Homemade solar collector. Air collector made of corrugated sheets Solar collector made of corrugated sheets

What is a solar collector

The task of the solar collector is to collect thermal energy solar radiation and transfer it to some substance, which will then transfer it to the “addressee”. This substance is called a coolant and can be either liquids (most often water) or gases (almost always air).

Water is a more effective coolant, since its heat capacity is much higher than air, but its use is associated with certain difficulties: discharging excess heat in summer or protecting against freezing in winter. Air will not be able to transmit such an amount of energy, but the design of air collectors is much simpler, they are much more reliable and safe. And making a solar air collector with your own hands is much easier than making a water one. By the way, air is the first coolant that people began to use. What advantages does air have as a coolant:

• The air is not subject to freezing and boiling.
• The air is not toxic.
• The air does not need to be endowed with any special qualities (antifreeze is added to water systems); it is always available.

Air ones are widely used in air heating systems as residential buildings, as well as basements, garages, storage rooms. In which countries exactly air solar systems are used most widely is shown very eloquently by the diagram.

It is clear that the most economically developed countries do not at all neglect the capabilities of the Sun to heat the air. And we, alas, are still among the many 4.3% of others.

Design and principle of operation of an airborne solar collector

The solar air collector consists of several main parts:

• The entire collector structure is placed in a durable and sealed housing, which is necessarily equipped with a thermal insulator. The heat trapped inside the collector should not “leak” out.
• The main part of any collector is the solar receiving panel, which is also called an absorber or absorber. The task of this panel is to receive solar energy and then transfer it to the air, so it must be made of a material with the highest thermal conductivity. Such properties available in everyday life are copper and aluminum, less often steel. For better heat transfer, the lower part of the absorber is made as large as possible, so ribs, wavy surfaces, perforations and other methods can be used. For better absorption solar energy the receiving part of the absorber is painted in a dark matte color.
• The upper part of the collector is hermetically sealed with transparent insulation, which can be tempered glass or plexiglass, or polycarbonate glass.

They are oriented to the south and give the surface such an inclination so that the maximum amount of solar energy falls on the surface. As experts say - for maximum insolation. Cold outside air naturally or forcibly enters the receiving part, passes through the fins of the absorber and exits from another part, equipped with a flange for joining with the air duct leading into the heated room. It is worth noting that there are a lot of design options for solar collectors and the one described above is shown only as an example.

Air heating using solar collectors cannot completely replace the main heating in our climate zone, but it will be a very good help even on frosty winter sunny days.

Prices for popular models of solar collectors

Solar collectors

Determining the installation location and available space

First of all, you need to decide on the installation location of the solar air collector, as this can greatly affect its performance. Several factors should be taken into account:

• The solar air collector should be located as close as possible to the place where the heated air will flow, since losses in the air ducts may become such that the use of the collector will be impractical.
• The collector should be located on the south side of the house or other building and, if possible, at a certain slope to ensure maximum insolation. If this is not available, then you should try to install it as close to the south side as possible. The dependence of insolation on azimuth and installation angle is shown in the diagram.

• Surrounding objects, buildings and plants should not interfere with the natural lighting of the collector surface.

In the selected location that meets all the conditions, you should see what area the solar collector can be placed. Obviously, the larger the collector area, the more productive it will be.

Selecting a collector absorber design

The absorber (absorber) is the most important part of any solar collector and its performance will largely depend on its design. Factory models use parts made of special alloys with a special highly selective coating, but this mainly determines the high price. Our task is to find a material that is available and, nevertheless, will cope well with its function - to capture solar heat and transfer it to the air.

And such an affordable material is an ordinary aluminum can of Coca-Cola, beer or other drinks. We will not describe how to collect the required amount of empty containers, but rather focus on those wonderful properties that allow the use of aluminum cans as an absorber:

• Firstly, the cans are made of aluminum (steel is very rare), and it has very high thermal conductivity.
• Secondly, all cans of any drinks have the same dimensions: the lower diameter is 66 mm, the upper diameter is 59 mm, the height of a 0.5 liter can is 168 mm.
• Thirdly, the cans are made in such a way that they are placed on top of each other in the packaging, that is, they fit perfectly together.
• And finally, the thin aluminum from which the cans are made can be easily processed with accessible tools.

