Materials and tools for manufacturing:
- corrugated aluminum air duct (diameter 80 mm, length 10 meters);
- a box measuring 90X90 cm (you can make it yourself from the boards);
- foil expanded polystyrene (thickness 25 mm);
- wire;
- black heat-resistant paint (paint for painting mufflers);
- newspaper;
- glass;
- duct fan for 12V (a cooler from a computer will do);
- solar battery (optional);
- a minimum set of tools.

Solar collector manufacturing process:

Step one. We create a box and lay the absorber

First of all, you need to make a box, it can be made from a board. To do this, you need a saw, a hammer and nails. As the bottom, you can use a sheet of fiberboard or plywood. When the box is assembled, it needs to be insulated; for this purpose, foil polystyrene foam 25 mm thick is used. They need to glue the inside of the box to increase the performance of the collector. You will also need to insulate the bottom of the box, for this you need to cut out a single piece of polystyrene foam you need the shape and size and glue it to the bottom of the box.

Next, you can lay the absorber. To do this, you need to take a corrugated duct and lay it with a snake, as shown in the photo. To make it convenient to do this, the coil can be fixed with a copper or aluminum wire to the side wall of the box.

Among other things, two holes will need to be cut out in the box, and the ends of the duct should be inserted into them. Cold air will enter the absorber through one hole, and already warm air will exit through the other.

Step two. Absorber painting
In order for the absorber to heat up, it must be painted with matte black paint, otherwise the sun's rays will be reflected from the coil and the collector will not work. For these purposes, paint is suitable, with which car mufflers are painted, it can withstand high temperatures.

Before painting, the side walls of the box must be covered with newspaper, they do not need to be painted. The fact is that foil is applied to them and, according to the author, the sun's rays will be reflected from them and then fall on the absorber. In principle, there will be no big difference if they are not painted, since in this case the walls will heat up, and as a result, the air temperature inside the collector will increase.

Step three. Forced manifold ventilation
In principle, if you place the collector with the outlet up and the inlet down, natural air circulation will occur in it, so an air pump for this system is not needed as such. But if there is a desire to increase performance, the collector can be equipped with a cooler or fan. The author used a 12 volt fan in combination with a solar panel. That is, when the sun shines, the fan itself will start and improve the air circulation in the collector. The fan is installed at the inlet to the collector and works on "blowing", if you do the opposite, it will quickly become unusable from overheating.

In our time, when natural resources are depleted, people are increasingly looking for alternative energy sources. And what could be better than the energy of the sun - public, inexhaustible and, so to speak, gratuitous?

And just recently, while studying the possible use of sunlight, scientists inventedair manifold- a device that absorbs solar energy and turns it into heat, which is subsequently transferred to the coolant. Often a liquid acts as a coolant, but air is also often used - moreover, there are situations when air devices are even more efficient.

It is quite obvious that the main difference between the collector is the coolant used in its work - in this case, ordinary atmospheric air. In principle, such a device is performed today in two versions:

• as flat perforated or corrugated panel;
• as metal pipe systemsgood conductors of heat.

The air here is heated upon contact with the metal, and the ribs on the surface of the panel only increase heat transfer. It is desirable to install the entire structure on the southern wall of the building, as well as to insulate it with high quality. It is characteristic that the circulation of the coolant isnatural and forced(using fans).

Air collectors can operate at much lower temperatures than liquid collectors. For example, in a conventional solar system, the optimum temperature for collector operation is 50 ° C and above, while 25 ° C is enough for an air system. This has a positive effect on the efficiency of the devices we describe, because the lower the temperature, the lower the heat loss.

Applications

Such a low popularity of devices is explained very simply:air has a relatively low thermal conductivity. However, air-type solar systems are widely used:

• in air recovery systems;
• in drainage systems;
• in air heating at home.

It turns out that air collectors can hardly be considered a full-fledged replacement for liquid ones, but thanks to them it is quite possible to reduce utility costs.

Advantages and disadvantages

Air solar systems, like all human creations, have their strengths and weaknesses. The benefits include:

• efficiency in air drying;
• low cost;
• simple design.

But there are also disadvantages:

• air collectors cannot heat water;
• they are very overall (due to the insignificant heat capacity);
• they have a modest efficiency.

Note! To increase the efficiency of air solar systems, they are installed in the walls (southern, as we remember) during the construction of the building.

You can make such a device yourself, since its design, as already noted, is quite simple. This will require cheap and affordable materials (some even manage to use tin cans).

But remember: such collectors are quite large, so it is likely that you will have to build a structure on the entire wall.

Making a device from drainpipes

Such a device is certainly better to do on the entire wall. In autumn and spring, it will help you significantly save on heating. Select materials, taking into account the dimensions of the future design.

What will be required in the work

Manufacturing technology

Follow the procedures below to create a collector.

First stage. First, make a small wooden box in the form of an open box. Its depth should be slightly greater than the height of the water pipes.

Second phase . Securely insulate the rear and end walls. Lay an aluminum sheet on top of the mineral wool, to which, in turn, attach the pipes with clamps.

Note! To improve air circulation on one side of the duct, the pipes should recede approximately 15 cm from the end.

Fix the edges of the pipe with a wooden partition, where you pre-make mounting holes in the appropriate places.

Third stage . Due to the fact that the inlet and outlet will be on the same side of the structure, make several wooden partitions on the opposite side in order to separate the air flows.

Fourth stage . After mounting, paint the manifold black. Cellular polycarbonate is perfect for the front panel.

