Low Cost Solar Thermal System

大多数太阳能热系统都有一个单独的防冻液填充回路，以防止冻结，并且需要一个装有热交换器的新水箱。改装时，需要更换一个完好的油箱（通常是铜的）。Soltropy有限公司开发了一种创新的解决方案，可以直接加热生活用水，而无需二次流体循环。这提高了系统的效率，并通过允许系统冻结而不造成损坏来降低资本和安装成本；这是通过在外部铜管中加入可压缩管来实现的。当系统冻结时，可压缩管吸收由冰引起的膨胀，防止压力积聚。作为该项目的一部分，集管和真空管中的热管之间的热连接将模块化，允许使用标准铜管作为集管，并将单个单元夹在管道上。这将进一步降低成本，因为模块化连接器可以批量生产。此外，控制系统将被优化、简化和模块化。迄今为止，赫瑞瓦特大学的测试表明，Soltropy系统的行为与“老式”系统不同，因此需要不同的控制策略。

Most solar thermal systems have a separate antifreeze filled loop for protection against freezing and require a new tankfitted with a heat exchanger. When retrofitting, a perfectly good tank (usually copper) needs to be replaced. Soltropy Ltdhas developed an innovative solution that allows a domestic water supply to be heated directly without the secondary fluidcycle. This increases the efficiency of the system and reduces capital and installation costs by allowing the system tofreeze but cause no damage; this is achieved by incorporating a compressible tube within an outer copper pipe. When thesystem freezes the compressible tube takes up the expansion due to the ice and prevents pressure build up. As part of thisproject the thermal connection between the header pipe and the heat pipe in the evacuated tube will modularised, allowinga standard copper pipe to be used as the header with single units clamping over the pipe. This will reduce costs further asthe modular connector can be mass produced. In addition the control system will be optimised, simplified and modularised.Tests at Heriot-Watt University to date have shown that the Soltropy system behaves differently from an "old style" systemand therefore requires different control strategies.