Question:
Does anyone have plans or ideas for a passive solar air heater? I would like to put together a system which has: -a panel standing up against the southern side of the house (maybe 8′ x 8′) -insulated air duct to bring house air into the panel bottom and return heated air to the house. -no moving parts. The natural convection would move the air. The amount of radiant solar energy hitting the panel is a given. Should it matter whether you use a liquid or gas (air) to move this energy from the panel into the home? I don’t want to store the energy in a high heat capacity medium… just want to bring it into the home as quickly as it is captured. Thanks! Please copy any responses to my e-mail as well.
Response:
http://www.webconx.com/2000/solar/solar.htm — Steve Spence Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter: http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm Renewable Energy Pages – http://www.webconx.com Palm Pilot Pages – http://www.webconx.com/palm X10 Home Automation – http://www.webconx.com/x10 (212) 894-3704 x3154 – voicemail/fax We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. —
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Does anyone have plans or ideas for a passive solar air heater? > I would like to put together a system which has: > -a panel standing up against the southern side of the house (maybe 8′ x 8′) > -insulated air duct to bring house air into the panel bottom and return heated > air to the house. > -no moving parts. The natural convection would move the air. > The amount of radiant solar energy hitting the panel is a given. Should it > matter whether you use a liquid or gas (air) to move this energy from the panel > into the home? I don’t want to store the energy in a high heat capacity > medium… just want to bring it into the home as quickly as it is captured. > Thanks! Please copy any responses to my e-mail as well.
Response:
Condensation in air collectors is not a problem; it evaporates in the first half-hour of use on the next sunny day. It occurs only on the glazing, near the bottom, and doesn’t last long enough to support any microbial life. If the collector is configured to discourage anti-thermosyphoning (nighttime flow), or there is a backdraft damper, the condensation is minimized. Also, I think the low surface area of the polished glazing is not condusive to bacterial colonization. The topic title begs the question why one would use a passive (thermosyphon) setup, if electrical power is available; a fan about doubles the output. The increased return overwhelms the cost. -Bill Kreamer
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Does anyone have plans or ideas for a passive solar air heater? >I would like to put together a system which has: >-a panel standing up against the southern side of the house (maybe 8′ x 8′) >-insulated air duct to bring house air into the panel bottom and return > heated >air to the house. >-no moving parts. The natural convection would move the air. > In the past, somebody posted here with a very good suggestion for passive air > heating. He suggested using HVAC furnace filters — you know, the blue ones > you’re supposed to replace every few months. Paint them black and use them > as > the absorber. They tolerate the heat, and have tremendous surface area > contact > with the air passsing through, so they transfer the heat well. I don’t > remember > if this person was using forced-air or natural convection, but i imagine that > if you weren’t using a blower, the filter would slow down your current (along > with providing very warm air). >The amount of radiant solar energy hitting the panel is a given. Should it >matter whether you use a liquid or gas (air) to move this energy from the > panel >into the home? I don’t want to store the energy in a high heat capacity >medium… just want to bring it into the home as quickly as it is captured. > Hopefully the others on the group can give you more specifics. As far as i > know, so long as your transportation losses are low and all you’re doing is > heating air, it’s best to just stick with using the air as your working > fluid. > Simpler is usually better. > Make sure you consider the complications that arise with condensation. When > outside temps are low, you’ll get condensation on the inside of your > collector’s > glazing. This moisture could lead to mold, etc., which would then be uncool > if > you circulated those spores through the house. (esp. if you have allergies). > It may behoove you to look into using a dessicant to dry out the air before > it > returns to the collector. > Hope i helped. > As always comments are welcome, corrections encouraged. > jerud > —– Posted via NewsOne.Net: Free (anonymous) Usenet News via the eb —– > http://newsone.net/ — Free reading and anonymous posting to 60,000+ groups > NewsOne.Net prohibits users from posting spam. If this or other posts > made through NewsOne.Net violate posting guidelines, email
Response:
http://www.webconx.com/2000/solar/solar.htm I’ve put up plans and guidelines for the design of solar air heaters. — Steve Spence Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter: http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm Renewable Energy Pages – http://www.webconx.com Palm Pilot Pages – http://www.webconx.com/palm X10 Home Automation – http://www.webconx.com/x10 (212) 894-3704 x3154 – voicemail/fax We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. —
