Design and Analysis of Solar Water Heater Using Heat Pipe

Design and analysis of solar water heater using heat pipe
1. INTRODUCTION
We are blessed with Solar Energy in abundance at no cost. The solar radiation
incident on the surface of the earth can be conveniently utilized for the benefit of
human society. One of the popular devices that harness the solar energy is solar hot
water system (SHWS).
A solar water heater consists of a collector to collect solar energy and an
insulated storage tank to store hot water. The solar energy incident on the absorber
panel coated with selected coating transfers the hat to the riser pipes underneath the
absorber panel. The water passing through the risers get heated up and are delivered
the storage tank. The re-circulation of the same water through absorber panel in the
collector raises the temperature to 80 ˚C (Maximum) in a good sunny day. The total
system with solar collector, storage tank and pipelines is called solar hot water
system.
Broadly, the solar water heating systems are of two categories. They are: closed
loop system and open loop system. In the first one, heat exchangers are installed to
protect the system from hard water obtained from bore wells or from freezing
temperatures in the cold regions. In the other type, either thermo syphon or forced
circulation system, the water in the system is open to the atmosphere at one point or
other. The thermo syphon systems are simple and relatively inexpensive. They are
suitable for domestic and small institutional systems, provided the water is treated
and potable in quality. The forced circulation systems employ electrical pumps to
circulate the water through collectors and storage tanks.
The choice of system depends on heat requirement, weather conditions, heat
transfer fluid quality, space availability, annual solar radiation, etc. The SHW
systems are economical, pollution free and easy for operation in warm countries like
ours.
Solar water heating is now a mature technology. Wide spread utilization of solar
water heaters can reduce a significant portion of the conventional energy being used
for heating water in homes, factories and other commercial and institutional
establishments. Internationally the market for solar water heaters has expanded
significantly during the last decade.
KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 1

1.1 Classification of solar water heater
Solar water heater
Flat plate collector

Evacuated tube
Flat plate collector solar water
collector solar
solar water heater heater(Using heat
water heater
pipe)
ETC solar water ETC solar water

heater (Using heat heater (without
pipe) heat pipe)
Figure No- 1.1 Classification of solar water heater
1.2 Salient Features of Solar Water Heating System
Solar Hot Water System turns cold water into hot water with the help of sun’s rays.
 Around 60˚C-80˚C temperatures can be attained depending on solar

radiation, weather conditions and solar collector system efficiency.
 Hot water for homes, hostels, hotels, hospitals, restaurants, dairies,
industries etc.
 Can be installed on roof-tops, building terrace and open ground where there
is no shading, south orientation of collectors and over-head tank above
SWH system.
 SWH system generates hot water on clear sunny days (maximum), partially
clouded (moderate) but not in rainy or heavy overcast day.
 Only soft and potable water can be used.
 Stainless Steel is used for small tanks whereas Mild Steel tanks with anti-
corrosion coating inside are used for large tanks.

2. LITERATURE SURVEY
2.1 Study of flat plate collector solar water heater
Flat plate collector collects solar radiation and converts solar energy into heat
energy for heating water. Flat plate collector should be reliable, durable with a use full
life of 15 year so more.
Main characteristics of this collector should be:
 Resistance to environmental conditions (marine environment, rain, dust, hail
etc.).
 Resistance to large variations in temperature.
 Resistance to leakage from any part of the system.
 Stable and durable.
 Easy to install.
 Efficient in energy conversion.
Figure No- 2.1 Flat plate collector solar water heater

2.1.1 Component of flat plate collector is as follows,
 Casing
Casing contains all the components of the collector and protects them from
environmental impact. Casing shall also make the collector sturdy and stable.
Material used for casing must be resistant to corrosion.
 Seal
Seal is made out of elastic material to prevent leakage and Ingress of rain
water into the collector. Sealing material must with stand high temperature
variation and ultraviolet (UV) radiation. (to ensure along life of 15 years, or
more.).
 Transparent cover
Transparent cover should be made of toughened glass with high transmission
co-efficient (close to 1). This also protects the components inside the collector
from environmental impact.
 Thermal insulation
Thermal insulation reduces undesirable heat loss from the back and sides of
the collector area. The insulation must also be able to with stand the maximum
temperature of the absorber plate.
 Absorber plate
Absorber plate absorbs the solar energy and converts it to heat energy in the
fluid. The absorber is made out of high conductivity material like copper with
selective coating on it for maximum absorption of solar radiation.
 Tube
The fluid that flows through the collector shall collect the heat for useful
application. The transfer of heat shall take place mainly through conduction
and convection process. Therefore, the tubes should be made out of high
conductivity material like copper.

2.1.2 Advantages
 Simple in design.
 High heat trapping area.
 Easy installation.
 Less costly.
2.1.3 Disadvantages
 The collector is put in a casing with a glass shield to reduce heat losses. The
air gap between absorber and cover plane allows heat losses to occur,
especially during cold and windy days. Build-up of condensation will in due
course influence the collector greatly due to corrosion, reducing performance
and durability.
 Circulates water inside insulated areas. Prone to leakage, corrosion and
restriction of flow due to possible air lock.
 Flat-plate collectors have no internal method of limiting heat build-up and
have to use outside tempering devices. When these safety or control devices
fail the system and/or system-fluid can be destroyed.
 Flat-plates can actually rob the water of built up heat if the collector becomes
colder than the water temperature.
 Flat-plate collectors contain water and unless well- protected can burst upon
freezing. Corrosion can become a major problem reducing performance.
 Installation is difficult. Entire panels have to be hoisted onto the roof and
installed. If one has a leak, the entire collector has to be shut down and
removed.
 Requires accurate southern exposure and elevation placement.

