The life of a modern person is difficult to imagine without the use of energy. Traditionally, energy sources are oil, gas, coal. However, in nature, the reserves of fossil fuels are limited, and the day is not far off when they are exhausted. In order to avoid an energy crisis, scientists around the world are actively developing technologies based on alternative, renewable energy sources, such as solar heat, wind and water movement in rivers, seas and oceans, tidal energy of sea waves. In many countries of the world, the use of various plants that turn solar energy into heat is gradually increasing.
Alternative energy of the sun
The issue of economical heating of a greenhouse or home, the supply of hot water and many other aspects of life support often confront the owners of real estate far from the city limits, deprived of the opportunity to enjoy the benefits of civilization. Traditional stove heating involves a supply of fuel, and this means, and a considerable territory. If gas or diesel fuel is used for heating, special containers and a safe place for storage are required, as well as a special supply system. Coal and firewood need to be stored in a large barn.
In such situations, homeowners are increasingly turning to the use of inexhaustible solar energy every year. Special installations that collect and convert light rays into heat are quite acceptable for Russian cloudy winters. Even on a relatively gloomy day, the solar oven copes with heating the country house. In addition, the use of solar energy is absolutely silent and does not produce toxic emissions into the atmosphere.
Types of Solar Heaters
Constantly developing technologies allow the use of various models of collectors that accumulate the energy of the sun even at subzero temperatures and in cloudy weather. The availability of information allows you to independently choose the appropriate model or make a solar furnace with your own hands. Today, solar collectors are represented by three main types:
- Flat.
- Vacuum free.
- By air.
Having familiarized themselves with the principles of their work, the features of installation and efficiency, it is easy to choose a suitable model of a solar furnace for heating a house.
Flat collectors
The most common and economical flat panels consist of an aluminum frame covered with a special dark glass that protects the structure from rain and possible damage. Inside for circulation of the heat carrier copper tubes are mounted. And the free space of the panel is filled with receiving and retaining heat material. So that solar energy is not wasted on heating the roof, the panel is equipped with thermal insulation. Today, these models are considered the most effective for the Russian climate.
Vacuum Heaters
Vacuum collectors work like a thermos and consist of a two-layer system of tubes filled with vacuum. Dark glass inner tubes are filled with coolant. Covered with a silicone layer, they absorb infrared radiation and the heat of the sun, and the vacuum is absolute, preserving 95% of the energy received, a heat insulator. Even at very low temperatures, this type of solar furnace is very effective.
Air models
Less commonly used are air collectors that heat the air entering the interior of the house. The principle of operation of such a device is based on the greenhouse effect, that is, through a light-conducting coating, infrared rays are accumulated in a heat receiver that transfers the received solar energy to a portion of the air entering the house. They are easy to install, economical, but not very effective, since air conducts heat worse than liquids.
The effectiveness of such equipment depends on the intensity of sunlight, the size of the structure used and proper installation. For example, flat and vacuum manifolds are mounted only on pitched roofs. The panel of a large solar furnace with an area of 20 m2 provides constant high-quality heating of a one-story country house.
The principle of operation of the solar heater
An autonomous heating system, which operates through the processing of solar energy, includes three main components in its design:
- A collector that converts direct sunlight into energy that heats the coolant (water or antifreeze).
- Piping system (heat exchange circuit) for the circulation of the coolant passing through the battery.
- Heat accumulator. As a rule, a tank with water heating up for the future is used as a heat accumulator .
The mechanism of operation of the solar oven is simple: in the collector tubes, the coolant heats up and passes through the storage circuit along the heat exchange circuit. The water heated in the tank is supplied to the radiators of the heating system of the house, the heat exchange circuit of the heated floor, or used in hot water supply, for example, for showering or washing dishes.
DIY solar furnace installation
Today, China is the leader in the production and use of alternative power supply systems. This country accounts for 78% of the global volume of solar systems put into operation. In today's market, Chinese manufacturers offer solar collectors of good quality and at economical prices. Since solar heating is designed for 25-30 years of operation, heat transfer panels are recommended to be purchased from trusted manufacturers, and the system can be installed independently.
Solar radiators are located on the roof surface or deepen into the roof structure with the front side to the south side. The area of the panels ranges from 2 to 8 m
2 and in one heating system there can be several elements interconnected by tubes. From the solar collector to the radiators of the heating system of the house and to the heat accumulator, tubes are passed through the roof surface. All joints must be sealed. The system is filled with coolant and put into operation. An ideal tilt angle for installing a solar stove is considered to be 35
o , although many manufacturers recommend 15-20
o . Before self-installation, it is advisable to consult a company representative. Fearing of breaking up or poorly installing expensive equipment due to little experience in such work, it is better to entrust the installation of a solar collector to professionals.
How to make a solar oven
An elementary solar collector can be constructed in a very short time and at minimal cost. How? Making a solar oven with your own hands is simple: shiny galvanized sheets of iron are fixed on the southern slope of the roof and a barrel of 150-200 liters is installed on them. The water supplied to it can warm up to 60 ° C. The disadvantage of this design is that the tank will freeze in cold weather and the water will remain cold. And also on a cloudy day the barrel will not warm up to the desired temperature.
Another popular homemade product is the solar oven from the refrigerator coil. A frame with the base of a rubber mat covered with foil is made of slats. The coil washed from the remains of freon with clamps and bolts is mounted inside the frame. Through pre-drilled holes, it is connected by pipes to a storage tank having an outlet for supplying heated water. The frame is tightly closed with glass, water flows into the coil by gravity.
Such simple designs are usually used by summer residents to get a small amount of hot water.
The rationality of using solar energy
Calculations by scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences show that in the central zone of Russia per 1 m 2 the sun emits from 100 to 250 watts of energy and up to 1000 watts at noon on a clear day. These calculations prove that a solar collector with an area of 2 m 2 can warm 100 l of water daily to a temperature of 45-55 o C, but not lower than 37 o C.
A safe, fully automated and environmentally friendly heating system of a country house does not require additional costs for either an energy source, repair, or maintenance for several decades. All that is required of the user is to periodically clean the surface of the collectors from dust, dirt and snow.