Remember: the assembled air manifold weighs quite a lot, so you will need a few helpers for installation. When installing, use strong and stable supports.

Then connect the collector to the ventilation of the building through insulated ducts. Also take care of a duct fan that will blow air into the room.

Making a device from corrugated board

This is an even simpler solar collector design. You will build it much faster.

First stage . First, make a wooden box in the same way as in the previous version. Next, lay a bar along the perimeter of the back wall (approximately 4x4 cm), and lay mineral wool on the bottom.

Second phase . Make an exit hole in the bottom.

Third stage . Lay corrugated board on the beam and repaint the latter in black. Of course, if it was originally a different color.

Fourth stage . Make perforations over the entire area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe corrugated board for air flow.

Fifth stage . If you wish, you can glaze the entire structure with polycarbonate - this will increase the heating temperature of the absorber. But do not forget that you also need to provide an outlet for air flow from the outside.

Making a collector from beer cans

This is a practical and cheap alternative to the solar system models described above. It is characterized by low cost, because the main thing is to stock up on a sufficient number of cans (this will not be difficult for lovers of "coca" or canned beer).

Note! Banks must be made of aluminum - this metal has a high heat transfer and corrosion resistance. Therefore, when preparing, check each jar with a magnet.

Manufacturing technology

First stage. First, make three holes in the bottom of each jar, each the size of a fingernail. Make a star-shaped cutout at the top and fold the edges outward - this will improve the turbulence of the heated air.

Second phase . Next, degrease the cans and fold them into pipes of the appropriate length (depending on the size of the wall). The bottom and lid will fit almost perfectly to each other, and treat small gaps between them with silicone.

Note! Silicone must withstand permanently high temperatures, otherwise your structure will crumble during operation.

Do not move the cans until the silicone is completely dry. You can use homemade templates for this - two boards knocked down at an angle (a kind of gutter). This will protect the pipes from lateral displacements.

Third stage . Next, start assembling the case. For the back wall, use a sheet of plain plywood of the required size. You can install special wooden planks with holes for pipes on top and bottom of the box - this way you will achieve a more secure fixation.

Fourth stage . Lay the pipes in the box and secure with the same silicone sealant. Then paint them black - dark colors are known to attract the sun's rays. Lay mineral wool between the pipes. When the paint is dry, cover the collector with a sheet of honeycomb polycarbonate.

As a conclusion

As a result, I would like to note that the designs of solar systems described by us make it possible to achieve an impressive increase in temperature - often on a sunny day indoors is 25-30 ° C warmer than outside. At the same time, the microclimate in the room is also significantly improved, since a permanent supply of fresh air is provided.

And one more important point: this design does not accumulate heat, so at night it will not heat, but cool the air in the room.This problem can be solved by covering the collector after sunset.

Video - Solar collector from aluminum cans

Solar collector on the roof

Using free solar heat is a modern approach to solving the problem of heating a house. Of course, it cannot yet replace traditional heat sources. But as an additional or alternative energy, using the sun is very beneficial. There have been talks about this for a long time, there are developments of systems and equipment, but for the mass consumer all this is not yet available, because it is too expensive. However, you can make an air-type solar collector with your own hands.

What is a solar collector anyway? This is a device that absorbs the sun's rays with their energy, which is converted into heat according to physical laws. And it's a sin not to use it.

Types of collectors

These devices are divided according to the emitted temperature:

• On the weak - with their help, a temperature of up to + 50C is generated.
• Medium - water warms up to + 80C, so they can be used for heating systems.
• High - this type is usually used only in industries.

There is another division, which is based on the elements that carry out heating:

• Cumulative.
• Flat.
• Liquid.
• Air.

We are interested in the latter view. It is the cheapest and easiest option to make. Therefore, such a collector is most often built by home craftsmen with their own hands.

Principle of operation

Any of the mentioned collectors consists of a light catcher and a battery. The latter is the very device that converts one type of energy into another. It is the battery that heats the coolant.

Three types of collectors are currently used - tube, flat and vacuum. In the construction of the first and third types, vacuum acts as thermal insulation. Air is removed from the device, which usually fills the annular space. But the peculiarity of this design is that the pipe system consists of two casings located one inside the other. And between them - a vacuum gap.

The convenience of the pipe scheme also lies in the fact that its sloping surface allows the sun's rays to constantly fall at an angle of 90 °. And this is the most efficient direction in which the maximum selection of solar energy occurs.

Normally, ordinary water is used as a heat carrier in installations. The unit itself can be single-circuit or double-circuit. No fuel is required, the equipment does not emit carbon monoxide, its design is very simple. These and several other advantages of solar collectors make them very tempting for organizing a home heating system.

We add that the efficiency of the solar collector is 80%. For a free system, this is a very decent result. And one more indicator. If you build an air solar collector with a size of 2x2 m with your own hands, then this device will heat 100 liters of water per day. But only if the sun generates energy of 4-5 kW / m². And this is the average solar activity in Russia.

DIY solar collector

Collectors and solar thermal systems

The simplest version of the air manifold is a box that houses a tubular radiator made of steel pipes. All walls of the box can be made, for example, from boards or plywood, chipboard or MDF, and the upper plane is thick glass. The radiator is connected to the heating circuit. It can be a pipe system passing through a barrel of water.

