matlocc
1420920295
Posted 1546721587
Reply with quote #1
Ok. I retired from teaching and was able to bring home the solar collectors I built last year. I now have 8 collectors, 2 foot by 4 foot. If I set them up for home heat what is the best way to run the air? Hook all the top vents together and bottom vents together+ or try to make one long stream?
stmbtwle
1388591029
Posted 1546779632
Reply with quote #2
Series will get you higher temperatures but less air so the end result would be about the same, and is less efficient. I would be inclined to go with parallel.
gbwillson
1352981942
Posted 1546783245
Reply with quote #3
Matlocc-
matlocc
1420920295
Posted 1546793817
Reply with quote #4
Thanks Greg, I only have 4 inch duct input/outputs on them. I have 2 set up in series now on my porch. They work ok, I wasnt sure if in parallel there would be airflow problems with the last few collectors not moving enough air.
Rick H Parker
1489180564
Posted 1546803224
· Edited
Reply with quote #5
Hook together parallel collectors using Reverse Return Piping. That is the intake pipe is on the first collector and the return is on the last collector. Reverse return piping will even out the air flow through across the collectors. length of the path from S to R is the same for each unit. Equal path lengths = Equal Air flow resistance = Equal rate of air flow.
solarozq
1541634135
Posted 1547161399
Reply with quote #6
Panels in series would theoretically give you the highest temperature but in practice the air flow would be very restricted and the efficiency of the array would be way down because of heat losses from the higher temperature panels. A combination of series and parallel would be the way to go. Perhaps the first four panels discharging into a header that the second four panels drew from. That would average out temperatures (in case there were shadows) and produce a low resistance set up.