As the required number of aluminum cans accumulates, they must be thoroughly washed with detergent and dried. Otherwise, in the future they will emit an unpleasant odor, which will be more difficult to deal with.

Manufacturing of the collector body and its thermal insulation

Depending on the available area of ​​the collector, its overall dimensions are calculated. In this article, it is proposed to make a solar air collector measuring 8 by 8 0.5 liter aluminum cans, which in overall dimensions will be approximately 1400 * 670 mm. One sheet of plywood 21 mm thick standard size 1525*1525 mm is enough to make the entire solar collector, and the thickness of the plywood will provide the necessary strength and rigidity of the structure.

To make the case you need:

Carefully mark the sheet of plywood. For the collector you will need:

• The rear wall measures 1400 * 670 mm.
• Two side walls 1400*116 mm.
• Two end walls 630*116 mm.
• Two guides for cans 630*116 mm.

When marking, it is worth considering that for further processing of the edges of the parts it is necessary to give an allowance of 3-5 mm on each side. To ensure cutting occurs without failures, it is better to draw lines with a bright marker.

It is best to cut plywood with a circular saw, and the smaller the teeth on the disk, the better. For a more even cutting You can use a guide, which can be used as a chipboard sheet with a factory edge. The guide can be tightened to a sheet of plywood with clamps.

If the cut goes across the fibers, then it is better to first cut through the top layer with a sharp knife along a metal ruler, this way there will be fewer chips. After cutting the sheet into parts, if the edges are uneven, they can be processed using a milling machine according to a template until they are perfectly even and perpendicular.

It's time to assemble the frame. To do this you need:

• Attach two side walls to the rear wall of the collector. You can fasten it with 6.3*50 mm furniture screws - they are also called confirmats. Just before doing this, you must first go through a drill with a diameter of 4 mm. For fastening, you can use ordinary screws and various angles. The collector must have a sealed housing, so it is advisable to coat the bonded surfaces with silicone sealant.

• The end walls are attached to the back wall, and then to the side ones. After this, the correct assembly and dimensions are checked.

The rear and side walls of the collector must be insulated, and extruded polystyrene foam (EPS) 2 cm thick is ideal for this. Before gluing the insulation to the walls, it is necessary to treat the plywood with an antiseptic or simply paint it, since moisture can condense in these places.

EPS sheets can be glued to the surface of plywood polyurethane foam, acrylic “liquid nails”, “Master” glue, “Moment” glue - in any case it will hold securely. The main thing is that in the description of the glue, foam plastic is indicated as one of the surfaces to be glued. When gluing the insulation, it is necessary to ensure that all joints are completely closed. If necessary, in the future they can be “blown out” with polyurethane foam.

After the entire internal surface of the collector has been insulated, it can be covered with reflective thermal insulation, which is a base made of fiberglass or polyethylene foam and aluminum foil. Very often these materials have an adhesive base, which is very convenient, and if not, then they can be glued to any suitable composition. The joints must be taped with aluminum tape.

Manufacturing guides for the absorber

In order for columns made of aluminum cans to accurately maintain their geometry, it is necessary to make guides for them. To do this, two pieces of plywood 630 * 116 mm were previously cut out, which must be marked and drilled as follows:

• Step back 53 mm from the top and draw a line parallel to the long side.
• Divide the resulting line into 9 equal segments, that is, 70 mm each, and place marks. These will be the centers of the holes.
• Using a crown-cup wood drill with a diameter of 57 mm, you need to drill holes in the plywood. But before that, it is better to measure the diameter of the stability support ring at the bottom of the can, since the dimensions may vary. If necessary, select a different drill. The jar should fit into the hole quite tightly. When working, do not press hard on the drill and periodically allow it to rest.

• Markings are made on the top guide in the same way. The diameter of the head part of the can is slightly larger (57.4) than the rear support ring, so before drilling it is better to measure it with a caliper and select the appropriate cup crown, and then try on the top of the can.

Manufacturing of absorbers

To prepare the cans for installation, a number of operations should be performed:

• All jars must be checked with a permanent magnet. Very rarely, but there are steel cans that need to be sorted.
• In the upper part of the can, cuts are made with metal scissors from the hole to the edges, and then these “tongues” are tucked inside. You should wear gloves to avoid cuts from the sharp edges of the aluminum. A piece of polymer pipe clamped in a vice will help guide the sharp tongues inside the jar and align the edges of the hole. We process all 64 jars in a similar way.