2.2 Study of evacuated tube collector solar water heater
Main components of evacuated tube solar water heater (open Circuit, non-
pressure system)
• Evacuated glass tubes and Barium Getter
• Storage tank
• Mounting frame
Figure No- 2.2 Evacuated tube collector solar water heater
The Structure of evacuated glass tube is similar to a Dewar flask which has a
double wall with a vacuum between the walls. Each evacuated tube consists of two
glass tubes made from extremely strong borosilicate glass with high chemical and
thermal shock resistance. The outer tube is transparent allowing light rays to pass
through with minimal reflection. The outer side of the inner tube is coated with a
sputtered solar selective coating (Al-N/Al or AlN/AlN-SS/Cu) which features
excellent solar radiation absorption and minimal reflection properties. The top of the
two tubes are fused together and the air contained in the annular space between the
two layers of glass is evacuated to eliminate conductive and convective heat loss.

This is why the tubes are able to absorb the energy from infrared rays which can pass
through clouds. Wind and low temperatures also have less of effect on the function of
evacuated tubes when compared to flat plate solar collectors due to the insulating
properties of the vacuum. The top end of these parallel tubes is fitted in to the inner
storage tank. In the process of pulling the vacuum, a Barium Getter is inserted into the
base of the outer glass tube. The inner glass tube is then inserted into the outside tube
with the Getter centring the inner glass tube. A barium layer actively absorbs any CO,
CO2, N2, O2, H2O, H2 out gassed from the tube during storage and operation, thus
helping to maintaining the vacuum. The barium layer also provides a clear visual
indicator of the vacuum status. The silver colour barium layer will turn white if even
the vacuum is lost.
2.2.1 Components of evacuated tube collectors are as follows,
 Glass tube
The glass tube shall be formed by fusing two co-axial glass tubes at both the ends. Air
between the two glass tubes is evacuated to create vacuum which works as insulation.
Outer surface of inner tube in the evacuated tube collect or forms the collector area.
 Absorber coating
Absorber coating shall be applied on the outer walls of inner tube selectively to
absorb the solar radiation to collect energy and to convert light energy into heat
energy. The selective absorption coating has absorption co-efficient of 0.94 or more
and emissivity of 0.12 or less the coating should remain intact for the life of the
system.
 Gasket
Gasket between the tank and ETC or Manifold and ETC is very crucial for the trouble
free performance of the water heating system with ETC. The gasket should be capable
of sustaining the temperature and pressure encountered. This should fit tightly above
the tube to avoid any leakage. Life of the gasket should be equal to the life of the
entire system.

2.2.2 Advantages
 The collector is hermetically sealed inside an evacuated glass tube,

eliminating convection and conduction heat losses and isolating the collector
from adverse ambient conditions. Therefore, no heat losses due to convection
and conduction and no change of performance during the service life of the
collector due to corrosion.
 Uses a heat-pipe for super-efficient heat conduction. No water enters into the
collector.
 The heat-pipe has a self-limitation of maximum working temperature through
the physical properties of its special fluid (THS200 and THS250 models)
resulting in safeguarding the system and system fluid (water and anti-freeze
mixture).
 Thermal diode operation principle. The heat pipe’s thermal flows one way
only form the collector to the water and never in the reverse.
 Corrosion and freeze free there is nothing within the evacuated tube to freeze
and the hermetic sealing of each tube eliminates corrosion.
 Easy installation and no maintenance. Lightweight individual collector tubes
are assembled into the system at the point of installation. Each tube is an
independently sealed unit requiring no maintenance.
 Relatively insensitive to placement angle, allowing architectural and aesthetic
freedom.
2.2.3 Disadvantages
 Costly.
 System should be carefully handled.
 Less heat trapping.
 Complex design.

2.3 Study of solar water heater using heat pipe
The use of heat pipes offers several advantages regarding flexibility in

operation and application, as they are very efficient in transporting heat even under a
small temperature difference. Heat pipes are currently utilized in many energy
systems according to their needs, in industrial areas and aerospace applications,
including the solar system considered in the present analysis. The first area that
appears most appropriate for heat pipe application is domestic hot water heating. Hot
water in the residential sector accounts for about 10% of the nation's energy
consumption. The amount of energy required to heat domestic water is significant,
even in comparison with the space heating requirement.
The natural circulation type and closed loop type thermo syphon system are
widely used for solar domestic hot water system (SDHWS). Of these, the closed loop
type thermo syphon system, which hires the concept of a wickless heat pipe, is
extensively studied in the present analysis. The system under consideration consist of
rectangular shape solar collector and a circular cylindrical shape storage tank, the
most common design of a natural circulation type SDHWS. A closed circulation loop
runs through these units carrying heat form the collector to storage tank. The working
fluid (heat transfer medium) makes infinite no of round-trip via this loop as long as
the sun’s energy hit the collector area and delivers fuel needed for the trip. A 2-phase
closed thermo-syphon is the heat transfer device that employs the operating principle
of the heat pipe. Evaporation and condensation of the working fluid take place
continuously transmitting heat form where it is absorbed (solar collector) to where it
is to be utilised(storage tank).

Figure No- 2.3 Solar water heater using heat pipes
2.3.1 Basic component of system are as follows,
 Heat pipe
 Flat plate collector
 Insulated water storage tank
 Stand
 NRV
 Plumbing components.