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Condensation in air collectors is not a problem; it evaporates in the first > half-hour of use on the next sunny day. It occurs only on the glazing, near > the bottom, and doesn’t last long enough to support any microbial life. If > the collector is configured to discourage anti-thermosyphoning (nighttime > flow), or there is a backdraft damper, the condensation is minimized. Also, > I think the low surface area of the polished glazing is not condusive to > bacterial colonization. > The topic title begs the question why one would use a passive (thermosyphon) > setup, > if electrical power is available; a fan about doubles the output. The > increased return overwhelms the cost. > -Bill Kreamer > >Does anyone have plans or ideas for a passive solar air heater? > >I would like to put together a system which has: > >-a panel standing up against the southern side of the house (maybe 8′ x > 8′) > >-insulated air duct to bring house air into the panel bottom and return > heated > >air to the house. > >-no moving parts. The natural convection would move the air. > In the past, somebody posted here with a very good suggestion for passive > air > heating. He suggested using HVAC furnace filters — you know, the blue > ones > you’re supposed to replace every few months. Paint them black and use > them > as > the absorber. They tolerate the heat, and have tremendous surface area > contact > with the air passsing through, so they transfer the heat well. I don’t > remember > if this person was using forced-air or natural convection, but i imagine > that > if you weren’t using a blower, the filter would slow down your current > (along > with providing very warm air). > >The amount of radiant solar energy hitting the panel is a given. Should > it > >matter whether you use a liquid or gas (air) to move this energy from the > panel > >into the home? I don’t want to store the energy in a high heat capacity > >medium… just want to bring it into the home as quickly as it is > captured. > Hopefully the others on the group can give you more specifics. As far as > i > know, so long as your transportation losses are low and all you’re doing > is > heating air, it’s best to just stick with using the air as your working > fluid. > Simpler is usually better. > Make sure you consider the complications that arise with condensation. > When > outside temps are low, you’ll get condensation on the inside of your > collector’s > glazing. This moisture could lead to mold, etc., which would then be > uncool > if > you circulated those spores through the house. (esp. if you have > allergies). > It may behoove you to look into using a dessicant to dry out the air > before > it > returns to the collector. > Hope i helped. > As always comments are welcome, corrections encouraged. > jerud > —– Posted via NewsOne.Net: Free (anonymous) Usenet News via the > eb —– > http://newsone.net/ — Free reading and anonymous posting to 60,000+ > groups > NewsOne.Net prohibits users from posting spam. If this or other posts > made through NewsOne.Net violate posting guidelines, email
Response:
http://www.webconx.com/2000/solar/solar.htm complete with diagrams, rules of thumb, and parts lists. — Steve Spence Subscribe to the Renewable Energy Newsletter: http://www.webconx.com/subscribe.htm Renewable Energy Pages – http://www.webconx.com Palm Pilot Pages – http://www.webconx.com/palm X10 Home Automation – http://www.webconx.com/x10 (212) 894-3704 x3154 – voicemail/fax We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. —
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Does anyone have plans or ideas for a passibe solar air heater? > I would like to put together a system which has: > -a panel standing up against the southern side of the house (maybe 8′ x 8′) > -insulated air duct to bring house air into the panel bottom and return heated > air to the house. > -no moving parts. The natural convection would move the air. > The amount of radiant solar energy hitting the panel is a given. Should it > matter whether you use a liquid or gas (air) to move this energy from the panel > into the home? I don’t want to store the energy in a high heat capacity > medium… just want to bring it into the home as quickly as it is captured. > Thanks! Please copy any responses to my e-mail as well.
Response:
Does anyone have plans or ideas for a passibe solar air heater? I would like to put together a system which has: -a panel standing up against the southern side of the house (maybe 8′ x 8′) -insulated air duct to bring house air into the panel bottom and return heated air to the house. -no moving parts. The natural convection would move the air. The amount of radiant solar energy hitting the panel is a given. Should it matter whether you use a liquid or gas (air) to move this energy from the panel into the home? I don’t want to store the energy in a high heat capacity medium… just want to bring it into the home as quickly as it is captured. Thanks! Please copy any responses to my e-mail as well.
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