Residential Solar Thermal Generator and Water Heater
My invention for the BC Hydro Invent the Future Contest is a simple home based solar thermal power generator which would produce electrical energy as well as hot water for domestic use.
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Why make steam when Rankin cycle heat engines are just about viable. You would also develop some additional solar energy by having a lower working temperature and getting away from the vacuum tube exchanger.
We are working on exactly this. However we have found that the water heater gets hot in Arizona within 2 hours using a 85 gal tank. The other issue is finding a micro steam turbine that is not noisy. Dissapating heat is the most difficult part. We integrate it into pools, hottubs, domestic water, space heating, and now we are combining it with our A/C system to provide cold air during the day as well. Anyone have a turbine to suggest?
I like this product. I need this product to install in my home. I am from India. Is this product is commercially available? We need to discuss with you further, please email us
Have you looked into the potential of having this made?
I would love to go over your designs and see if we can figure out how to start production.
I really appreciate the advise, and you are right in that the water would get hot and less effective, but with the exchanging into the tank for domestic use and how much water might be in the generator system it might buffer enough if it to keep it effective. Besides that though I totally think that would be a good idea to add a sensor.
what does an evacuated tube parabolic solar collector of this type and a steam turbine cost?
very nice. ambitious but sensible. it should produce the same amount of heat as a same sized solar hot water collector with the added benefit of electricity. the only problem I can see is as the stored water gets hotter, it will be less effective at cooling the steam. having stored water near the boiling point is not bad, it is a nice resource. You MIGHT need to have a sensor and deactivate the eletric part at this temperature, or simply increase the heat storage volume so this cannot happen.