There are several very important conditions that must be strictly observed:

1. A galvanized sheet must be laid under the radiator, which completely covers the lower inner plane.
2. Both the radiator and the tin should be painted with black matte paint.
3. Mandatory external insulation with any insulation - polystyrene foam, mineral wool, polystyrene foam and others. A thick layer of heat insulator is laid under the metal sheet.
4. The box is painted white.
5. Complete sealing of joints is required, especially the perimeter along the laid glass.
6. The metal barrel is also thermally insulated.

Filling the system should be carried out from the lower point of the water supply, in order to avoid the formation of air pockets. It is necessary to install such a collector on a flat area. It is important here to accurately set the angle of inclination of the system in order to achieve maximum sunlight at a right angle. It is on this that the efficiency of the heating plane depends. In fact, it is not so important where the solar air collector will be placed - on the ground or on the roof. The main thing is to provide free access to sunlight.

Solar collector with heat pipe

Now a few words about what size the device should be. You can take as a basis the indicators that we mentioned above. It is sunlight, its intensity and the number of sunny days per year that are the basis of such a calculation. Experts also say that the collector can work as a seasonal unit, and maybe as a year-round.

What needs to be done for the second option?

• Increase the heating surface.
• Install a double circuit.
• Carry out the installation of two radiators.
• Reinforce thermal insulation.
• Use antifreeze as a coolant.

It is such a device that can work regardless of the weather, or the time of day, or the presence of the sun.

Conclusion on the topic

As you can see, building a simple air solar collector is not very difficult. Available materials are used here, and the design itself is quite simple. The difficulty lies in getting the calculations right. In addition, if the design turns out to be overall, then it will also not be so easy to assemble the elements.

gidotopleniya.ru

Making solar air collectors with your own hands

Solar air collectors are used for additional heating of residential or non-residential premises in the cold season, with the help of warm air, which is heated by the energy of the sun. In this section, you will learn how to make a solar air collector with your own hands from improvised materials and at minimal cost.

Solar air collector (heat generator) from beer aluminum cans

Materials for the manufacture of a solar air collector (heat generator) can be very diverse, but the cheapest and most effective option, this using aluminum cans for beer or drinks.

Using a solar air collector to heat a chicken coop in winter

Heating the chicken coop should be efficient and economical, and if desired heating costs can be reduced by using solar energy. And all you need to do is to build a simple solar air collector on the wall of the chicken coop.

Compact, window, solar air collector

If desired, you can make a more practical solar air collector, which can be removed at any moment and sent to the pantry, and any housewife can handle this without resorting to male power.

How to make a window solar air collector for heating apartments

Let's not forget that the design of solar air collectors is quite flexible, and they are quite possible adapt for heating apartments, of all, then, you need to install it in the window opening. Although you should not flatter yourself, you can use such a design only if your windows face south.

Solar Air Collector from Ceiling Light Housing

I think a lot of people have seen these horrible ceiling lights (metal boxes) that were used in factories. Even now they can be found in some industrial premises. But on the other hand, enterprises are modernizing, making repairs, and these lamps, dozens, or even hundreds, are thrown into scrap metal, which, in turn, under the slogan “ useful in business were taken away by workers.

It is possible that a similar lamp was lying around in your household, which has not found its application. But there is a use for such a lamp, and it can serve for heating your home, utility room or greenhouse.

Construction of a solar air collector with an area of ​​9 sq.m.

When building solar air collectors, there is one simple pattern, namely, the larger the collector area, the more efficient it works, which means it can heat more area.

500W Corrugated Duct Solar Air Collector

With the advent of cold weather, everyone thinks about heating their homes, utility rooms, greenhouses, etc., but every year energy prices are constantly growing, and the largest expense item in the cold season is for heating. However, this item of expenditure can be reduced if, as additional heating, use the free energy of the sun, using a simple device - solar air collector, which can do it yourself.

Solar air collector from an old door

The solar air collector is such a flexible design that if you understand its principle of operation, then it can be made from anything, even from old trash, which is actually what will be discussed. And if the appearance does not bother you (for example, it will be used for heating a greenhouse), then for making solar air collector, you can use an old door frame with a door that may have been lying around in the bins after repair.

How to make a solar air collector from downpipes 2

The main disadvantage of a solar air collector is that it must be installed on the wall of the house on the south side, and it often happens that just the south side of the house is the front. Accordingly, so that the solar air collector does not spoil the facade of the house, it is necessary to make it so that it fits into the exterior of the house or is imperceptible and merged with the foundation of the house.

How to make a solar air collector from downpipes

If the house is large, then there will be little sense from a small air collector (it will only be enough to heat one room), so if possible, you can build a large collector.

Do-it-yourself solar air collector from corrugated board

You can build a simpler version DIY air manifold, which will not take you a lot of time, labor and money. To install this collector, only one hole in the wall is required to exhaust hot air, cold (fresh) air will be supplied from the street.

This section is constantly updated with new information. DIY solar air collectors and if you want to be the first to know about the news, subscribe to the free newsletter.

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Homemade solar collectors

The use of solar energy for home heating is good for everyone, except that these systems are very expensive. But many systems, with at least relatively “direct” hands, desire, time and a certain amount of money, are quite simply implemented independently. Consider several options for thermal collectors made by craftsmen with their own hands.

DIY air solar collector

It will not be possible to use air collectors of any design as the main heating: the efficiency is too low. And all because the heat capacity of air is many times less than water. But as an additional source of heat to reduce heating costs - it is quite possible.

