water heating panel (2nd try to post it)
Question:
please don’t post binaries to a non-binaries newsgroup. put up a web page and post a link. many folks out here on dialup don’t appreciate a 900k email stuffing their pipe. — Steve Spence Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter & Discussion Boards. Read about Sustainable Technology: http://www.green-trust.org
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I spent the weekend in the garage tinkering with construction materials. > Here are the materials and construction description of what I have come up > with. I am probably blind to a flaw or two and am looking for someone to > point them out prior to beginning construction. Appreciate your assistance > with working out the bugs before I do something silly (and to avoid my > wife tell me I should have bought a natural gas heater) > BMP image attached > Box Construction > Inside box dimensions 41 x 89 (approx 25 sq ft each) This size chosen for > maximum yield of 4 x 8 stock materials. Solid light gauge U-channel steel > wall framing (metal studs). Rivet two back to back to make light weight, > structurally strong I- Beams. Make the box out of these I beams. On the > underside of the box, strengthen up the corners with 12 x 12 x .125 Aluminum > triangles. Rivet one inch metal strapping in a / / fashion for > additional structural integrity. Bend one piece of .027 gauge sheet metal > to make a box 41 x 96 with 3 1/2 inch sides of 48 inch .027 gauge sheet > metal. Inset that into the I beam box and secure. Insulate sides and > bottom with one insulation board. > Piping > I had great success with the following connection method. > I took five inch wide flashing strips and wrapped it around tubing. After > wrapping it I compressed the two together between wood that I routed out at > 1/2 inch diameter, 1/4 inch deep to make a sandwich (see pic) and clamped > together. This ensured the best contact between the flashing and pipe tha t > I could conjure up. Then I drilled and riveted every 2 inches. The bond was > extremely tight, I could not pull the tubing out of the flashing. The same > held true for 1/2 copper pipe when wrapped in the same fashion. I was > inspired to go this route after seeing an old Nick Pine post which discussed > mechanical fastener over a drywall corner reinforcement. The rivets hold > well and do not pierce back thru due to stress. > Glazing > I’m still uncertain of the glazing to use and looking for a input here. > I have access to cheap Mylar (I sell it) so I was thinking of a double glaze > of 5 mil with one half or 3/4 inch airspace between them. Another thought > was a 10 mil clear coated with a transparent hardener to stiffen it up and > increase the weatherability. > Home Depot sells a transparent roofing product that the label says is UV > resistant. 24in x 16ft sheets for 16.00. The transparent mylar I can get > for around 20 cents a sq ft or free > The ends of the corrugated would be foamed with window great stuff (blue > can – non expanding) and coated with a sealer. > Estimated costs per panel > 60 feet 1/2 copper L soft – $45.00 > Compression fittings 2 at 4.00 each – 8.00 > 5 ea metal studs at 3.00 18.00 > Rivets – 5.00 > Corrugated glazing – $16.00 > Insulation board – 20.00 (guess) > Paint 5.00 > Gasket – free > Total 139.00 / 25 = 5.88 sq ft plus time > 6 x 139 = 834 for 150 sq ft collector area > Cost Reduction > Scrounge construction sites for insulation board and flashing. Go with the > free to real cheap 5 mil mylar. Assuming I could scrounge flashing and > insulation and obtain mylar from our vendor at no charge, total cost could > be 3.24 sq ft. or 486 for 150 sq ft. > What am I missing ? > Any way to increase efficiency? > I do not know how to calculate or "Best guess" efficiency. > Appreciate the constructive criticism and input > Regards, > John > South Jersey
Response:
>please don’t post binaries to a non-binaries newsgroup. put up a web page >and post a link. many folks out here on dialup don’t appreciate a 900k email >stuffing their pipe. >– >Steve Spence >Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter >& Discussion Boards. Read about Sustainable Technology: >http://www.green-trust.org
Thanks for that Steve. I’m on a dialup and i hate my modem when it begs for mercy….:o) M Russon
Response:
My apologies, I was not aware of that protocol. Will create site in next few days and repost John
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->please don’t post binaries to a non-binaries newsgroup. put up a web page >and post a link. many folks out here on dialup don’t appreciate a 900k email >stuffing their pipe. >– >Steve Spence >Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter >& Discussion Boards. Read about Sustainable Technology: >http://www.green-trust.org > Thanks for that Steve. I’m on a dialup and i hate my modem when it > begs for mercy….:o) > M Russon
Response:
> John:
Peter > You have some good, practical ideas.
Thank You and I continue to work on this. Next time I will make a web page with better images (maybe pictures) of actual jigs and process. > To improve efficiency, pump up the serpentine tubes
I do not understand what you mean by "pump up the serpentine tubes". Could you please elaborate. > (so that all of surface is wet – better heat transfer).
I assume this means the goal is to obtain 100% intimate contact between plate and tubes? correct > For better heat conducting, use heat transfer paste > (and seal it in with gaskets).
Thanks for this advise – It makes sense. It looks pricey (ArticSilver) I did find an online page to stretch thermal paste by adding it to a standard two part epoxy. Here is the link in case you are interested. If you know of an alternative, please provide additional informaton. http://coolingflow.com/making.htm > The use of all that metal is somewhat different;
Intent is to make it lightweight with little to no maintenance (painting) and lumber checking splits. > my design uses wood and the least metal. > See my dual-fluid design – sorry, no cost info collected.
Your design shows 9 inch O.C. for the risers. I nearly always see 4 inch O.C. My question is, what is the advantage / disadvantage / rationale of going to larger on center distances? – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> It can also be an air-to-air collector; > and I keep the "pocket" open for future addition > of loop of refrigerant (Puron recommended) with heat pump. > Collector1 is then useful on a hazzy day. > Peter
