How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

To heat a garage, workshop, chicken coop or even a house, you can use solar collectors, which make heating practically free. Such devices collect thermal energy from the sun and direct it into the room, while using a tiny amount of electricity to power their fan. Solar collectors are quite expensive devices, and they are installed in several pieces, so it is much more practical to make them yourself.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

Basic materials:


  • aluminum soda or beer cans;
  • profile pipe or wooden slats;
  • moisture-resistant plywood or other board material;
  • snail fan;
  • silicone;
  • glass.

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

Heating manifold assembly


The proposed collector design involves heating the air. It uses thin-walled aluminum tubes made from soda or beer cans as surfaces heated by the sun's rays. To make such pipes, you need to drill out the bottom of the cans with a crown and grind off the seam of the lid.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

At least a hundred cans will need to be recycled, the number will depend on the size of the collector.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

Next, the collector body is manufactured. It can be made from any available moisture-resistant materials. In the example, it is assembled from factory frames from broken solar panels.
You need to cut a window for the fan in the collector body and secure it by blowing it outward. In this case, an adapter pipe is placed on the volute for connection to a corrugated pipe. You can bend it out of a spray paint can.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

Since in this case old solar panels are used as the collector body, a second frame is installed on top of the frame with the snail. In this case, the body is deeper, which is necessary to accommodate the tubes. The gaps between the frames are sealed with silicone.
Next, first use hot glue and then silicone to glue the cans into long tubes. Hot-melt adhesive allows you to hold them together at the initial stage until the sealant sets.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

To attach the tubes to the manifold, you need to install 2 jumpers. They are cut to the height of the body from boards, plywood or similar material.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

Then holes are drilled in the jumpers for each pipe. Using silicone, you need to seal the gaps between the body and the boards, as well as between the holes and tubes.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

On the opposite side of the fan, fresh air intake windows are drilled into the rear wall of the collector housing. To prevent insects from penetrating through them, a mosquito net or special ventilation grilles should be placed on top.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

The inside of the collector is painted with matte black paint, which will increase the temperature and heating rate of the pipes. After this, the case is closed with clean glass. It is also glued onto silicone.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

Next, the collector is installed on the roof on the sunny side. A pipe is connected to the volute pipe, which is led into the supply ventilation of the room.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

The fan itself can be directly powered by a solar panel. In this case, it will turn on only during the day, when there is sun, which means the air in the collector is warm. Using a panel in conjunction with a collector makes heating completely free. You can also simply connect the snail to the network via a time relay. In this case, it will turn on itself in the morning and turn off in the evening. On a bright day, a homemade collector is capable of supplying air heated to + 60 degrees Celsius into the room, which is very good.
How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

How to assemble a solar collector for heating from aluminum cans

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Comments (4)
  1. Sergey Romantsov
    #1 Sergey Romantsov Guests 17 February 2020 17:34
    1
    You don’t have to bother with aluminum cans at all, they are not needed... We put thin bridges from the edges, alternately on the right and left. to make a labyrinth. Then the air moving through the labyrinth, like a snake, will heat up more, the efficiency will accordingly increase, and the labor costs and cost of the structure will decrease.You can install Peltier elements at the outlet, where the air is hottest, or a Stirling engine... and you can accumulate heat in a large thermos... Yes, BE CAREFUL! so as not to get burned and not to set anything on fire!
    1. Alexander Lindeman
      #2 Alexander Lindeman Guests March 1, 2020 09:56
      1
      The labyrinth will lose heat through the glass, but it will be safer in jars. The glass will create a vapor compression effect.
      1. Sergey Romantsov
        #3 Sergey Romantsov Guests 2 March 2020 22:05
        1
        Glass is expensive and heavy... There are high-quality and inexpensive films
  2. shishkin09
    #4 shishkin09 Guests 21 February 2020 10:04
    1
    Now I know where I can attach the tubes from the photo shafts of laser printers!