• It's time to work on the bottom part. To do this, using a conical metal drill, three holes with a diameter of approximately 20 mm are drilled in the bottom, located at 120° to each other. In order not to crush the jar, it must be placed in an elastic mandrel (for example, a piece of pipe insulation) and not squeezed tightly with your hands. All banks are processed this way.

• To glue cans, it is best to use High Heat Mortar high-temperature adhesive-sealant based on silicate cement. It is used for sealing stoves, fireplaces, and chimneys. Perhaps its fire resistance will be excessive for the collector, but “the reserve is not good for the pocket.”

• In order for the cans to maintain a line during gluing, it is necessary to make a template from two even boards, fastened together at an angle of 90°. To fit the cans to the surface, the template is placed obliquely and leaned against the wall.

• Before gluing, the cans are degreased with any available solvent (acetone, No. 646, 647). This work is best done outside.
• Before starting the next stage, you need to put rubber gloves on your hands and have a container of water nearby. The surfaces to be glued are moistened, the adhesive-sealant is squeezed out from the gun in an even “sausage” onto the bottom of the can, and then it is joined to top part banks below.

• Using a moistened gloved finger, smooth out the squeezed out glue so that the entire joint and the surface next to it is covered with glue. Then all these operations are repeated for all cans of one column (8 pieces). After this, all the cans are placed in the template, aligned and pressed on top with a weight.
• After the lei has hardened, the column is removed and carefully laid on a horizontal surface. Other columns from cans are assembled in a similar way.

• While the blanks are completely dry, you can paint the back wall of the solar collector and the guides for the cans in matte black. In good auto stores you can always find such paint intended for mufflers or brake drums.

• The side walls of the collector do not need to be painted, so they should be covered with newspapers attached with masking tape. After degreasing the surfaces, paint is applied in two layers.

Assembly of an air solar collector

• It's time to start assembling the absorber battery. To do this, each column fits into the corresponding guide, first from below and then from above. Before joining, the cans are coated with sealant, and then the sealant is leveled with a moistened finger. At this stage you need to be especially careful. It is better to collect on a horizontal surface. After assembly and checking all connections, you can carefully tighten the two guides with a rubber band and leave to dry.
• When the entire absorber structure has dried, it can be carefully lifted and placed on top of the box so that the distances above and below are the same. After this, the position of the guides is marked, because to install them in the box you will have to cut a groove in the insulation so that they fit tightly and rest against the plywood sheet of the back wall. After installation, the guide strips are attached from the ends through the sidewalls with furniture confirmed screws. After this, all joints are sealed with sealant.

• For air inlet and outlet, you must immediately provide holes, which are best made in the rear wall. The best way to do this is to use ready-made solutions in a system of plastic ventilation ducts, namely wall plates with a flange, which can be easily mounted into the rear wall at the entry and exit points not occupied by the adsorber. To do this, a rectangular hole is cut in the plywood sheet and insulation according to the dimensions of the plate, and then it is attached to the wall with screws through a layer of sealant.

• If there is a need to switch to a round air duct, install a duct fan, make a turn, etc., then the manufacturers’ assortment includes any pipes and fittings that should be adjusted locally.
• The upper and lower front parts of the solar collector at the entry and exit points of the air ducts must be lined. The lining is very suitable for this, but it must first be cut exactly to size, and then the insulation on the side and end walls of the collector must be trimmed exactly to the thickness of the lining. After that, it is glued to the sealant, and all joints are treated with it.

• For painting, the collector is placed on stops in a position close to vertical. Before painting, surfaces are degreased and dried. The paint is applied in several layers until it covers the entire visible surface. Each layer is applied so that no drips form. The surface should be deep black and matte.

• After the paint has dried, it's time to mount the front glass. For these purposes, acrylic plexiglass or polycarbonate glass is best suited. First, a sheet of glass is applied to the surface, its dimensions are outlined, and then it is cut out. The edges must immediately be sanded and adjusted to the exact size. Before installation, it must be thoroughly cleaned, especially the lower surface, and several bags of silica gel must be placed in the compartment with the adsorber. It will prevent condensation from appearing on the inner surface of the glass.
• Before cutting the glass, you need to treat all parts adjacent to it: the perimeter of the box and the guides with sealant. Moreover, it is not necessary to apply sealant to the entire surface; it is enough only to the ends of the plywood sheets. It is best to fasten with screws with a press washer, having previously drilled holes before doing this. It is also advisable to cover the edge of the glass with a special corner furniture profile.