This air collector occupies the entire south wall. Fortunately, it goes out into the backyard and is not shaded by anything. Let's just say: it turned out well in terms of efficiency. At a daytime temperature of +2 o C, the air outlet was +65 o C.

So, we clean, level, attach a black dense film (from 100 to 200 microns) to the entire surface of the wall. For a better effect, you can fill the thermal insulation under the film, so the heating will be even more significant. But without insulation, the wall will serve as a heat accumulator, so it’s possible that way.

How to make an air manifold for heating (click on photo to enlarge)

At the top right and left we make two holes through which air will be exchanged. We fill the bars along the contour of each of them. We fasten the bars (20 * 40 mm) along the perimeter of the wall, and at a distance of about 80 cm from the bottom and top across the wall. Based on operating experience, we can already say that it is better not to make the transverse intermediate bars solid, but to leave gaps of 15-20 cm. You will get a kind of labyrinth. We attach plugs for the selected corrugated profile to the lower and upper bars.

Now we install corrugated sheets painted black on the assembled frame. Color can be a problem - we don't have that for sale. But you can get out of the situation by painting the surface with black heat-resistant paint.

For fastening sheets of corrugated board and at the same time, for the installation of a labyrinth, it is necessary to nail vertical strips at the junction of sheets. Only they should not reach the crossbars. So the air will move more freely and the efficiency of its heating will increase.

It's almost final

Having fixed the sheets of corrugated board, all joints need to be well sealed. Lay pieces of expanded polystyrene on the sides, tightly fill the cracks with something, cover it all with sealant. Do the same up and down. With the joints of the sheets, everything is a little simpler: we fill it with sealant. Black sealant, more of a color match, but it's heat resistant, expensive. And those that are cheaper - red. Probably, you can fill everything with silicone, but in this case black is used.

Now we fill the glass frame on top of the corrugated board. The larger the sheet of glass, the greater its thickness must be taken. This is not very good from a financial point of view. In addition, thick glass has less light transmission. Therefore, we assemble the grate under not very large fragments of glass. Too small pieces are also not good: a lot of joints. A lot of joints - it means that heat can flow through them, and besides, the seams take away the usable area through which the sun enters our air collector. So that the bars do not spoil the picture, and also serve the common cause of collecting heat, we paint them black.

We attach glass to the finished and dried grate (you can use transparent plastic, but you need to make sure that it transmits light well). Normal glass thickness is 3-5 mm. All joints are sealed with silicone sealant. It was not possible to evenly distribute the sealant, because everything is also sealed with black tape. Although, probably in vain. But it turned out beautiful. It remains only to assemble the air duct. There is nothing complicated here: attach a corrugated sleeve or assemble a tin structure, attach a fan to it. In this version, a channel was used, and it had to be fixed using pieces from an old bicycle inner tube. That's all, do-it-yourself air collector for heating is assembled.

Flat solar collector from a hose

Everyone, probably, noticed that the water in the hose left in the sun heats up very much. And it can be used to heat hot water. In summer, this way you can heat the water in the pool or for the house. In winter, unfortunately, nothing will come of it, but the idea is obscenely simple.

Some people manage to heat water in a black pipe, twisted like a snake (click on the picture to enlarge it)

Just roll the black (mandatory) hose into a flat coil, secure it in some way, and mount it on the roof. Some craftsmen manage to lay it out simply on tiles, others make small cassettes from thin sheet metal or plywood. The cassettes are painted black, and a hose is already fixed on them. You can fix it by any available method. Even with single latches, even with tape, you can use metal tape and self-tapping screws. Fasteners are any, but reliable - the system works with a pump, so the pressure will be serious.

Methods for fixing pipes for those who like this idea (click on the picture to enlarge it)

Several of these cassettes are placed on the roof. Lead the ends into two combs: the supply one, where cold water will flow and the outlet, where it will be already heated. A circulation pump is installed on the supply pipeline. Everything seems to be clear with the system. Just keep in mind that there will be a decent amount of water in each such cassette: do not overload the roof.

Here is another option in the video format of a homemade solar collector. To heat the house in winter, it will need to be improved, but for the spring or autumn version, this one works well.

Do-it-yourself thermal collector

There are a lot of ideas and various modifications of home-made solar collectors. This is another one. Slightly modified version of the above. Here, tubes are fixed on an extensive sheet of thick plywood. The plywood is pre-painted black. The pipes are inflexible, therefore fittings are used, the laying pattern is a snake. It took a lot of time to assemble. It's all about the right connection. For use with natural circulation, the circuit is too long, so the installation of a circulation pump is mandatory.

This flat-plate collector requires patience: connecting pipes on fittings

All these homemade solar collectors are easy to make and do not cost much. But all designs are perfect, but these are working models. In each of them, you can change what seems wrong to you, and then with every right to say that you not only made this solar collector model with your own hands, but also improved it yourself.

DIY air solar collector

Andrey Shukalin, a resident of Blagoveshchensk, an economist by training, figured out how to reduce heating costs. His invention is suitable for those who have stove, electric heating, as well as central heating with heat meters. He created a device that he called an air solar collector. Andrey assembled the device at his own house and has already tested it for efficiency and economy. Blagoveshchensk inventor dreams of patenting his invention and starting its mass production.

“Maximum efficiency when the sun is opposite the collector. It is optimally located on the south side vertically on the wall. On the south side of the facade, the house,” Andrey explains. He made many calculations: direct and diffuse solar radiation, thermal power in terms of electricity. In winter, the sun is low on the horizon. On a vertical surface, its heat reaches the maximum. There is maximum heat transfer. In January - for nine hours, in March - for seven, the inventor shares his observations.