2.3.2 Heat pipe
HEAT PIPES are essentially a means of transferring high rates of heat across
small temperature gradients, and as such may be considered thermal "super
conductors". The simplest form of heat pipe is a thermo syphon which relies on
gravity for its operation, and is hence unidirectional. This means that heat can
only be transferred from the lower to the upper end of the heat pipe and not vice
versa. HEAT PIPES have, however, been manufactured which rely on the
capillary action of a "wick" to provide bi-directional operation. The simplicity of
the gravity return heat pipe makes this the preferred solution for a wide range of
heat pipe applications.
The modern day concept of the heat pipe was first proposed in 1942, but was
not developed beyond the patent stage until the early 1960's.
Figure No- 2.4 Heat pipe

2.3.3 Basic operation of heat pipe
The basic heat pipe consists of a sealed tube whose inside wall is fined with a
capillary structure. In the evaporator section, thermal energy from the source is
transferred by conduction through the container wall where the working fluid
vaporises at the vapour-liquid interface and releasing the latent heat of vaporisation to
a heat sink in the condenser section. The working fluid condensate returns to the
evaporator to complete the flow cycle by means of capillary action within the wick. In
the heat pipe the condenser position is not restricted and it may be used in any
orientation. In this application the condenser of the heat pipe is elevated so that the
condensate is returned to the evaporator with gravity assistance. When the heat pipe is
operating in gravity-assist mode, a high heat transfer capability can be achieved. In
this manner of operation, no wick is needed to transport the condensate, but the wick
is required for circumferential distribution of liquid in the evaporator.
Figure No- 2.5 Operation of heat pipe

Table No- 2.1 Selection of heat pipe material and working fluid
Pipe material Working fluid Notes

Copper (cu) Water Satisfactory. Minor
oscillation in condenser
temp.
Copper (cu) Water Satisfactory. Has ballast

tank. Minor oscillation in
condenser temp.
Mild steel (MS) Methanol Satisfactory after purging.

Copper (cu) Methanol Satisfactory.
Iron (Fe) Ethanol Developed non- condensable
and soon became inactive
Copper (cu) Ethanol Satisfactory.

Iron (Fe) Acetone Developed non- condensable
and soon became inactive
Copper (cu) Acetone Satisfactory.

Copper (cu) Acetone Satisfactory. The condenser
forked into 4 arms
Copper (cu) Water Satisfactory.
Heat pipe made up of copper, stainless steel, mild steel and containing water,
ethanol, methanol and acetone with and without wicks, met the design specification of
less than 6˚C temperature difference between the condenser and evaporator. From the
above table, copper material is selected as heat pipe material and the working fluid as
distilled water.

Table No- 2.2 Methods of condensate return
Method Type of heat pipe
Gravity Thermo syphon
Capillary force Standard heat pipe
Centripetal force Rotating heat pipe
Electro kinetic force Electro-osmotic heat pipe
Magnetic force Magnetic fluid heat pipe
Osmotic force Osmotic heat pipe
Bubble pump Inverse thermal syphon
From the above table, type of heat pipe used in our system is thermal syphon
.The method of condensate return is by gravity. Therefore, to get the gravity
assistance we kept the angle of inclination of thermo syphon 60 deg. The table also
shows different types of heat pipe and method of condensate return.

2.3.4 Flat plate collector
The solar collector consists of four copper wickless heat pipes. Each heat pipe
was filled with 30 ml of distilled water. The absorber unit has been cleaned and
painted matt black to enhance its ability. The heat absorbed by the heat pipe was
removed and measured using a temperature sensor. The absorber is housed in an
aluminium framework with a 1mm thick aluminium sheet bottom. The panel rests on
backing insulation layer of glass wool on the top of an aluminium sheet. The edges
were insulated with 50 mm and lined with aluminium foil to reflect solar radiation
which passes through the cover glass back on to the absorber plate. Toughened glass
was chosen as the upper glazing for the collector. The air gap between the glass cover
and the absorber plate was 18 mm. The glass was secured to the top of the frame by
gasket and aluminium angle which permitted thermal expansion but prevented the
entrance of dust and rain.
Figure No- 2.6 Flat plate collector

2.3.5 Heat pipe solar collector advantages
HPSC offer several advantages over conventional flat plate solar collector. These
advantages can be summarized as follows
(i) Thermal diode
The heat pipe was designed to permit heat flow in one direction and acted as a thermal
insulator for heat flow in the opposite direction. During operation when heat is
applied to the lower section of the heat pipe it operates normally.
(ii) No interior corrosion
By selecting a suitable working fluid to be compatible with wick and pipe materials
corrosion can be minimised.
(iii) Redundancy
A failure in one heat pipe would not have a serious effect on the operation of the
collector.
(iv) No freezing
No freezing hazard freezing can be eliminated through working fluid selection.
(v) Low heat capacity
(vi) Lower pumping requirement
As the heat pipe is gravity assisted no pumping required for working.

2.4 Literature review

Mehmet Akyurt, the conventional flat plate solar water heater is simple,
robust, reliable, reasonably efficient, and automatic in operation but is notoriously
frost sensitive. Efforts to overcome this serious drawback resulted in closed loop
systems, where a suitable fluid is circulated in the heater circuit. The collector in
closed loop systems necessarily operates at higher temperatures than in the
conventional open system, the difference of mean collector and tank mean
temperatures being frequently over 20°C. The higher operating temperatures coupled
with the thermal barrier of the heat exchanger result in lower system efficiencies such
that typically a closed loop system will have only about 70 per cent of the efficiency
of the open system.
The heat pipe consists essentially of an evacuated container within which a wick
may be inserted and a small amount of working fluid is supplied. When energy is
applied on the evaporator, part of the fluid is vaporized, soon saturating the interior of
the container with the pure vapour. As the wall of the condenser is cooler due to heat
extraction, some of the vapour condenses there, releasing thereby the latent heat of
condensation. The condensate is then trickled back to the evaporator in the gravity
assisted heat pipe, thus completing the cycle. The heat pipe was selected in this study
as the medium of heat transfer in solar water heaters because of the following
outstanding features characterizing it:
 Suitable working fluids are available for the operational range -50°C to l00˚C
(-5%212°F).
 The heat pipe can handle very high axial heat fluxes at essentially constant
temperature.
 Reverse flow is not possible in the heat pipe, which property minimizes
recirculation losses from the storage tank.
 The heat pipe is simple.
 Robust and reliable.
 It has no moving parts, and works quietly.