• To attach the air solar collector, you can screw brackets to it on the rear wall. This completes the assembly of the collector itself.

Connecting the solar air collector

The airborne solar collector can be integrated into existing system ventilation and work completely separately. Even in the absence of forced ventilation, inexorable physical laws will still “push” heated air through the collector, but this process will proceed rather sluggishly, so a fan with a capacity of at least 150 cubic meters per hour is desirable.

The use of a ventilator raises two important questions:

1. Where should the fan be installed: at the inlet or outlet of the collector? If the collector raises the outlet temperature to 60-70 °C (and this is quite possible), then the fan standing there will not last long. On the other hand, a fan standing outside is exposed to atmospheric influences and is more difficult to control. In most cases, it is still installed indoors, and on hot days, when the air is already heated, the fan is simply not turned on or it is connected through a thermal relay.

1. The use of a fan makes some skeptics doubt the feasibility of air heating. Isn't it easier to use the energy spent on rotating the fan motor to heat the room? But practice shows that the above-described collector design is still effective and profitable. The temperature difference between the outside air and the outlet from the collector can reach 35 °C.

When operating an air collector, another reasonable question arises: at night, when there is no insolation of the collector, even with the fan not working, cold air will penetrate into the room. The solution to this issue is quite simple. Among the components for ventilation systems you can find special check valves, which open only under the pressure of the air flow. When the fan is not working, the valve will be closed. It is only important to install it correctly so that it does not block the air duct. There are also fan models with a built-in valve that you should pay attention to.

To quickly warm up with warm air, you can consider a recirculation system, when air from the room passes through the collector and returns to the same room. In this case, it is justified to install a fan that will force air into the collector, and not create a vacuum in it. The disadvantage of recirculation is the lack of fresh air flow.

Operation and maintenance of the solar air collector

In order for the collector to serve for a long time and without failure, you must follow two simple rules:

• Periodically it is necessary to clean and rinse the front glass of the solar collector.
• On hot summer days, when there is no need to heat the air, it is better to cover the collector with a thick, light-colored cloth to prevent overheating of the absorber surface.
• To prevent the fan from running idle, it is worth periodically checking the tightness of the air duct connections and their integrity.

Find out how, and also consider the principle and order of assembly from our new article.

Conclusion

To summarize the article, it is worth paying attention to several points:

• The solar air collector model proposed in this article has proven its effectiveness in practice and is successfully used all over the world.
• If desired, you can make a more powerful solar collector or connect them several in series.
• Airborne solar collectors can be used periodically. For example, in early spring or for drying agricultural products in the fall.

Video: How to make an airborne solar collector (English)

Video: Slideshow about making a solar collector from aluminum cans

A do-it-yourself solar collector made from corrugated sheets is a way to significantly save on heating and hot water using solar energy.

What is it and why install it

A solar collector is a device that converts solar energy into heat. With the help of a solar air system, you can heat various rooms for free: residential buildings, warehouses and garages. Another option is to make a solar water collector from corrugated sheets, which is suitable for heating water in an apartment. If there is a swimming pool on the site, the craftsmen advise collecting it.

Main advantages:

• low cost. A collector, powered by sunlight and air movement, can be made from scrap building materials found in the garage;
• easy assembly. There are different models of solar collectors, but general principle works similar. Even a beginner who has just begun to be interested in construction and construction can assemble the structure;
• high efficiency. Specifications For different designs may vary, but on average the effectiveness reaches 45-75%;
• reliability. The parts of the solar collector are in a static position, so the risk of breakdowns and wear of the elements is minimal.

In order for the solar installation to work as efficiently as possible, you should select in advance the optimal location for its placement. Usually the collector is placed on sunny side against the wall of a building or on the roof.

