manually pressurised water system

[Alexis]

I may be considered maniac, but I'd really want to keep things as simple as possible. Beeing hard deaded, I'm still trying to find a pumpless (theoretical at least) solution.
What would you think of the following system:
- Solar panel at say deck level (installed at an angle of course) with "hot" pipe going up a couple of feet and forming a loop (cabin top, along mast or pushpit) with, close to the panel, a one way valve. After this high point, the pipe would go underdeck to top of calorifier, then come back to bottom of solar panel. The idea is that the water going up the first part of pipe, just after the valve, would be slightly warmer than the water after the loop, as it will have lost some heat.

Is there any "theoretical" chance this wood work or am I just a dreamer ?

Alexis

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[ccscott49]

FWIW, For convection to work efficiently, the calorifier and the panel will need to be at the same level, convection is not pumping action, but only a flow, it will not go uphill, (very far) think of the old car cooling system, with a radiator, the hot water goes in the top (less dense), cools and comes out he bottom, (dense) moves through the engine, rising as it gets hot and back to the radiaitor, cools and starts again, this is the system you need, or a very small (low Wattage) circulating pump, with the two components at similar heights. The higher one component is from the other, a bigger pump is required. IMHO

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[richardandtracy]

Thermo syphon tank at same level as heater.

Sorry, have to disagree.

The solar water heater is best placed below the storage tank. It's long pipe runs that must be avoided.
The secondary advantage of having the tank above the heater is that the heater won't then act as a cooler - the thermo syphon effect will stop when the panel is cooler, so reverse circulation won't occur.

Regards

Richard.


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[MainlySteam]

I know you realise it was meant with affection and nothing else. I have the utmost admiration for anyone who builds their own yacht - there is an awful amount of work in doing so (even more so if you make all the bits ones self) and alot of traps or things to figure through unless one has done it all before.

By the way, I could mention that the marina berth next to me has been empty for a few weeks and last weekend a guy turned up telling me his boat was going in there. It turns out it is a small junk rigged vessel (28 foot I think he said and steel). He had recently bought it and was to bring it across Cook Strait this week (hopefully not today as storm force out there, but nice beforehand) so I might get to see it over the weekend - I'll report back.

John

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[Alexis]

Re: Thermo syphon tank at same level as heater.

Thank you Richard. Was aware of the need of the panel to be lower that the storage tank, but didn't realise the interest of this layout to prevent reverse circulation.

Alexis

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[MainlySteam]

I don't think I have the experience to comment one way or the other Alexis. All I know is that they can be temperamental beasts if the driving force (temperature difference) is not high.

John

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[ccscott49]

Re: Thermo syphon tank at same level as heater.

I see your very good point, but the system will still work if they are both at the same level. I just see a problem with having the calorofier higher than the panel, as a layout problem, on a boat, anyway. If you get what I mean.

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