page Last updated 03/11/2003
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                  Solar Panel construction

Spec.
   Stamp Module for the controller
         reads 6 Thermal resistors for 6 temperatures
         three AC 110 volts solid state contacts
         five 1 amp. relays

   panel
        106 sq. ft. or 10 sq. meters
        6.7 ft high
        16 ft long

   absorber plates
     by Thermafin   www.solarenergy.com/

    two pumps  Taco 008 Glycol and Taco 006 water   both at 6 gal/m
    20  Ft. Heat exchanger 1/2" copper inside 1" copper pipe
    one expansion tank
    four 55 gal. drums for water storage
    three 5 ft baseboard heaters

    System Efficiency    600 BTU / 32800 Max. = 18%  in  2001
                     makes for not to good system  .   8-(
 

         System Efficiency   972 BTU / 32800 Max. 29%  in  2002
  Makes for a better system. I reworked the solar panel. 8-)

 Average Day at OHIO in DEC. with partly sun! My panels collect apx.. 27 thousand BTU. It takes 220 gal of water
 and warms it up by 15 deg.F. On a Max. sunny day I get  apx.. 40 Thousand BTU. a increase of  22 deg.F.

  I have changed my system so that I can use one 55 gal drum or four 55 gal drums to store the heat.
  In NOV. to March I'll  use only one 55 gal drum to store.
 With the above figures. Only one drum it will raise the water temperature to around 130 deg.F. That will let the
 Baseboard heaters work more efficient..
 On Jan 12 2002 it was a sunny day in Ohio the 55 gal. drum got up to 132 deg. F. with outside temperature at a hi of 38 F.
  That makes is 29,800 BTU of heat that's apx.. ( 600 BTU per sq. Meter ) of panel per hour.

  In September of 2002 I reworked the solar panel . I added more Insulation and improved the air seal on the glass.


  This is a Chart of a partly cloudie day. Red is the temperature inside the panel. Green is the temperature  of the
  storage tank. .Yellow is the amount of BTU's in 1000's gain or loss. Blue is the amount of Sunlight that hits panel
  100% is the largest amount of sun. It left starts at 11:00 AM and ends at 10:00PM. The right starts 9:00 AM to 10:00PM.
 
         
 

  Heat Exchanger

 

      Well I got these readings off the Heat exchanger.
  first reading 1 1/2 hours of sun.
  second readings 2 1/2 hours of sun.
  third readings 3 1/2 hours of sun. that was at 12 noon. the air temp. of the solar panel was 135 deg. F.

  all reading are to reference to the heat exchanger inputs and output.

         Glycol in   Glycol out  water in   water out
                   84             80              72              80
                   96             92              79              87
                 110             99              86            108
        The sun quit at 2:00 PM the  104            113

       The to fluids flow in different directions in the heat exchanger.
    I  know that's the correct way . I have added an motor speed control for the water pump , That
   allows me to control the flow of the water in the heat exchanger. Right now it is set a about
   60% motor speed. to get the highest temperature from the Heat exchanger.

  Preheating House hot water
 Another point is interest is my preheating of my cold water before it  enters the hot water heater.
 Our average usage of water is 900 gal. About  300 gal is hot water. In Dec. I get about 25 to 50 solar heat hours.

  To cal. my apx.. savings of electric for a year use.
  With out any usage of the solar panel it would take 212,800 BTU (62 KW.) to heat up that water .
  The average water temp. coming the city water in Dec. in Ohio is 45 deg. F.
  With 5 days of about 5 hours of sun in Dec.
   That makes 60 gal will make it to 130 deg. F. = 40,056 BTU = 11.73 KW of electric power.
   That makes 240 gal will make it to 65 deg. F. = 42,560 BTU = 12.468 Kw of electric power.
   A savings of 24 KW. $3.98 in DEC. I expect that May-Oct the savings will =$10 per month.
   Apx. $100 a year savings. Just in preheating my hot water.
 

Diagram of Solar System .

Pictures
                             Frame view                                         absorber plates

 
 

           absorber plates mounted in frame                             four 55 Gal Drums for heat storage

 
 

  Drums insulated                                                             Has two pumps hear exchanger and expansion tank
                                                                                       and Home made controller. Via ( Stamp Module )

 
 
 

    Heat exchanger 1/2" pipe inside 1" pipe            Home Brewed Stamp Module controller panel
    20 ft. long.

 
 

Circuit board bottom view

 
 
 

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