E. AZXD, F. BXHAR and F. MOZTARZADEH. In the past several years, the heat
pipe has been receiving increased attention for possible use in the space environment.
Some of the potential applications can be found in heat recovery systems, solar
collectors and concentrators and thermal storage. A heat pipe solar collector has been
designed, constructed and tested at MERC in Tehran at latitude of 35.7 N. In this
work the construction and operation of the heat pipe solar collector are described and
also the experimental results are compared with theoretical results. The basic heat
pipe consists of a sealed tube whose inside wall is fined with a capillary wick
structure. Sufficient fluid to saturate the wick is introduced into the heat pipe. In the
evaporator section, thermal energy from the source is transferred by conduction
through the container wall and the saturated wick to liquid-vapour interface, where
the working fluid vaporises at the vapour-liquid interface and releasing the latent heat
of vaporisation to a heat sink in the condenser section. The working fluid condensate
returns to the evaporator to complete the flow cycle by means of capillary action
within the wick. In the heat pipe the condenser position is not restricted and it may be
used in any orientation. In this application the condenser of the heat pipe is elevated
so that the condensate is returned to the evaporator with gravity assistance. When the
heat pipe is operating in gravity-assist mode, a high heat transfer capability can be
achieved. In this manner of operation, no wick is needed to transport the condensate,
but the wick is required for circumferential distribution of liquid in the evaporator.
JAY M.OCHTERBECK, Capillary-driven two-phase systems offer significant

advantages over traditional single-phase systems. With the typically increased thermal
capacity associated with the phase change of a working fluid, considerably smaller
mass flow rates are re quired to transport equivalent amounts than in single-phase
liquid or gas systems for a given temperature range. Moreover, heat transfer
coefficients of two-phase systems are much greater than in single-phase flow sand
result in enhanced heat transfer. Lower mass flow rates and enhanced thermal
characteristics provide the benefits of smaller system size (and weight) while
providing increased performance. The thermal capacity of a single-phase system
depends on the temperature change of the working fluid; thus, a large temperature
gradient or a high mass flow rate is required to transfer a large amount of heat.
However, a two-phase system can provide essentially isothermal operation regardless

of variations in the heat load. Additionally, single- phase systems require the use of
mechanical pumps and fans to circulate the working fluid, while capillary-driven two-
phase system shave no external power requirements, which make such systems more
reliable and free of vibration.
D.A. Reay and P.A. Kew, in the longitudinal direction the heat pipe is made
up of an evaporator section and a condenser section. Should external geometrical
requirements make this necessary; a further, adiabatic, section can be included to
separate the evaporator and condenser. The cross-section of the heat pipe consists of
the container wall, the wick structure and the vapour space. The performance of a heat
pipe is often expressed in terms of ‘equivalent thermal conductivity’. A tubular heat
pipe of the using water as the working fluid and operated at 150˚ C would have a
thermal conductivity several hundred times that of copper. The power handling
capability of a heat pipe can be very high – pipes using lithium as the working fluid at
a temperature of 1500˚C will carry an axial flux of 10–20kW/cm2. By suitable choice
of working fluid and container materials, it is possible to construct heat pipes for use
at temperatures ranging from 4K to in excess of 2300K. For many applications, the
cylindrical geometry heat pipe is suitable but other geometries can be adopted to meet
special requirements. The high thermal conductance of the heat pipe has already been
mentioned; this is not the sole characteristic of the heat pipe.
The heat pipe is characterised by the following:
(i) Very high effective thermal conductance.

(ii) The ability to act as a thermal flux transformer.
(iii) An isothermal surface of low thermal impedance. The condenser surface
of a heat pipe will tend to operate at uniform temperature. If a local heat
load is applied, more vapour will condense at this point, tending to
maintain the temperature at the original level.

3. OBJECTIVE
1. The objective of the project is to develop a solar water heating system using
heat pipe on flat plate collector and its analysis.
2. To evaluate thermal performance analysis of the experimental setup
developed.
3. To study the behaviour of heat pipe for the application of flat plate solar
water heater.

4. DESIGN OF SYSTEM
4.1 Design consideration
Before starting the actual designing, brief study of various aspects of the
project was done. The material selection for the collector was done as per the
functional requirement. Maximum parts for assembly work are standard in order to
maintain interchange ability. Factors considered for designing are listed below,
4.2 Design of Heat Pipe
The solar collectors are prepared with heat pipes made of copper whose
major dimensions are 16 mm o.d., 15.82 mm i.d., and 915 mm length. Since gravity
assisted heat pipes should permit maximum liquid Flow rate by having a
comparatively large pore size. The respective length of the evaporator, adiabatic,
and condenser sections are 605, 110 and 200 mm, here the adiabatic section is
created by externally insulating the appropriate portion of the heat pipe fitted into
the storage tank. To increase heat input (i.e., absorbed solar radiant energy), the
evaporator section of tube is finned with a thin copper plate of 0.1 mm and
contained in a case with single glazing. The outer surface of the evaporator section
exposed to the sun was treated to have selective optical characteristics either by the
black-chrome coating or by spraying black paint with selective optical
characteristics. The two-phased closed thermo syphon is also tested as a heat
collection device, which is effectively a wickless heat pipe with a liquid reservoir at
the bottom.
There are a number of candidates for the working fluid that are compatible
with copper. For the required operating temperature range of 20±100˚C for solar
applications, acetone, methanol, ethanol, distilled water, and ethanol-distilled water
mixture were selected and tested as the possible candidates for the working fluid.
However, in addition to being compatible, the fluid must be chemically stable over
the operating range of the system and also be non-freezing at very low ambient
temperatures. The water storage tank of the system is made of M.S and has 30 litre
capacity insulated with 50 mm glass wool. The condenser portion of heat pipes,
where the fluid surrenders heat to the colder surroundings (i.e., water in this case), is

directly inserted into the storage tank. This configuration has shown the best
performance data compared to the other cases where heat transfer to the water in the
storage tank is accomplished by a separate heat exchanger attached to the storage
tank.
Figure No- 4.1 Manufacturing of heat pipe
Figure No- 4.2 Section of heat pipe

