The concept of a passive heat transport system from solar collectors

Abstract

The paper presents a concept of building a passive heat transport system based on the use of an antigravity thermosyphon with a bubble pump. Such solutions are suggested when the heat source is located above the place of its reception, e.g. in the case of solar collector installations. One of the components of the system is the device forcing the circulation of the heating medium. In the presented system, this process is carried out without the use of additional external sources of energy, such as electricity, to supply the circulating pumps. Such an installation is autonomous, so the risk of failure is diminished. It is also possible to automatically adjust the system to changing operating conditions without the need for additional automation. Other known solutions of this type are not used due to their imperfection. The challenge is to select the right working medium, whose physical properties should on the one hand transmit as much heat as possible, and on the other hand enable the pumping of the heating medium to be performed with low energy consumption. In the opinion of the authors of the paper, it is possible to achieve with the use of two working media in one system: water and a substance with a low boiling point.

A New Concept and a Test of a Bubble Pump System for Passive Heat Transport from Solar Collectors

“…Passive circulation systems that transport heat downward from the hot water tank have been described in the literature [2][3][4][5][6]. Two-phase thermosiphons are one of such solutions.…”