Pop Can Solar Heater - Page 2

madmike · 09-16-11, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strider3700

for comparison this fan looks comparable but is less then half the price Newegg.com - Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Case Fan
lots and lots of the better Case fans will beat mouser's on price and be similar.

Thanks for the link strider3700, I guess I should have done more searching on the net for fans. The one I ordered from Mouser will probably be here early next week. The one I ordered is a ball bearing fan, don't know if it will be a whole bunch better then the sleeved bearing fan. I was thinking that the ball bearing fan might be easier to run of a PV panel. Any thoughts?

Daox · 09-16-11, 01:42 PM

I think sleeve vs ball bearing just has to do with life of the fan. Possibly noise too and efficiency to a lesser extent.

madmike · 09-21-11, 10:33 AM

Well I got my bigger fan yesterday. I am just running a temporary mount right now for the fan. Yesterday at 7:00 AM it was 13C (55.4F) and at 4:30 PM it was 21C (69.8F).
There was a bunch of clouds that rolled in around 3:00 PM so that dropped the amount of heat that I was able to collect. I have a 20 watt PV panel coming to power the fan, I have the fan running on a 12 volt battery right now. I will post other updates later.

zick · 09-22-11, 10:09 AM

How are you running your fan, is it on some kind of temp switch?
Also, do you have anything to prevent backflow so you don't loose heat at night?

madmike · 09-22-11, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zick

How are you running your fan, is it on some kind of temp switch?
Also, do you have anything to prevent backflow so you don't loose heat at night?

I have a snap disc controller, it is a close on rise,it clicks in whenpanel temp rises to 110F and turns off when temp gets down to 90F. To prevent backflow at night I use a dryer vent, the type with 3 flaps. It isn't air tight when it closes, but it looks similar to what Cansolair uses.

zick · 09-22-11, 01:24 PM

Good deal, thanks for the info!

madmike · 09-22-11, 07:25 PM

Started the morning at 15C and ended the day at 22c that was for about 7 hours of sunlight on panel. Sun was not real strong all day. At noon the air temp coming out of panel was over 50C . I might need a bigger fan yet, the one I have now is 140CFM's.

ThomSjay · 09-26-11, 12:02 AM

Might your morning temp be higher if you were to store water in containers?

madmike · 09-26-11, 01:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomSjay

Might your morning temp be higher if you were to store water in containers?

I have a bunch of cast iron in the form of an engine lathe 16 x 40 and a small milling/drilling machine and a pile of steel in the form of short ends up to 18 inches long. Today I didn't check my morning temp but by 4:30 PM I was at 25C but then we had an unseasonal high of 33C.

Phantom · 09-26-11, 10:50 AM

You could try painting the cans with crinkle paint doing that you can increase the surface area of the collector and utilize the black body theory. The paint can be purchased at most automotive stores it is made by VHT also krylon makes the same stuff but I have not found that locally.

09-16-11, 01:42 PM	#12
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I think sleeve vs ball bearing just has to do with life of the fan. Possibly noise too and efficiency to a lesser extent. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

09-26-11, 12:02 AM	#18
ThomSjay Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Posts: 91 Thanks: 8 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Might your morning temp be higher if you were to store water in containers? __________________ TomS

09-21-11, 10:33 AM	#13
madmike Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 52 Thanks: 5 Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts	Well I got my bigger fan yesterday. I am just running a temporary mount right now for the fan. Yesterday at 7:00 AM it was 13C (55.4F) and at 4:30 PM it was 21C (69.8F). There was a bunch of clouds that rolled in around 3:00 PM so that dropped the amount of heat that I was able to collect. I have a 20 watt PV panel coming to power the fan, I have the fan running on a 12 volt battery right now. I will post other updates later.

09-22-11, 10:09 AM	#14
zick Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: WI Posts: 42 Thanks: 2 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	How are you running your fan, is it on some kind of temp switch? Also, do you have anything to prevent backflow so you don't loose heat at night?

09-22-11, 01:24 PM	#16
zick Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: WI Posts: 42 Thanks: 2 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts	Good deal, thanks for the info!

09-22-11, 07:25 PM	#17
madmike Helper EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Canada Posts: 52 Thanks: 5 Thanked 9 Times in 6 Posts	Started the morning at 15C and ended the day at 22c that was for about 7 hours of sunlight on panel. Sun was not real strong all day. At noon the air temp coming out of panel was over 50C . I might need a bigger fan yet, the one I have now is 140CFM's.

09-26-11, 10:50 AM	#20
Phantom Apprentice EcoRenovator Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: Louisville, KY Posts: 101 Thanks: 13 Thanked 8 Times in 7 Posts	You could try painting the cans with crinkle paint doing that you can increase the surface area of the collector and utilize the black body theory. The paint can be purchased at most automotive stores it is made by VHT also krylon makes the same stuff but I have not found that locally.