Active Closed Loop Solar Water Heating System

Here s how a solar powered water heater works.

Active closed loop solar water heating system.

Active open loop solar water heating system. China sunpark 2 733 views. Pumps circulate a nontoxic nonfreezing htf through the collectors and hx. United states restricted mode.

The drainback system components cost about 15 20 more than an active open direct loop solar water heating system for residential water heating. It is the simplest and typically the least expensive active system to install. Closed loop solar heating system. Hxs are utilized to transfer the heat from the fluid to the water stored in the tanks.

Glycol or some equivalent antifreeze fluid fills. The heated water then flows into the storage tank before it s channeled into the heat exchanger. Closed loop systems use a heat transfer fluid to collect heat and a heat exchanger to transfer the heat to household water. Indirect solar water drainback systems are also a indirect design that use a heat exchanger to separate the collector loop from the potable water.

Heat exchangers themselves are built into a closed loop system and transfer the heat gathered in the collector to the house s hot water supply. Closed loop solar water heater systems sometimes referred to as anti freeze or glycol systems include the heat collectors insulated piping a circulating pump an expansion tank a hot water storage tank a heat exchanger solar fluid usually a solution of water and nontoxic propylene glycol antifreeze a controller valves and gauges. Closed loop active antifreeze systems are the most versatile and failsafe of all the solar supplemental water heating systems. There are a number of designs for heat exchangers.

Active closed loop systems use electric pumps valves and controllers to circulate the heat transfer fluid usually a polypropylene non toxic unlike polyethylene glycol water antifreeze mixture through the collectors. A common design is to supplement a conventional hot water heater by transferring the heat from the solar collector fluid into the hot water tank. Instead of relying on glycol for freeze protection this system allows all the water in the array to drain back from the array and into a storage vessel in the solar loop when the pump is turned off. When the controller senses that the sun is shining and your tank needs a warm up it signals the pump to send water through the black collector panels.

Most new solar homes feature a variation of one kind or another. Installation of active closed loop solar water heating system duration.