TrendSetter Premium Super Heat Pipe Solar Thermal CollectorThe TRENDSETTER® solar collector has been designed to be suitable for a wide range of system configurations including open loop, closed loop, drain back and even thermosyphon when coupled with a suitable tank. Collectors may be installed in banks of up to10collectors in series (300 tubes maximum) and unlimited parallelconnected banks. Collectors can be used for both domestic and commercial applications. The TRENDSETTER® premium collector is a thermal solar collector that uses twin glass evacuated tubes as the solar absorber. Copper heat pipes are used to transfer the heat from within the evacuated tube to a heat transfer manifold, with metal fins positioned within the evacuated tube to aid heat transfer and hold the heat pipes firmly in place. The heat transfer manifold consists of a copper header pipe through which heat transfer liquid (water or water-glycol mix) is circulated. The header is designed with dry contact ports into which the heat pipes plug, allowing efficient heat transfer. There is no water inside the evacuated tubes and no direct contact between the heat pipes and the heat transfer liquid, as such the system is suitable for mains pressure. The manifold and tubes are attached to a stainless steel mounting frame, which can be mounted directly on a roof of suitable pitch. Frame kits are also available which allow mounting on flat roofs, walls or low-pitched roofs. By using commercially available frame kits, pole mounting is also possible. Product Applications
Product Features
Pipe Insulation Copper pipe (as commonly used on the solar loop) is a fantastic natural heat dissipater, and therefore if not well insulated the system performance will be greatly reduced, due to passive heat loss. ALL exposed piping both indoors and outdoors should be heavily insulated, regardless of the climate. Installation Location Installation angle (inclination) and direction (azimuth) are both important factors, which should be considered. As a general rule the installation angle should match the latitude of the region, however this may not be the case if the system design needs to minimize summer output. The azimuth should be as close to due south as possible. Pointing towards the East or West by up to 30° is acceptable and will have minimal impact on the collector output. Pointing the collector at greater angles towards East or West will change the peak period of heat output to morning or afternoon respectively. Make certain the collector will not be shaded significantly during the day. Early morning before 10AM or later afternoon shading after 3 PM is not a major problem as solar radiation levels are low during these periods anyway. Safety Adhere to all relevant safety regulations when completing the installation, in particular health and safety guidelines regarding working on a roof/ladder. Ensure the collector will not become a hazard in the case of damage. E.g. during a storm if flying debris strikes the collector, tubes may be broken, resulting in broken glass. A consideration of where such glass may fall should be made – if on an area where people re likely to walk, safety measures may need to be employed. E.g. installs a guard below the collector, and/or educates the home-owner. |
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