The collector consists of modules, the area of ​​​​each is about half a square meter. “Inside the modules there is a void and an air channel is made through which the air passes, pumped by the pump. It passes through it and goes where we need it. There is a protective top film. It prevents the already heated air from cooling down under the influence of the climate, because it is cold in winter, ”explains the designer.

Andrey Shukalin came up with the idea to create an air solar collector because of the desire to save money. He wanted to cut his own costs for electric heating, while not freezing, but heating his house normally. The device, according to his idea, was to be inexpensive, not bulky, but effective. Andrei did not find such devices on the Internet. The option with conventional solar panels was unacceptable for him. He wanted to heat the air directly, and not the water, the stove, the system. Only air and the most economical and environmentally friendly.

At first he assembled a small structure, it turned out to be so effective that it even melted a little from the hot air. Then Andrei improved the model and assembled an updated version of the collector on the wall of his house. It is efficient but stationary. The inventor considers this a minus - it cannot be disassembled, transferred. And it is difficult to mount a stationary air solar collector in winter. Almost impossible. Now Andrey Shukalin is demonstrating a mobile sample - a separate module that can be manufactured in any workshop and assembled on the building that is planned to be heated.

With his invention, Andrei, and he has electric heating in his house, has already wintered. The efficiency and environmental friendliness of a closed system, as well as the savings from the use of an air solar collector, as they say, I experienced directly for myself. On heating, he says, it turned out to save from 135 to 220 rubles daily. At the same time, the consumption of electricity by the installation itself cost only 1 ruble per day.

“Efficiently heated the house. My house is warm, even though the electricity consumption is low. My nightly electricity consumption has decreased and the house has become just warm. Even in December, in January, I came home from work in the evening, I had confident 30 degrees at home. Then my friends watched it all, did it in Verkhneblagoveshchensky - in the same residential building. The second floor is completely heated, without heating otherwise. It heats a large area - 20 square meters. There lived a man this year. In winter, it was enough. Well, there has never been a person who, looking at this, would say that this is a bad idea. Everyone is interested. Someone wants a garage for himself, someone wants a house, someone wants a cottage, someone wants a warehouse, a hangar is planning. Something there invents, thinks how to do it. It's summer now, now no one is freezing, it will all be closer to autumn. A lot of interested people. Yes, a lot,” says Andrei.

The Annunciator filed an application to patent his invention. The application was accepted. He hopes to receive a utility model certificate this summer. Improve the collector. For example, equip it with thermal sensors that will automatically turn the device on and off depending on weather changes. And then - to start mass production of air solar collectors. He is convinced that his invention will be in demand.

“The cost per square meter in this case is about two, two and a half thousand. That is, when calculating, it turned out that this system pays off in a season and a half. But a season and a half cannot be heating. Two seasons. Analogues are solar collectors that heat water, they pay off for about six years. Which produce electricity - about eight years. Windmills are also eight years old,” explains the inventor.

Andrei Shukalin admits that his work, which now brings him a stable income, has nothing to do with design, inventions and the introduction of advanced technologies. He is a middle manager who received a specialty that was popular in the 90s, but since childhood he has been striving for something else. He dreams of creating.

“I graduated from AmSU, I have higher education. Entered in 1999. Then there was no alternative but to become an engineer. But there has always been a hobby - to design, invent, build something. As a hobby, he has already built two houses - for himself and for his father. I invent these collectors. There are still plenty of ideas. And I want to turn my hobby into a profession in order to be a happy person,” Andrey Shukalin shared.

He became the hero of the Eureka program from the Urban Stories series. The program aired on the Alpha Channel. You can also view it in full on the Amur.info website.

Andrey Shukalin is not the only one who creates devices that allow savings through the use of free solar energy. Krasnodar resident Nikolai Driga also built a real thermal power plant with his own hands, operating from several renewable sources at once.

DIY air solar collectors

Using inexpensive materials at hand and simple equipment, you can assemble an efficient air solar collector. for home heating.

The device works on a simple principle: the black surface absorbs solar heat and releases it to the air. As long as the sun shines on the collector, the absorber heats the cold home air blown by the fans. Already heated air returns to the room - thanks to such ventilation, the temperature in the room gradually rises.

An air solar collector is usually installed on the roof or on the south wall of the house, after making four holes with a diameter of about 10 cm, explains Yury Dudikevich, candidate of technical sciences, author of numerous publications on energy saving and the book "Energy Saving Cottages".

“Through the lower openings in the wall, cool home air will be supplied to the collector, heated up and returned back to the room through the upper openings,” explains the specialist. “Return valves are installed at the outlet of the collector, which block the movement of air when the fans are turned off.”

According to the expert's calculations, an air solar collector allows you to get 1.5 kWh of thermal energy per square meter of area. “For example, 10 collectors with an area of ​​two meters each can produce 30 kWh on a sunny day,” explains the Ukrainian engineer. – In December, when the outdoor air temperature reached -6 ° C, the total output thermal energy of the collector during a sunny day (7:00) was 6 kWh, and the efficiency was at least 50%, and in October the efficiency of the device rose to 75%.

Warm air from a solar heater is best directed under the floor, the expert advises. “This can be arranged using flat rectangular air ducts 30 centimeters wide and 5 centimeters high,” explains Yury Dudikevich. “You can make them yourself from galvanized sheet, and they also have a larger surface area than round pipes, and therefore give off heat better.”

