The Vertical-Tube Solar Collector: A Low-Cost Design Suitable for Temperate High-Latitude Locations

Abstract

A new low-cost solar collector based on thick (4.5 ) vertical tubes related to the previous design based on long 1.5 plastic hoses connected directly between water-grid supply and consumption is presented. This novel design could noticeably improve its performance for temperate locations mid and high latitudes, as was demonstrated by dynamic thermal modeling. This tool has been useful for understanding the particular characteristics of this kind of water-pond collector and besides, for noticeably improving its performance by optimizing its parameters, like tube diameter and number of glazing layers. By this way, the optimized design could fully satisfy the household demand up to midnight along the whole year for Buenos Aires (35 ∘ S) and during summers (remaining as a useful preheater for the whole year) for Ushuaia (55 ∘ S). Besides, its high simplicity makes it available for user's own construction, costing down 50 dollars for a single-family unit.

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“…These behaviors are maybe the reasons why this kind of collectors (extensively proposed by solar enthusiasts) has been ignored for scientists. However and as was proposed recently, this concept can be enhanced by using a "mixed" system assembled with a thinner hose in parallel with a thicker one [8] or by using a very thick vertical tube with reinforced insulation [13]. This way, this collector works reasonable in tropical and templates climates, but not at all in cold high-latitude locations or/and when the nocturnal demand is the predominant one.…”