computer fan powered by a solar panel. Thats it.

It's simple, with no tubes going in through a window to seal up, no insulating a big box, no glass, nothing to buy because it's all reused materials.

This thing cranks out 90F+ air while the room is 60-70F, not bad. I'm using a larger Solar panel than it needs because I'm going to build another heater and I'm going to run them both from the one homemade 30 watt panel. One of my smaller panels wasn't pushing the fan as hard as I wanted it to either.

This is used in a porch that is used as the kids extra play room. It is basicaly a three season room and unfortunetly it is our only south facing room. I have insulated it and we are now able to use it most of the winter on sunny days, so I am just trying to make it a little warmer without paying to heat it.

Let me know what you think, any ideas are welcome.
Green

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[inetdog]

Now some people would say just let the Sun shine in, which it does anyways, this doesn't block that much, but the Sun usually just shines in and warms the kids toys (this porch is used as a play are for my kids) and I don't think the toys are very efficient at converting the Sunlight to warm air. My solar heater sits on the window sill and blows out warm air converting the Sunlight efficiently to heat energy.

Several facts:

1. One reason that solar thermal panels are usually outside is that the windows do not let in as much light per unit area and also have less area (unless we are talking about a sunporch or solarium.)
2. Anything that does not end up reflecting the light back outside will have exactly the same effectiveness in converting the light energy to heat.
3. What will differ is where the heat energy is created and how efficiently that heat is transferred to the air rather that walls or floor which might just conduct that heat back out again.
4. The psychological effect of having something warm to get close to cannot be discounted!

[green]

Several facts:

2. Anything that does not end up reflecting the light back outside will have exactly the same effectiveness in converting the light energy to heat.
3. What will differ is where the heat energy is created and how efficiently that heat is transferred to the air...

That's the part that I am putting to the test. This has a fan inside and activley moves a lot of air through it rather than just passively warming the air that is in contact with it. I suppose it would be about the same as blowing air across the warmed toys in this porch but they are not all black and made of aluminum. I don't know how many CFM this thing moves but there is no denying it blows out a lot of warm air.

I am going to be making one or maybe two of the large soda can/downspout heaters. My neighbor gave me two big clear glass shower doors. Just gathering up cans now.

I'm a scientist at heart so I enjoy experimenting with this type of thing.

Green

[T-bones]

Window-Heater...

I made a unit that completely covers the a window on my south side. Copius amounts of heat are generated and dispersed into the room whereas before there was more light now there is more heat costing less $$$. I'll trade light for heat every day of the week.

[green]

I just built another one. I've been testing the tempurature of the different things the Sun is shining on in this room and the black solar heaters are by far the warmest. If I could just paint everything in the room black that would work but it would be very ugly. I have talked the wife into painting the walls a darker color though, that should help. I have insulated this room. On sunny days we have noticed we can heat our house(at least the living room) by opening the door to this three season porch. There are ten windows on this porch so I'm not concerned with blocking any Sunlight, we get plenty. I just love experimenting.

Green

[T-bones]

Expermenting...

That's the fun part. When playing with heat you do need to be careful. My home-made solar-oven has reached temps of over 300 degrees.
I have messed with flat-black painted sheet aluminum or coil-stock. Very thin and it heats and disperses heat in an instant.

Speaking of expermenting, I'm making a solar-powered ceiling-fan as I type. The wings from a balsa-wood airplane will be the blades. I've got some small DC motors that will run a belt that will power the blades.

We'll see...

[rhawkman]

Green, nice. I have 0 south facing windows, so I may have to get very creative.

[green]

I need to post some more pics, I made another heater out some plastic cubby hole thingys from car or van or something... lol. Hard to describe what they are as I'm not sure because I found them for free at the curb. I had my doubts about this one but it has proven me wrong. It is shiny thick black plastic and it actually warms the air very nicely.

Keep creating,
Green