At the same time, it is necessary to wrap the channels and the floor in thermal insulation, the specialist notes, adding that natural insulation made of lime and flax or hemp bonfires has excellent properties.

The air solar collector can be used not only for heating the house, but also for heating greenhouses, drying unheated rooms, drying fruits and vegetables, as well as wood in spring, summer and autumn.

According to the expert, the air collector is the cheapest means of heating a house. “At least 4,000 euros must be paid for a water solar system, and an air analogue, which is not inferior in efficiency, can be made with your own hands for 100 euros,” notes Yury Dudikevich. “Thanks to the available materials, such devices can be assembled even at labor lessons at school.”

To manufacture an air solar collector, you need basic knowledge, as well as materials and tools that can be bought at the nearest store or found on your own farm.

To make a solar air heater that can work in winter, you will need a wooden frame with a plywood bottom, insulating and reflective foil, metal sheet, blackened mesh and a sheet of transparent polycarbonate. In addition, two fans are needed, and two check valves are installed at the outlet of the collector.

The plywood bottom measuring 1500x1500 mm must be cut into two parts: 1050x1500 mm and 450x1050 mm (connected to each other with a bar with a section of 20x40 mm) and cut out four holes for the movement of ventilated air (you can use a panel saw).

In the bottom lined with an insulating film with heat-reflecting properties, it is necessary to drill two holes with a diameter of 10 cm from the bottom to take in cold domestic air and two holes from the top to remove hot air from the collector. “We will mount fans in the lower holes, with the help of which cold air will be drawn into the collector, and later we will install check valves on the upper ones, which will block the movement of air when the fans are turned off,” explains Yury Dudikevich.

Insulating the plywood bottom of the frame with an insulating and reflective film helps to reduce the heat loss of the collector. The aluminized film reflects the heat rays that come from the heated absorber.

The main element of the collector is the absorber, which is a black-painted metal sheet.

A metal mesh is nailed to the inside of the absorber, which changes the structure of the air flow created by the fans, and this entire structure is mounted to the collector frame.

“The cold domestic air drawn into the collector moves along the grid, warms up and becomes temperature uniform,” explains Yury Dudikevich.

“Two Domovent VKO-100 fans create an air flow of 200 m3/h,” the expert explains. “The power of one fan is 14 W with daytime solar inflows to the collector from 3 kWh or more.”

To install the air collector, four holes with a diameter of 10 cm must be drilled in the wall.

And finally, to reduce heat loss, we cover the absorber with a sheet of transparent polycarbonate, which has a protective film against harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Video: how to assemble an air manifold with your own hands from beer cans

Project concept

The essence of the solar collector is that cold water from the tank flows by gravity into the collector. The heated water rises through the channels and flows back into the tank. Thus, natural circulation is created in a closed system.
The collector is made of a sheet of polycarbonate or other plastic with hollow squares inside, running along. To increase the absorption of sunlight and increase the performance of the collector (the rate of water heating), the plastic can be painted black. But here it is important to remember that the sheet is made of rather thin polycarbonate, therefore, with strong heating in the absence of circulation, it can soften or deform, which will lead to water leaks.
It is also worth noting that this device is not suitable for installation in residential premises for the purpose of hot water supply. This experimental project is more suitable for summer shower equipment in a summer cottage.

Tools and materials

From the tools you will need:

• Circular and hand saw.
• Electric drill.
• Roulette.
• Screwdriver.
• Gun for silicone glue.
• Construction stapler.

Collector materials:

• Polycarbonate sheet with hollow channels.
• ABS tube.
• 4 tube caps.
• 2 ½" threaded plastic nipples with hose fitting.
• Tube of silicone sealant.
• Spray can with paint, if staining is planned.

Frame materials:

• 1 sheet of plywood.
• Styrofoam sheet. You can also use styrofoam squares.
• Wooden beam with a section of 100 × 100 mm.
• Polyethylene film, adhesive tape.
• Bolts, nuts, washers, brackets for fastening.

Materials for organizing water circulation:

• Suitable tank or container for water.
• To connect the tank, you will need a garden hose, the length of which depends on the distance of the water tank from the collector itself.
• Several clamps for connecting the hose.

For clarity, testing the performance of a hot water collector, I used a digital thermometer.

Step-by-step technology for assembling a solar collector

First of all, you need to cut the polycarbonate sheet to the required dimensions. I planned to make a collector measuring 1x2 meters, and proceeded from this fact. The sequence of work is as follows:

In order for the sealant to dry well, the assembled structure must be left stationary for about a day, after which you can proceed to check the tightness. To do this, hoses are connected to the inlet and outlet adapter, one of which is connected to the water supply. After the collector is completely filled with water, all seams and connections are checked for leaks. If a leak is detected, the water is drained and after drying, the problematic connection is sealed again.
To be able to calculate the performance and efficiency of the collector, you need to know its volume. To do this, the water from the collector must be drained into a container. For example, my panel contains 7.2 liters (including hoses).

Frame manufacturing and panel assembly

In principle, the collector can already be used by laying it on a roof or other flat, fixed surface. But I decided to make a kind of housing for the plastic panel in order to reduce the likelihood of damage when lifting / lowering from the roof of the barn, in which I decided to equip a summer shower, since I think to remove it for the winter.
The phased assembly of the case is described below:

Thus, I received a thermal collector in a reliable "case", thanks to which the plastic panel is protected from mechanical stress.
Note! I used ordinary transparent polyethylene, but in the photo it looks like it is white - these are glare.

