Understanding Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors and How They Could Work For You

Many persons hear the term solar collector applicable to a solar generation system without fully understanding it. Evacuated tube solar collectors are now explained in greater depth.

First off, what is a solar collector? If you can see it in your mind’s eye then perhaps it will be easier to understand how it works. The tube solar collector is comprised of successive lines of glass tubes running parallel to one another. The tubes are connected to a pipe. Each tube is made of layers of glass. A vacuum aspect is created inside Röhrenkollektor the tubes by evacuating air from individual tubes. This absence of air within the tubes keeps the loss of thermal heat to a specific limit and environmental temperature is as well-kept to a certain minimum.

The vacuum aspect assists the tube in retaining the heat that has been caught and in effect provides the optimum in heat generation. The energy of the sun is absorbed by a film which is used between glass layers. The film mentioned is able to provide approximately a ninety percent level of absorption of the sun’s rays.

Flat aluminum part

The heat absorbed as described is then transferred to a curved or flat aluminum part inside the inner glass layer. A metal heat pipe is attached to the aluminum fin and transfers the heat supplied to a header made of copper. The header as just described is part of the collector. Acetone is put inside the copper pipe. When the copper pipe is provided heat this allows the acetone to turn into steam which in turn allows it to rise accordingly to the top portion of the piping. The steam comprised of acetone is converted into liquid within a condenser. The liquid acetone then flows back to the pipe and the entire operational workings starts over.

There is more than one style of solar collector. Where evacuated tube solar collectors are unique is the fact they are able to collect energy from the sun at varying degrees of angularity. This is due primarily because of the tubular aspect of the collector’s design. When the sun is at lower angles it is nearly impossible for collectors not employing the same design as tubular collectors to catch the sun’s rays. So evacuated tube solar collectors, owing to their design, are able to collect more energy from the sun.

It has been found solar-powered water heaters using the evaluated tube solar collectors will work at optimum best during the time spans of the middle of the morning and somewhere within the middle portion of the afternoon. Additionally interesting; where temperatures plummet well below comfortable levels the evacuated tube solar collector was able to stay within a temperature somewhere between an impressive 75 degrees Celsius and one-hundred 75 degrees Celsius. This infers the tubular solar collectors are operationally unaffected by ascending and descending temperature: whatever the case may be. This (also) means if you were going to elect a water heater for a colder region; then easily you would want to use an evacuated tube solar style heater as it pertains to solar heaters.

Ideally, evacuated tube solar collectors do not take up as much room as other style heaters and the collectors provide for installation that is not difficult. Carbon dioxide emissions are also minimized with this style of heater. If the tubes deteriorate or suffer from any type of damage they are easy enough to replace. Also since there is a vacuum created as part of the design; you need not worry about the tubes becoming too warm or getting warm at all for that matter. Also, preferable to many who employ its use; the water heater can function well for approximately twenty years at minimum; and there is very little maintenance needed.

Again with regard to evacuated tube solar collectors they can generate an enormous measure of heat: and as such don’t be surprised if the storage tanks that house the water become heat exhausted. In order to keep the water from becoming too warm; the water within the tank for storage must be regularly provided with cooler water-ideally at the same temperature as that of the room. You need to add cooler water in order to keep the temperature of water within the tank’s housing at levels that prove safe.

Conclusively and once Röhrenkollektor again the tube-style solar collectors provide the best application wherein the climate (regionally) is generally colder than most other areas. If you are within a warm climate zone, then the collectors offering a flat design are recommended.

The price with regard to the evacuated tube solar model is dependent on the number of tubes within the collector. Also depending on who constructs or produces the vacuum solar tube collector is determinative of final price.