Figure No- 4.3 Heat pipes
Heat pipe specification
Table No- 4.1 Heat pipe specifications
Items Specification
Total length 915 mm
Evaporator length 605 mm
Condenser length 200 mm
Adiabatic length 110 mm
Outer diameter 16 mm
Thickness 0.9 mm

4.3 Design of insulated water storage tank
The main components of insulated water storage tank are as follows,
 Inner tank
 Insulation layer (Glass wool)
 Outer tank
 Rubber bush
Figure No- 4.4 Design of insulated water storage tank
Dimension of insulated water storage tank as follows,
Table No- 4.2 Dimension of insulated water storage tank
Components Material Thickness Dimensions

Inner tank M.S 1.5 mm Dia 323 mm
Insulation Glass wool 50 mm 1046*2420 mm
Outer tank M.S 3 mm Dia 429 mm
Rubber bush Rubber 44 mm 60*16*70 mm

4.4 Design of flat plate collector
The main components of flat plate collector are as follows,
 Casing (aluminium)
 Insulation (glass wool)
 Tempered glass
 Copper fins
Figure No- 4.5 Design of flat plate collector
Dimension of flat plate collector are as follows,
Table No- 4.3 Dimension of flat plate collector
Specification Dimension
Length 710 mm
Width 490 mm
Height 85 mm
Effective collector area 605*385 mm
Cover glass thickness 5 mm
Copper fins 0.1 mm

4.5 Design of stand
Figure No- 4.6 Stand for collector and water storage tank
Dimension of flat plate collector stand are as follows,
Table No- 4.4 Dimension of flat plate collector stand
Component Material
L angle M.S
Dimension of insulated storage tank stand are as follows,
Table No- 4.5 Dimension of insulated storage tank stand
Component Material
L angle M.S

5. MANUFACTURING DETAILS AND TESTING
5.1Manufacturing and testing of insulated water storage tank
5.1.1 Material selection for inner tank
First step in manufacturing of insulated water storage tank is the selection of

material, for the inner tank (Hot water tank) it may be stainless steel (S.S), mild steel
(M.S), galvanised iron (G.I). So we select the material mild steel (M.S) as per the
application and cost of material. Cost of mild steel is less compared to other material.
5.1.2 Manufacturing process for inner tank
Manufacturing process uses for the formation of inner tank are,
 Arc welding.
 Gas welding.
 Tig welding.
For the mild steel and galvanised iron arc welding or MIG welding used. For
stainless steel Tig welding or Argon gas welding used. As the material used for inner
tank is mild steel so we selected the Arc welding which is less costly compared to
other welding processes. As the capacity of our system is 30 litres, and the calculated
the diameter of inner tank is 323 mm with thickness of 3 mm. So for the formation of
inner tank we directly had taken the pipe of required dimension. The pipe is closed
with the two plates at the two ends having two barrel pipe of 8 inch on each plate.
Two barrel pipe are provided for water circulation. Whole system is manufacturing
with arc welding.

5.1.3 Testing of inner tank
There are four methods of tank testing,
 Die penetration test (D.P)

 Air test
 Hydro test
 Radiographic test
In our system inner tank is continuously filled with the water. For that
purpose we provide the continuous Arc welding with full penetration having
100% radiography, but testing is necessary to conform that there is no
leakages. So we used hydro test for Testing of inner tank. In this test we filled
the water in the tank placed for some hours and just observed.
Hydro static test is a way in which pressure vessels such as pipelines,
plumbing cylinders and fuel tanks can be tested for strength and leaks. The test
involved filling the vessels or pipe system with a liquid, usually water, which
may be dyed to aid in visual leak detection, and pressurization of the vessel to
the specified test pressure. The location of a leak can be visual identified more
easily if the water contains a colorant. Hydrostatic testing is the most common
method employed for testing water tanks. Using these test helps maintain
safety standards and durability of tanks over time. Water is commonly used
because it is cheap.

5.1.4 Selection of insulation
Different insulating materials are as follows,

 Cladding
 Rock wool
 Puff
 Glass wool
Equation for the calculation of heat loss
= ᵢ/ ᵢ
Form the above formula; we calculated the heat loss through insulating
material having thickness 50 mm. The above heat loss factor was 0.68 ⁄ ˚
which is considerable .Hence; we selected the glass wool with 36 densities as per the
temperature range of hot water inside the tank and the thermal conductivity of glass
wool.
Figure No- 5.1 Insulation (Glass wool)

5.1.5 Selection of Bush

Rubber bushings are basically the cylindrical rubber tubes that are
bonded or un-bonded into their inner as well as outer curves to the rigid
surfaces of the metal cylinders. These are manufactured of avant-garde rubber
molds. In the rubber bushes manufacturing, the rubber is pre-stressed so that it
provides optimum dynamic strength as well as durability.
Different types of bushes are available in market,

 Standard Bush
 Flanged Bush
We select standard rubber bush having dimension are as follows,
Outer Diameter (a) – 60 mm
Inner Diameter (b) – 16 mm
Height(c) – 70 mm
Figure No- 5.2 Dimension of rubber bush
Figure No- 5.3 Rubber bush fitting

5.1.6 Selection of material for outer tank

For the outer tank material may be stainless steel (S.S), mild steel
(M.S), Aluminium (Al), galvanised iron (G.I). So we select the material mild
steel (M.S) as per the application and cost of material. Cost of mild steel is
less compared to other material.
5.1.7 Outer tank
Outer tank is made up with the mild steel sheet having length 510 mm
and thickness 3 mm by rolling with the manual rolling machine to obtain the
429 mm diameter. Both inner and outer tank are drill with the 60 mm
diameter. Two cover plates with 433 mm diameter are used.
Figure No- 5.4 Insulated hot water tank