What you will need

To make a simple solar collector from corrugated sheets with your own hands, you need to prepare the following materials:

• plywood sheets for the box. One will be used to make the back wall, the others - for the top, bottom and sides. Recommended thickness is 7-8 and 10-12 mm. It is better to choose moisture-resistant material;
• corrugated sheet. The best option- aluminum, but other metals are also suitable. Since the corrugated sheet will be laid inside the box, its width and length should be 10-15 mm less than that of the plywood sheet;
• wooden beams: 40x40 mm;
• glass wool;
• mosquito net. A small rectangular piece is needed to protect the air intake hole from insects;
• heat-resistant black paint;
• fan;
• wooden boards;
• glass Better - right in the frame. The best option: 3 old high windows, the width of which is 2 times less than the height. The size is calculated based on the fact that the glass should completely cover the box from the outside.

One of the advantages of a homemade manifold: the materials are easily replaceable. For example, instead of plywood you can use OSB board. You should focus on the raw materials that you can find in the garage.

Step-by-step instruction

The first stage of manufacturing a solar collector from corrugated sheets is creating a box. The size can be changed at your own discretion, but it is important to consider: what larger area, the higher the design efficiency. Approximate dimensions of a box that is suitable for heating a room:

• height - 120 cm;
• length - 180 cm;
• width - 15 cm.

The box must be open. For the side walls it is better to take thicker plywood (10-12 mm), and for the back walls thinner (7-8 mm) is also suitable.

1. An outlet hole is made in the back wall on the left side.
2. The box is insulated. One of suitable options filler - glass wool. Recommended layer thickness: 4-5 cm.
3. Along the inner perimeter of the box are attached wooden beams, so that a layer of cotton wool is between them and the back wall. In this case, 4 pieces of wood are installed vertically in the corners: they should not extend beyond the structure.
4. A sheet of corrugated sheeting is laid and sewn inside. It is necessary to make holes in the corners for vertical wooden beams, as well as on the left side for the outlet.
5. The profiled sheet is coated with black paint.
6. To allow air from the street to enter the collector, a rectangular hole is made in the right wall of the box. Recommended height - ⅕ of the total length. It is better to cover the hole with mosquito netting to prevent living creatures from getting inside the structure.

The next step is to slow down the air movement inside the collector, which will help increase the amount of heat generated. To do this, you need to create a labyrinth of beams inside.

5 vertical, parallel wooden boards should be attached to the inside of the glass used. The distance between them should be approximately the same. The length of the bars is slightly less than that of the box, so that there is room for air movement. The principle of chess applies:

• the first block is attached to the bottom of the frame, but does not reach the top;
• the second one is glued a little higher and does not connect to the bottom, but is attached to the top, etc.

Then the window frames are attached to the solar collector box using hot glue. Thanks to this design, the air will snake from the street to the outlet.

AND last step- installing a fan at the manifold inlet. By changing the power, it will be possible to control the speed at which the air moves in the system.

That's it, the assembly of the device is complete, all that remains is to make a hole in the wall of the building and place a solar installation next to it. The mechanism of operation of the collector is simple: Sun rays They will heat up the corrugated sheeting, which will transfer heat to the air masses that will enter the room through the hole.

Owners of private houses and garages may be interested in another design option -.

Technical specifications

The design, despite its simplicity, shows good results: if the temperature outside is +10-12 °C, then the air entering the room will heat up to +54-57 °C. The data is valid only for sunny weather. If the external temperature is about 5 °C, then the air will warm up to 34-46 °C.

A solar collector made of corrugated sheets is a budget device that will help heat a living space or warehouse without extra cash costs. Moreover, there is nothing complicated in the assembly process, and most of the materials can be found in your own garage.

Nowadays, when we are running out Natural resources, people are increasingly looking for alternative energy sources. And what could be better than the energy of the sun - publicly available, inexhaustible and, so to speak, free?

And just recently, while studying the possible use of sunlight, scientists invented an air collector - a device that absorbs solar energy and converts it into heat, which is subsequently transferred to the coolant. Often the coolant is liquid, but air is also often used - moreover, there are situations when air instruments even more effective.

What is the difference between an air manifold

It is quite obvious that the main difference between the collector is the coolant it uses in its operation - in this case, ordinary atmospheric air. In principle, such a device is made today in two versions:

• in the form of a flat perforated or corrugated panel;
• as a system metal pipes, good conductors of heat.

