Storing Cookies (See : http://ec.europa.eu/ipg/basics/legal/cookies/index_en.htm ) help us to bring you our services at overunity.com . If you use this website and our services you declare yourself okay with using cookies .More Infos here:
https://overunity.com/5553/privacy-policy/
If you do not agree with storing cookies, please LEAVE this website now. From the 25th of May 2018, every existing user has to accept the GDPR agreement at first login. If a user is unwilling to accept the GDPR, he should email us and request to erase his account. Many thanks for your understanding

User Menu

Custom Search

Author Topic: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar  (Read 46070 times)

triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #15 on: November 20, 2008, 07:09:26 PM »
I could not believe that last night night I found in one of my text books a design on how to build a solar hot water heater using cardboard as a frame
and newspapers as bedding.I was so excited.While its a student's experiment it could be scaled up to put on a house.Pay attention to this:
Materials;Shoe box painted black on the inside and filled with newspaper(crumpled up) painted black.rubber or plastic tubing,1-mm diameter and about 1 m in length.Plastic wrap. The rest of the materials listed were there to help the students do their experiments.But the point is that someone used CARDBOARD TO HEAT WATER WITH SOLAR POWER.Triffid


Source-"Physical Science" by Hurd,Mclaughlin,Bacher,&Silver
second edition cc.1991
Publisher-Prentice Hall
page 430

triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #16 on: November 20, 2008, 07:15:14 PM »
I confess,I smell a business here.Making solar hot water heaters out of mostly cardboard and using wooden box frames with glass windows to protect them from rain on a person's roof.I just couldn't see before last night.Triffid

TechStuf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1280
    • Biblical Record Proves True
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #17 on: November 20, 2008, 09:06:14 PM »


As noted higher in the thread:

http://jc-solarhomes.com/MTD/MTD_solar_heating.htm

Already being done cheaply and effectively.


TS

triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #18 on: November 23, 2008, 11:58:27 PM »
Thanks,tech student,I think new ways of capturing the the sun's energy is always desired.We (the human race) are energy starving in the midst of plenty(solar power).Triffid

TechStuf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1280
    • Biblical Record Proves True
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #19 on: November 24, 2008, 02:22:18 AM »


Yes, we are starving, and in various ways.....and there is a critical, sobering reason for this.


Blessings in Yeshua,


Mitch

triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #20 on: December 05, 2008, 02:54:00 AM »
try www.solarcooking.org for a whole lot of ideas on how to heat water with solar power.triffid

buzneg

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 249
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #21 on: December 08, 2008, 10:44:51 PM »
Would a one way mirror have a better greenhouse effect then normal green house glass?

TechStuf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1280
    • Biblical Record Proves True
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #22 on: December 08, 2008, 11:01:12 PM »
No, such is used to cool buildings, not warm them.  Unless your idea is to face the reflective face inward....which, due mostly to light/energy conversion characteristics of matter prevent such from proving more efficient than transparent materials.

Allowing as much light to enter the structure and convert such rays into heat has long proven more beneficial.


Of course, if your objective is increased green house effect, placing mirrors on the ground at the correct angle to multiply the amount of light entering the structure, should prove beneficial.


TS








triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #23 on: December 22, 2008, 12:14:32 AM »
for more ideas on solar heaters try www.solarcooking.org they have cookers from all over the world.Triffid

JamesThomas

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 173
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #24 on: December 22, 2008, 01:45:06 AM »
I don't know if this adds anything as I have not read through the entire thread. I am working on a solar preheater for my trailer propane water heater. Basically black hose in a well insulated box with at least two layers of plastic for the sun to shine through with air trapped tightly between. Also I am using black painted brick as the background for the hose to lay against as brick will retain some of the day-time heat transferring some of that to the hose at night. A well insulated storage tank for the hot solar heated water that goes between the solar heater and main water heater is an important addition. An old water heater can be used for this.

That said, low-tech solar hot water heating is a super underutilized green energy storehouse. Very sad; but glad you are making yours.  :)

jt

infringer

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 800
    • mopowah
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #25 on: December 22, 2008, 05:05:53 AM »
I gave a fairly good idea on a solar project some time ago but no one cared to discuss it it is cheap ...

Look up the posts by me...

Or I can briefly explain the concept here ...

Magnifying glasses cheap ones at the proper distance aligned around a tube full of water metal tube copper is fine... A tube about 1 - 3 ft in diameter with a ton of cheap small magnifying glasses to concentrate the sun onto the tube at all hours of sunlight...

If done properly cheap and productive.

-infringer-

triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #26 on: December 24, 2008, 12:51:43 AM »
I think everybody's ideas on solar energy is important.I have seen solar collector designs that do not use foil but use a white surface with a black pot inside a  clear plastic bag to keep the warmth in.Great for countries where foil cannot be had for the price. everybody keep posting.triffid

triffid

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4263
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #27 on: December 24, 2008, 01:10:07 AM »
Infringer,your design is similar to one of my projects.I came up with a burning mirror design that could generate up to 10,000 degrees.I want to use it for solar powered rockets.If I could find a material (metal or ceramic)to soak up the heat we could probaby use seawater for fuel and let the rockets take off at sea level.triffid

AbbaRue

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 587
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #28 on: December 24, 2008, 01:11:40 AM »
Actually you can buy sheets of Fresnel lens at office supply places.
These sheets are about 30cm x 30cm in size and they can light a piece of wood on fire very quickly.
They sell them for book reading lenses, because you can place the sheet across the whole page.
These would be ideal for focusing the suns rays on any type of collector.
Here's a video of a large one at work.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DGtA8E5iw3k

They used to sell large ones you could place across your TV screen to turn a smaller screen into a larger one.
« Last Edit: December 24, 2008, 01:37:58 AM by AbbaRue »

TechStuf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1280
    • Biblical Record Proves True
Re: Trying to find super cheap way to collect solar
« Reply #29 on: December 24, 2008, 02:02:43 AM »
Check out the "light sharpener".....


http://www.cockeyed.com/incredible/solardish/dish01.shtml


I really stand behind fresnel technology:


http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/5919/bobbleheaddaddo6.jpg



TS
« Last Edit: December 24, 2008, 02:36:22 AM by TechStuf »