5.2 Manufacturing and testing of Flat plate collector
5.2.1 Material selection for Flat plate collector
For the flat plate collector base frame made up of Aluminium (Al) having
1mm thickness was selected because it is non-corrosive and makes manufacturing
easy. Above which a layer of 50 mm insulation (glass wool) of 36 density was placed
in order to complete a insulated tray another Al sheet was placed above the insulated
layer.
The Fin material selected was Cu of 0.1mm thickness which has very good
conductivity. Flat matt black paint is used to enhance absorption. A tempered glass of
thickness 6mm was used to cover the collector.
5.2.2 Manufacturing process for Flat plate collector
After section of Al material for bottom sheet having 1 mm thickness. Al sheet

having dimension 860*480 mm bend using hydraulic bending machine as bottom tray
to carry insulation having thickness 50 mm. upper Al sheet having dimension
700*920 mm bend using hydraulic bending machine as upper tray to cover whole
insulation. As collector is made up of Aluminium brazing is needed to braze
component of upper tray during brazing operation Aluminium rod used.
We selected the glass wool with 36 densities as per the temperature range of
Flat plate collector and the thermal conductivity of glass wool. Four slots were made
to introduce the Heat pipes. To trap more solar radiations & to transfer maximum heat
to the thermosyphons fins were placed between the insulated tray & heat pipes. The
Fin material selected was Cu of 0.1mm thickness which has very good conductivity.
Flat matt black paint is used to enhance absorption.
A tempered glass of thickness 6mm was used to cover the collector. The glass
selected is low iron content glass to promote transfer of solar radiations. Glass was
tempered to increase the hardness, the heat transfer coefficient and also to prevent the
collector assembly from pollution.

Figure No-5.5 Flat plate collector
Figure No- 5.6 Side view of flat plate collector

5.3 Manufacturing of Stand for tank and collector
5.3.1 Material selection for stand

Selection of material for cold and hot water storage tank stand depends
on capacity of cold and hot water storage tank. In our system capacity of cold
water tank is 50 litre and hot water tank 30 litres. So as per the capacity we
selected the L Angles for stand. Size of L Angle is 25*5 mm
5.3.2 Manufacturing process for stand

After the selection of material for stand having dimension 25*5 mm.
Different factors should be considered during manufacturing are as follows;
Selection of welding process,
1. The required heat input
2. The thickness parts to be welded
3. The availability of equipment and
4. The economics of the processes
Parameters to be decided in design of welding,
1. The selection of material for the parts

2. The design of the joints
3. Selection of welding process
4. The design of the welding dimension so that the welded joint can withstand
the applied stresses.
There are no. welding method are available in market. So we use the
Arc welding process according to the applied stress and no of weld required.
Decide the proper welding process sequence and include that information in
the parts drawing. Proper welding sequence helps to minimize the thermal
distortion in the parts. Whenever possible, design for welding in the flat or
horizontal position and not in the overhead position.

6. ASSEMBLY OF SYSTEM
6.1 Assembly of Hot water tank and Flat plate collector
Initially inner tank was covered with glass wool having 50 mm thickness then
assembly is placed in outer tank. Rubber bush are press fitted in the both inner
and outer tank for fitting of heat pipe in insulated water storage tank to avoid
leakages. The concentricity of both the tanks is obtained with the help of barrel
pipes which used for the water circulation. Heat pipe are inserted in hot water
tank having length of 256 mm. Then hot water tank assembly placed on the stand.
Four slots were made to flat plate collector to introduce four Heat pipes. Flat
plate collector assembly placed on stand and fixed to assembly of hot water tank
a tempered glass of thickness 6 mm was used to cover the collector.
6.2 Assembly of sensor
Temperature of collector and hot water is the most important parameter
considered for analysis, hence temperature sensors were used. There were more
options like P-type, K-type, Pt-100, etc. As our system is less temperature solar
water heating system Pt-100 is chosen which gives accurate temperature up to
200 degree Celsius. Three sensors were used. Two sensors were mounted on
collector to get upper and lower temperature of evaporator to get average
temperature of panel. The third sensor was mounted at the upper end to measure
temperature of hot water. A digital temperature indicator was used to get
respective readings.
Figure No- 6.1 Temp. Sensor and Digital indicator

6.3 plumbing
Components used for Plumbing operation,
 NRV
 Flow control valve
 Vent
 Pipes
COLD WATER TANK
HOT WATER
HOT WATER
TANK
OUTLET
FLOW CONTROL VALVE

NRV
Figure No- 6.2 Plumbing Operation
As per the above fig, cold water tank placed at the height of 1 ft. form hot water
tank to maintain constant pressure and continuous flow in the system. Capacity of
cold water tank should be more than hot water tank to natural circulation of water.
NRV is placed to prevent back flow of hot water into cold water tank also helps in
maintaining constant pressure in system. Flow control valve is used to control flow
during maintenance. It is manually operated.