The air here is heated upon contact with the metal, and the ribs on the surface of the panel only increase heat transfer. It is advisable to install the entire structure on the southern wall of the building, and also insulate it with high quality thermal insulation. It is characteristic that coolant circulation can be natural or forced (using fans).

Air collectors can operate at significantly lower temperatures than liquid collectors. For example, in a conventional solar system, the optimal temperature for collector operation is 50°C and above, while 25°C is enough for air systems. This has a positive effect on the efficiency of the devices we describe, because the lower the temperature, the less heat loss.

Areas of application

Such a low popularity of devices can be explained very simply: air has a fairly low thermal conductivity. However, air-type solar systems are widely used:

• in air recovery systems;
• in drainage systems;
• in air heating of the house.

It turns out that air collectors can hardly be considered a full replacement for liquid ones, but thanks to them it is quite possible to reduce utility costs.

Advantages and disadvantages

Air solar systems, like all human creations, have their own strengths and weak sides. The advantages include:

• efficiency in air drying;
• low cost;
• simple design.

But there are also disadvantages:

• Air collectors cannot be used to heat water;
• they are quite large (due to their low heat capacity);
• they have modest efficiency.

Note! To increase the efficiency of solar air systems, they are installed in the walls (southern, as we remember) during the construction of the building.

You can make such a device yourself, since its design, as already noted, is quite simple. This will require cheap and accessible materials (some even manage to use tin cans).

But remember: such collectors are quite large, so it is likely that you will have to build a structure that covers the entire wall.

Making a device from drainpipes

It’s definitely better to make such a device on the entire wall. In autumn and spring, it will help you save significantly on heating. Select materials taking into account the dimensions of the future structure.

What will be required at work

Manufacturing technology

To create a collector, complete the following procedures.

First stage. First make a small wooden box like an open box. Its depth should be slightly greater than the height of the water pipes.

Second phase. Securely insulate the rear and end walls. Lay an aluminum sheet on top of the mineral wool, to which, in turn, attach the pipes with clamps.

Note! To improve air circulation on one side of the box, the pipes should retreat approximately 15 cm from the end.

Secure the pipes along the edges with a wooden partition, where you first make mounting holes in the appropriate places.

Third stage. Due to the fact that the inlet and outlet openings will be on one side of the structure, make several wooden partitions on the opposite side in order to separate the air flows.

Fourth stage. After installation, paint the collector black. Cellular polycarbonate is perfect for the front panel.

Remember: the assembled air manifold weighs quite a lot, so you will need several assistants for installation. When installing, use strong and stable supports.

Then connect the collector to the building ventilation using insulated air ducts. Also take care of a duct fan that will pump air into the room.

Making a device from corrugated sheets

This is an even simpler solar collector design. You will build it much faster.

First stage. First make a wooden box in the same way as in the previous version. Next, lay a beam (approximately 4x4 cm) along the perimeter of the back wall, and lay it on the bottom mineral wool.

Second phase. Make an exit hole in the bottom.

Third stage. Lay corrugated board on the timber and repaint it black. Of course, if it was originally a different color.

Fourth stage. Perforate the entire area of ​​the corrugated sheet for air flow.

Fifth stage. If desired, you can glaze the entire structure with polycarbonate - this will increase the heating temperature of the absorber. But do not forget that you also need to provide an outlet for air flow from the outside.

Making a manifold from beer cans

This is a practical and cheap alternative to the solar system models described above. It is characterized by low cost, because the main thing is to stock up on enough tin cans(this will not be difficult for fans of Coca or canned beer).

Note! Cans must be made of aluminum - this metal has high heat transfer and corrosion resistance. Therefore, when preparing, check each jar using a magnet.

Manufacturing technology

First stage. First, make three holes in the bottom of each jar, each about the size of a fingernail. Make a star-shaped cutout on top and bend the edges outward - this will improve the turbulence of the heated air.

Second phase. Next, degrease the cans and place them in pipes of the appropriate length (depending on the size of the wall). The bottom and lid will fit almost perfectly to each other, and treat minor gaps between them with silicone.

Note! Silicone must withstand permanently high temperatures, otherwise your structure will crumble during use.

Do not move the jars until the silicone is completely dry. You can use homemade templates for this - two boards, knocked down at an angle (a kind of gutter). This will protect the pipes from lateral movement.