Filling the system

Now you can fill the collector with water and test the performance of the system. I installed it at an angle and the tank (empty) a little higher. One hose connects to the bottom fitting, the other to the top. To fill the system with water, I connected the lower hose to the water supply and opened the valve a little so that the system was filled with water gradually. This is necessary so that the water gradually displaces all the air. When water came out of the second hose (the collector was completely filled), I opened the valve all the way so that the remaining air would escape under the pressure of the water. I also filled the water tank.

When there were no more air bubbles in the flow of water coming out of the outlet hose, I turned off the water, and immersed both ends of the hose in water in the tank (they must always be under water so that air does not enter the system).

Solar water heater testing and testing

When the system is filled, under the action of solar heat, the water in the thin channels of the plastic panel heats up and gradually moves upwards, forming a natural circulation. Cold water enters from the tank through the lower hose, and heated in the collector enters the same tank through the upper hose. Gradually, the water in the tank heats up.

To illustrate the experiment, I used a digital thermometer with an external temperature sensor. First, I measured the temperature of the water in the tank - it was 23 ° C. Then I inserted the sensor into the outlet hose, through which the water heated in the collector enters the tank. The thermometer showed 50 °C. The solar water heating system works!

Conclusion

According to the results of testing the performance of the collector system for 1 hour, I received heating of 20.2 liters of water (7.2 liters in the collector itself and 13 liters I collected in the tank for the experiment) from 23 to 37 ° C.
Of course, the performance and efficiency of the system depends on solar activity: the brighter the sun shines, the hotter the water will heat up and you can heat up more volume in less time. But for a summer shower, I think this collector is quite enough.

Using free solar energy for heating and hot water at home is quite tempting. This can be done with the help of a solar installation, the main element of which is a solar collector. But one of the limiting factors in the use of solar plants is their relatively high cost. But you can make them yourself. Therefore, in this article we will talk about the principle of their work, types, as well as how to assemble and make a solar collector with your own hands for heating a house and providing it with hot water from various improvised materials.

The principle of operation and types of solar collectors

Solar collectors are heat exchangers that capture the energy of the sun and convert it, depending on their type, into the thermal energy of the liquid or air circulating in them. The liquid or air heated in the collector is used for hot water supply or home heating directly or through additional heat exchangers, for example, through indirect heating boilers. The main task of any such collector is to "catch" as much solar energy as possible and transfer it to the coolant circulating in it with the least loss.

Types of solar collectors

By the type of coolant circulating and heated in them, solar collectors can be:

• liquid;
• Air.

According to the design features and type of heat exchange surface, they can be:

• in the form of a container;
• Pipe;
• flat;
• Vacuum.

Liquid solar collectors, as their name suggests, are filled with a liquid that circulates and heats up in them. It can be ordinary water or non-freezing liquid (antifreeze). In the first case, heated water can be supplied directly to the hot water supply system, to a storage tank or to an indirect heating boiler, and in the second case, only to the boiler. Such collectors can be used both for providing the house with hot water and for heating it. It all depends on the power of the solar plant.

Air solar collectors are mainly used for home heating. Cold air from the room is supplied to such a collector, heated there and fed back into the room using natural or forced circulation.

Most of these types of solar collectors can be made by yourself. Having shown your imagination, you can use various improvised materials for their manufacture: plastic or metal containers, pipes, hoses, used radiators and even beer cans. Below, we will look at several designs of solar collectors that you can make yourself using these and other improvised materials.

Solar collector made of metal or plastic container

The simplest solar collector can be made by hand from a metal or plastic container with a volume of 50-100 liters. This is the so-called summer shower, which is quite common in rural areas and cottages.

Solar collector for heating water from metal barrels

The best metal version of such a collector would be a stainless steel container painted black on the outside. True, the cost of such a new capacity is quite high. Therefore, you can use used containers. For example, weld a tank from two stainless containers from old washing machines. You can also use ferrous metal containers, galvanized or painted with waterproof paint. Plastic containers are good because they are lightweight and do not corrode, but they are short-lived, as plastic does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation.

The barrel is installed on the south side of the roof of the house or directly above the summer shower. If the barrel is not hermetic, then the supply of cold and the intake of heated is carried out from below. The pressure of warm water at the point of intake will be determined by the installation height and the water level in the barrel. It is filled with cold water, which is heated for some time, and then used.

If the barrel is airtight, then cold water is supplied from below, and warm water is taken from above. Such a container is connected to a cold water supply system (pumping station) and when heated water is taken into the barrel, cold water enters from the system, displacing the warm water to the upper part.

The advantage of such a solar collector is its simplicity. It is easy to do it yourself. If the barrel is cylindrical, then it is well lit by the sun's rays throughout the day.

The disadvantages of this design:

• It can only be used in the warm season;
• ineffective in windy weather and when the sun is covered by clouds;
• Large inertia - relatively long-term heating of water;
• Water heated during the day cools down at night.

How to make and assemble a solar collector from metal pipes

A simple and effective solar collector can be made by hand from thin-walled metal tubes: steel, copper or aluminum. It is a tubular heat exchanger (radiator), which is placed in a heat-insulated box made of boards, plywood or chipboard.