6.4 Cold water tank

Capacity of cold water tank is 50 litres is placed at the height 1 ft. This cold
water tank used store and circulate cold water in the system.
Figure No- 6.3 Assembly of actual system

7. TESTING AND ANALYSIS
7.1 Procedure for testing
For the purpose of thermal analysis of solar water heater using heat pipe we
need some temperature reading so we took reading on hourly basis form 9.00AM to
5.00PM.
Solar radiation gets incident on flat plate collector having effective area 605
*385 mm. Flat plate collector is inclined at an angle of 60˚ to get thermo syphon
effect. These radiations get trapped in collector due to tempered glass which is placed
on the collector. Heat energy get absorb by four heat pipe having thermal fluid as
distilled water. The heated thermal fluid get evaporated in evaporate section and
condense in condenser section inside the water tank. So that temperature of water
inside the tank continuously goes on increasing. This rise in collector temperatures is
measure by PT 100 sensor at the two points by two sensors one at the bottom of heat
pipe another at the top of the collector. Inlet and outlet water temp are measure with
the help of PT 100 sensor having indicating range 200˚C. These measure temps is
indicated with multi- point digital indicator.
The experimental efficiency of the collector is calculated as the product of the

heat capacity rate per unit collector area and water temperature rise in the heat
exchanger divided by the solar radiation. The instantaneous efficiency is determined
by:
= ( − )/
Table No- 7.1 Dates and Atmosphere condition
Readings Atmosphere
24.04.15 Shiny summer
28.05.15 Cloudy
3.06.15 Shiny summer

7.2 Testing
7.2.1 Testing 1
The experimental set up was tested for a shiny day.
Date 24.04.2015
Table No- 7.2 Readings on date 24.04.2015
Time (sec) Surrounding Collector temp. (˚c) Water temp.

temp. (˚c) (˚c)
To T1 T2 Tw
9.00 AM 31 40 41 32
10.00 AM 32 41 41 33
11.00 AM 33 43 43 35
12.00 PM 34 46 47 37
1.00 PM 34 48 49 38
2.00 PM 35 50 50 41
3.00 PM 34 49 49 42
4.00 PM 33 48 48 43
5.00 PM 33 45 45 43

7.2.2 Testing 2
The experimental set up was tested for a cloudy day.
Date 28.05.2015

temp. (˚c) (˚c)
To T1 T2 Tw
9.00 AM 29 31 32 29
10.00 AM 30 31 32 31
11.00 AM 30 32 34 33
12.00 PM 31 33 34 34
1.00 PM 32 35 37 37
2.00 PM 33 37 38 38
3.00 PM 33 39 39 39
4.00 PM 31 37 37 39
5.00 PM 30 35 35 39

7.2.3 Testing 3
The experimental set up was tested for a shiny day.
Date 03.06.2015

temp. (˚c) (˚c)
To T1 T2 Tw
9.00 AM 30 36 38 33
10.00 AM 31 41 41 35
11.00 AM 32 43 44 36
12.00 PM 33 45 46 38
1.00 PM 34 46 48 41
2.00 PM 34 47 48 42
3.00 PM 33 48 48 43
4.00 PM 32 48 48 44
5.00 PM 31 46 44 45

7.3 GRAPH
7.3.1 Date 03.06.2015
Atmosphere – shiny summer
60
50
40
SURROUNDING
30 TEMP.
COLLECTOR
TEMP.
20
WATER TEMP.
10
0
9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
AM AM AM PM PM PM PM PM PM
Figure No- 7.1 Graph for shiny summer

7.3.2 Date 28.05.2015
Atmosphere- cloudy
45
40
35
30
25 Surrounding
temp.
20 Collector temp.
Water temp.
15
10
0
9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
Figure No- 7.2 Graph for cloudy atmosphere

7.3.3 Graph of Radiation versus time
Radiation (MJ/m²)
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3 Radiation
(MJ/m²)
0.2
0.1
0
9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
Figure No- 7.3 Radiation data

7.3.4 Graph of system efficiency versus time.
Date 03.06.2015
Atmosphere – Shiny summer
System efficiency
35
30
25
20
15 System efficiency
10
0
9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
Figure No-7.4 Graph for system efficiency on shiny day

7.3.5 Graph of system efficiency versus time.
Date 28.05.2015
Atmosphere- cloudy
System efficiency
25
20
15
10 System efficiency
0
9.00 10.00 11.00 12.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 5.00
Figure No- 7.5 Graph for system efficiency on cloudy day

8. COSTING
8.1 Cost Estimation
Cost estimation is an attempt to forecast the expenses that may be incurred

during manufacturing a component. Estimation of manufacturing cost for a
component of the product may be considered as a judgment made on it after careful
attention paid on all factors by calculating to determine the amount of labour, material
and factory satisfactory conditions to procure the part. It is of the following types:
8.1.1 Design Cost
It is the cost incurred towards designing of the tool taking into consideration,
the various aspects of failures. It also includes the cost for drafting the part and
assembly drawings.
8.1.2 Material Cost
The cost estimation gives the amount of money required to purchase the raw
material to be processed and manufactured to get various components of the product
to be manufactured. These materials are divided into two broad categories:
• Standard Purchase Items these include all the parts which are included and to be
brought remanufactured, i.e. standard parts like nuts bolts, sealants, etc.
• Materials for fabrication of components These include the materials which are
obtained raw, machined and manufactured into a component and other parts of the
machine. A list is prepared by estimation stating the quantity, size of standard parts,
number of pieces and weight of raw material for fabricated parts.
8.1.3 Machining Cost
The machining cost estimation gives the required cost to machine a

component on a machine. This gives an estimation of how much time will be required
to hire the machine for that component. This is done for all components, which
constitute as the part of machine being manufactured.