Third stage. Next, proceed to assembling the case. For the back wall, use a sheet of regular plywood of the required size. You can install special wooden planks with holes for pipes on top and bottom of the box - this way you will achieve a more reliable fixation.

Fourth stage. Place the pipes in the box and secure with the same silicone sealant. Then paint them black - dark colors are known to attract the sun's rays. Place mineral wool between the pipes. When the paint is dry, cover the collector with a sheet of cellular polycarbonate.

As a conclusion

As a result, I would like to note that the designs of solar systems we have described allow us to achieve an impressive increase in temperature - often on a sunny day the room is 25–30 ° C warmer than outside. At the same time, the indoor microclimate also improves significantly, since a permanent supply of fresh air is ensured.

And one more important point: this design does not accumulate heat, so at night it will not heat, but cool the air in the room. This problem can be solved by covering the collector after sunset.

Video - Solar collector made of aluminum cans

With your own hands? There are several ways to solve this issue. The project described below can confidently be called one of the simplest.

Do-it-yourself air solar collector made of corrugated sheets

If you decide to create an air system in your home yourself, you can use a very simple option. First of all, it is necessary to make holes in the wall that will serve as a conductor for fresh air and hot exhaust.

• side wall thickness - 12 mm;
• The thickness of the back wall is 7 mm.

As a result, the size of the box will be 1800 x 1200 x 150 mm.

To create a box, it would be advisable to use moisture-resistant plywood.

If you wish, you can make the case according to your own individual dimensions.

On the back wall, along the perimeter, it is necessary to attach a beam measuring 40 x 40 mm, and lay mineral wool on it in a layer of 40 mm.

Then you need to sew up the box with corrugated metal sheeting and paint it with matte black paint (heat-resistant). You can buy H-57 corrugated sheeting at any hardware store.

Inside it is necessary to nail planks of wood (a kind of labyrinth) in size from the wall to the glass. In order to enter Fresh air, make a hole on the side wall.

You can glaze a heat generator created by yourself using old window frames.

To protect the collector from insects, install a filter or mesh on the inlet window.

Do-it-yourself air solar collector - a quick and easy way

It should be noted that this system will not produce high temperatures, since the air is supplied directly from the street. However, a slight heating will still be felt.

At the output, a do-it-yourself collector will approximately give the following temperature:

• air temperature outside + 10 0 C - at the exit to the room the indicator will be about +55 0 - +65 0 C;
• if the temperature outside is + 5 0 C, then the output will be approximately + 35 0 - + 450 C.

Improving the solar collector, we installed a fan with a reverse damper (100 cubic meters / hour) inside the house, on the back of the solar heater, complete with a speed controller, thermostat and thermometer.

Thermostat connection diagram.

The solar collector temperature is controlled using potentiometer R4.

The circuit must be powered with a forward current between 12V and 15V. I used a rectifier, since I had one lying around that produced a voltage of 18V, which was a lot, so I added a 12V voltage stabilizer, but this was not included in the presented circuit.

Of course, this method of heating a room will not produce ultra-high temperatures, but the ease of creation, low costs and a slight increase in the outlet temperature make this option attractive for creators of do-it-yourself room heating systems.

Using solar energy to heat a home is good for everyone, except that these systems are very expensive. But many systems, if they have at least relatively “direct” hands, desire, time and a certain amount of money, are quite simply implemented independently. Let's consider several options for thermal collectors made by craftsmen with their own hands.

DIY air solar collector

Air collectors of any design cannot be used as the main heating: they are too low efficiency. And all because the heat capacity of air is many times less than that of water. But as an additional source of heat to reduce heating costs, this is quite possible.

This air collector occupies the entire southern wall. Fortunately, it faces the backyard and is not shaded by anything. Let’s say right away: it turned out well in terms of efficiency. At a daytime temperature of +2oC, the air outlet was +65oC.

So, we clean it, level it, and attach a thick black film (from 100 to 200 microns) to the entire surface of the wall. For a better effect, you can stuff thermal insulation under the film, so the heating will be even more significant. But without insulation, the wall will serve as a heat accumulator, so it can be done that way.

How to make an air collector for heating (click on the photo to enlarge the size)

At the top right and left we make two holes through which air exchange will take place. We fill bars along the contour of each of them. We fasten the bars (20*40 mm) along the perimeter of the wall, and at a distance of approximately 80 cm from below and above across the wall. Based on operating experience, we can already say that it is better not to make the transverse intermediate bars solid, but to leave gaps of 15-20 cm. The result will be a kind of labyrinth. We attach plugs for the selected corrugated sheet profile to the lower and upper bars.