The best material for the manufacture of a solar collector radiator is certainly copper. It has excellent heat transfer and is not subject to corrosion. But this material is quite expensive. Aluminum tubes, although cheaper than copper tubes, can be difficult to weld.

The cheapest and easiest way to make a heat exchanger is from steel pipes. They can be welded using a conventional welding machine. For the manufacture of such a radiator, steel pipes with a diameter of ½ - 1 ″ can be used. At the same time, pipes of a larger diameter and with a greater wall thickness are used to supply cold and discharge heated water, and for the heat exchanger itself, pipes of a smaller diameter and with a smaller wall thickness are used.

Scheme of a solar collector radiator from pipes

The dimensions of the solar collector radiator, and therefore the length of the pipes, depend on the required power. But if you make it too big and bulky, then it may be difficult to assemble and install it. Therefore, it is best if its dimensions are within: width - 0.8-1 m, and height 1.5-1.6 m. The power of such a collector will be in the range of 1.2-1.4 kW. If you need to increase the power of the solar plant, then you can make several of these collectors and connect them together.

In this case, for the manufacture of a solar collector radiator, we need two thick-walled pipes with a diameter of ¾ - 1 ", 0.8-1 m long and 12-18 thin-walled tubes with a diameter of ½ - ¾" and a length of 1.5-1.6 m.

In thick-walled pipes that will serve to supply and drain water, holes are drilled for thin-walled pipes of smaller diameter in increments of 3-4.5 cm. One end of such a pipe is muffled, and a thread is welded or cut into it to the other.

The pipes are welded into one radiator design and painted with black matte paint.

Now you need to make a heat-insulated box for the radiator. To do this, you can use moisture-resistant plywood, chipboard, OSB or edged boards. But waterproof plywood (FSF) would be best.

The dimensions of the box are calculated taking into account the dimensions of the radiator, the insulation layer and the gaps between them. The height of the sides of the box should take into account the thickness of the insulation, the pipes themselves, as well as their distance from the bottom and the glass or polycarbonate covering the box (10-12 mm). In the upper end of the sides, a selection (groove) is made for glass or polycarbonate. Holes are made in one of the side boards for water inlet and outlet pipes. The elements of the box in one design are connected using self-tapping screws.

As a heater, you can take expanded polystyrene, ordinary (polystyrene) or extruded, as well as mineral wool with a density of at least 25. A layer of insulation (at least 5 cm) is mounted on the inside on the bottom and on the sides of the box. A sheet of galvanized metal or a layer of thick foil is laid on top of it, which are also painted matte black.

The radiator is fixed in the box with the help of clamps or clips, the presence of which must be provided at the stage of manufacturing the box. The location and dimensions of the clamps depend on the design of the radiator and the size of the pipes.

From above the box is covered with glass or polycarbonate. The cover is placed in the grooves (sample) and securely fastened. All joints are sealed.

The solar collector is ready. It must be installed on the south side of the house with a slope of 35-45 ⁰ to the horizon. On its basis, it is possible to manufacture a solar plant, which includes a heat-insulated warm water storage tank with a capacity of 100-200 liters or an indirect heating boiler.

Installing a prefabricated solar collector

Collector made of plastic or metal-plastic pipes

A do-it-yourself solar collector can also be made using plastic HDPE or PP pipes. Although the heat transfer of plastic is 13-15% less than that of metal, it is much cheaper than copper and does not corrode like black steel.

To make a simple do-it-yourself solar collector, HDPE pipes with a diameter of 13-20 mm can be laid in a box in the form of a spiral, fixed with clamps and painted black.

Variant of a solar collector made of plastic HDPE pipes

Polypropylene pipes bend poorly, but they are easy to connect by soldering using special fittings. Underwater pipes (horizontal collectors) can be made from PP pipes with a diameter of 25 mm, and the heat exchanger itself from pipes with a diameter of 20 mm. We paint the finished radiator of the solar collector black and mount it in a box, which is made in the same way as in the version with metal pipes.

You can also make a radiator for a solar collector from metal-plastic pipes. At the same time, they can be connected using fittings, in the same way as PP pipes, or laid in zigzags ("snake") or in the form of a spiral. The second option is easier. But it must be remembered that the bending radius of metal-plastic pipes should not be less than 7 pipe diameters.

Variant of a solar collector made of metal-plastic pipes

Solar collector from refrigerator radiator

If you have a radiator from an old refrigerator, then you can also use it to make a solar collector with your own hands. To do this, it is necessary to thoroughly rinse it to clean it of remnants of freon. During flushing, you should also check its tightness - for leaks. If they are, these places must be sealed with cold welding or soldered.

Radiator from an old fridge

The radiator itself must be painted with black matte paint.

It is also necessary to provide a way to connect the inlet and outlet pipes to the solar storage tank or other elements, depending on its type. To do this, for example, you can solder threads of the required size at the ends of the tubes or stretch rubber hoses, securing them with clamps.

The thus prepared solar collector radiator is fastened with clamps in a heat-insulated box, made according to its dimensions. The box itself can be made in the same way as in the previous cases.

Air solar collectors for home heating

In addition to the solar collectors described above, in which the liquid is heated using solar energy, you can make your own structures in which the air is heated. Such a solar collector can be used for additional heating of the house. Cold air from the room is fed into its heat exchanger, heated there and fed back into the room.

The heat exchanger for such a solar plant can be made of sheet metal, thin-walled metal pipes, and even cans of beer or other drinks. We will consider the designs of such collectors in another article of this section.

How I made a solar collector with my own hands: Video