8.2 Overheads and Miscellaneous Cost
These costs are due to:
• Material handling overheads due to transportation, storage interest on working

capital.
• Shop related overheads due to consumption of stores spares, indirect material and
labour, depreciation on ancillary equipment’s like cranes, power consumption,
machine maintenance, etc.
• Administration and general overheads like expenses of accounts, personnel, general

managing, corporate departments and advertisements.
8.3 Machining cost

Table No- 8.1 Machining cost
Operation Rate Cost

Bending 20 per bend 560
Gas cutting 6 per inch 1500
Arc welding 5 per inch 500
Drilling 20 per drill 120
brazing 50 per spot 500
8.4 cost of purchased parts

Table No- 8.2 Cost of purchased parts
No. Description Quantity Cost

1. Heat pipes 4 2400
2. Aluminium sheet 1 1550
3. Glass wool 1 2000
4. Copper sheet 1 485
5. Copper tubes 4 1320
6. Mild steel sheet 2 2400

7. L angles - 800
8. Matt black paint 2 500
9. Tempered glass 1 1000
10. Rubber bushes 4 1600
11. Temp. sensors 3 950
12. Digital temp indicator 1 1800
13. G.I barrel pipes 4 160
14. ¾ NRV 1 160
15. Flow control valve 1 100
16. ¾ ½ GI T 1 35
17. ½ CPVC Brass MTA 1 95
18. 5 ft. ½ CPVC pipe 1 80
19. ½ CPVC elbow 1 20
20. ¾ double nipple 1 30
21. Tape flown tape 4 80
22. ¾ UPVC fitting 1 80
23. ¾ UPVC T 1 20
24. Hole tit 1 20
25. PVC cock 1 20
26. Socket and plug 4 120
27. Socket and tube 4 280
28. Silicon sealant 4 200
29. Oil paint and brash 2 100
30. Insulating cotton thread 1 100
31. Other 1000
Total 22685/-

9. Conclusion
1. A flat plate solar water heater using heat pipe was designed and fabricated.
2. Thermal performance of the HP- FPSWH system was done. The experimental
results were noted for two different weather conditions. The temperature of
water of 30 kg in the tank increased by 17˚C on sunny day and by 11 ˚C on
cloudy day after a day's work.
3. By enhancing the thermal insulation of the collector, the efficiency will be
higher.
4. The heat loss during night-time seems substantial and provisions should be
made to reduce this for better system performance.
5. The heat pipes did not present start up with difficulties or gas generation
problems.
9.1 Future scopes

The following developmental work may be taken as extension of the present work.
1. In future we can implement some new thing and develop existing ones.
2. We can track the collector up to little extend in future which may increases the
efficiency.
3. By using better insulation we can reduce the tank and its weight, which will be
favourable.
4. We can also clean the glass by spraying water automatically after certain
period.
5. By using better dimensions of heat pipes we can reduce the panel size with
increase in performance.
6. Its compact size & low height makes it easy to install and transport.
7. Faster response times.
8. Smaller collector area required to match energy output of flat-plate collectors.
9. If one of the thermo syphon breaks or fails, tube replacement is simple and
cheap (the whole panel does not need replacing).
10. Innovative design makes it maintenance free & easy to clean.

REFERENCE
1. Mehmet Akyurt Mechanical Engineering, King Abdul-Aziz University,

Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
(Received 17 August 1982: accepted 10 May 1983)
2. E. Azxd, F. Bxha Rand F. Moztarzadeh Materials & Energy Research Centre,
P.O. Box 14155-4777, Tehran, lran
(Received 12 January 1987)
3. Wongee Chuna, Yong Heack Kangb, Hee Youl Kwakb, Young Soo Lee
Department of Nuclear and Energy Engineering, Cheju National University,
Cheju, 690-756, Korea Korea Institute of Energy Research(KIER), Daedeok
Science Town, Taejon 305-343, Korea.
4. A.A. Karaghouli a, W.E. Alnaser Energy Research Centre, University of
Bahrain, P.O. Box 32038, Bahrain b Department of Physics, University of
Bahrain, P.O. Box 32038, Bahrain.
5. “Heat pipes”, D.A. Reay David Reay & Associates, Whitley Bay, UK P.A.
Kew Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, UK.
6. “Heat pipes”, JAY M.OCHTERBECK Department of Mechanical
Engineering Clemson University Clemson, South Carolina.

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Design and analysis of solar water heater using heat pipe

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 1

1.1 Classification of solar water heater

Solar water heater

Flat plate collector

ETC solar water ETC solar water

Figure No- 1.1 Classification of solar water heater

1.2 Salient Features of Solar Water Heating System

 Around 60˚C-80˚C temperatures can be attained depending on solar

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 2

Figure No- 2.1 Flat plate collector solar water heater

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 3

2.1.1 Component of flat plate collector is as follows,

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 4

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 5

2.2 Study of evacuated tube collector solar water heater

• Evacuated glass tubes and Barium Getter

Figure No- 2.2 Evacuated tube collector solar water heater

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 6

2.2.1 Components of evacuated tube collectors are as follows,

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 7

 The collector is hermetically sealed inside an evacuated glass tube,

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 8

2.3 Study of solar water heater using heat pipe

The use of heat pipes offers several advantages regarding flexibility in

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 9

Figure No- 2.3 Solar water heater using heat pipes

2.3.1 Basic component of system are as follows,

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 10

2.3.2 Heat pipe

Figure No- 2.4 Heat pipe

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 11

2.3.3 Basic operation of heat pipe

Figure No- 2.5 Operation of heat pipe

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 12

Pipe material Working fluid Notes

Copper (cu) Water Satisfactory. Has ballast

Mild steel (MS) Methanol Satisfactory after purging.

Copper (cu) Ethanol Satisfactory.

Copper (cu) Acetone Satisfactory.

Copper (cu) Water Satisfactory.

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 13

Table No- 2.2 Methods of condensate return

Method Type of heat pipe

Gravity Thermo syphon

Capillary force Standard heat pipe

Centripetal force Rotating heat pipe

Electro kinetic force Electro-osmotic heat pipe

Magnetic force Magnetic fluid heat pipe

Osmotic force Osmotic heat pipe

Bubble pump Inverse thermal syphon

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 14

2.3.4 Flat plate collector

Figure No- 2.6 Flat plate collector

KJ college of engineering and management research, Pune. Page 15

2.3.5 Heat pipe solar collector advantages

(i) Thermal diode

(ii) No interior corrosion

No freezing hazard freezing can be eliminated through working fluid selection.