Now we install corrugated sheets painted black on the assembled frame. Color can be a problem - we don't have that on sale. But you can get out of this situation by painting the surface with black heat-resistant paint.

To fasten the sheets of corrugated sheets and at the same time to create a labyrinth, you need to nail vertical strips at the joints of the sheets. Only they should not reach the crossbars. This will allow the air to move more freely and its heating efficiency will increase.

It's almost the end

Having secured the corrugated sheets, all joints must be sealed well. Place pieces of polystyrene foam on the sides, tightly fill the cracks with something, and seal it all with sealant. Do the same at the bottom and top. With the joints of the sheets, everything is a little simpler: we fill it with sealant. Black sealant is more suitable in color, but it is heat resistant and expensive. And those that are cheaper are red. You could probably fill everything with silicone, but in this case black was used.

Now we fill the glass frame on top of the corrugated sheet. The larger the sheet of glass, the greater its thickness you need to take. This is not very good from a financial point of view. In addition, thick glass has less light transmission. Therefore, we assemble the grille for not very large fragments of glass. Too small pieces are also not good: there are a lot of joints. There are many joints, which means heat can leak through them, and besides, the seams take away the usable area through which the sun enters our air collector. So that the bars do not spoil the picture, and also serve the general purpose of collecting heat, we paint them black.

We attach glass to the finished and dried grille (you can use transparent plastic, but you need to make sure that it transmits light well). Normal glass thickness is 3-5 mm. We seal all joints with silicone sealant. It was not possible to distribute the sealant evenly, so everything was sealed with black tape. Although, probably in vain. But it turned out beautifully. All that remains is to assemble the air duct. There is nothing complicated here: you attach a corrugated sleeve or assemble a structure from tin and attach a fan to it. In this version, a channel was used, and it had to be secured using pieces from the old bicycle camera. That's all, the air collector for heating is assembled with your own hands.

Flat-plate solar collector from a hose

Everyone has probably noticed that water in a hose left in the sun gets very hot. And it can be used for heating hot water. In summer, you can heat water in the pool or for your home in this way. Unfortunately, nothing will come of it in winter, but the idea is indecently simple.

Some people manage to heat water in a black pipe, twisted like a snake (click on the picture to enlarge its size)

You just roll the black (required) hose into a flat coil, secure it somehow and install it on the roof. Some craftsmen manage to simply lay it out on the tiles, others make small cassettes from thin sheet metal or plywood. The cassettes are painted black, and the hose is already attached to them. Can be attached to any accessible method. Either with single fasteners or with tape fasteners, you can use metal tape and self-tapping screws. The fasteners are any, but reliable - the system works with a pump, so the pressure will be serious.

Methods for attaching pipes for those who liked this idea (click on the picture to enlarge its size)

You place several of these cassettes on the roof. Place the ends on two combs: the feeder, where the flow will occur cold water and an outlet where the already heated water will be collected. Installed on the supply pipeline circulation pump. Everything seems to be clear with the system. Just keep in mind that there will be a decent amount of water in each such cassette: do not overload the roof.

Read more about solar collectors and their types here. You might be interested in an article about solar panels.

Here is another option in video format for a homemade solar collector. It will need to be upgraded to heat your home in the winter, but for a spring or fall option this works well.

DIY thermal collector

There are many ideas and different modifications of homemade solar collectors. This is another one of them. A slightly modified version of the above. Here the tubes are attached to a large sheet of thick plywood. The plywood is pre-painted black. The pipes are inflexible, so fittings are used, the laying pattern is a snake. It took a lot of time to assemble. It's all about the right connection. For use with natural circulation, the circuit is too long, so the installation of a circulation pump is required.

This flat manifold requires patience: connecting pipes to fittings

You might be interested in how to make a solar panel with your own hands.

Results

All of these homemade solar collectors are easy to make and do not require much expense. But all designs are ideal, but these are working models. In each of them, you can change what seems wrong to you, and then have every right to say that you not only made this model of solar collector with your own hands, but also improved it yourself.

Photo gallery (6 photos):