Improving Evacuated Tubes
School Name
Center for Advanced Technical Studies
Grade Level
11th Grade
Presentation Topic
Environmental Science
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
How can changing the insulation material of an evacuated tube effect the maximum temperature reached by the water being heated? If there is a change in the type of insulation, then the maximum temperature reached will change. Evacuated tubes are being used because they are the best for solar heating. It is predicted that the lower the R value, the higher the maximum temperature reached by the water will be. This is being completed to help areas where clean water is scarce, like many areas Africa. Cheaper models of evacuated tube lack a metal heat fin. Methods include using an evacuated tube holder and ten evacuated tubes of the same size, each having a copper metal fin and copper heat exchange tube, to test a range of insulating materials with varying R values: fiberglass, sand, soil, pine straw, and gravel. Another method is wrapping the fiberglass insulation around the heat exchange tube so that insertion and removal of both the heat exchange tube and fiberglass is easier. The data illustrates that indoor trials consistently surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit using two flood lamps; however, indoor trials will work to determine if an insulation is better or worse than the other insulations. In the future, data collection using the above mentioned materials will be completed. Key Words: Evacuated Tubes Solar Water Heater R values
Recommended Citation
Ainsworth, Maeghan, "Improving Evacuated Tubes" (2017). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 145.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2017/all/145
Location
Wall 206
Start Date
3-25-2017 11:15 AM
Presentation Format
Oral Only
Group Project
No
Improving Evacuated Tubes
Wall 206
How can changing the insulation material of an evacuated tube effect the maximum temperature reached by the water being heated? If there is a change in the type of insulation, then the maximum temperature reached will change. Evacuated tubes are being used because they are the best for solar heating. It is predicted that the lower the R value, the higher the maximum temperature reached by the water will be. This is being completed to help areas where clean water is scarce, like many areas Africa. Cheaper models of evacuated tube lack a metal heat fin. Methods include using an evacuated tube holder and ten evacuated tubes of the same size, each having a copper metal fin and copper heat exchange tube, to test a range of insulating materials with varying R values: fiberglass, sand, soil, pine straw, and gravel. Another method is wrapping the fiberglass insulation around the heat exchange tube so that insertion and removal of both the heat exchange tube and fiberglass is easier. The data illustrates that indoor trials consistently surpassed 100 degrees Fahrenheit using two flood lamps; however, indoor trials will work to determine if an insulation is better or worse than the other insulations. In the future, data collection using the above mentioned materials will be completed. Key Words: Evacuated Tubes Solar Water Heater R values
