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| SAFETY WARNING |
| I’m not an engineer. You assume all risk copying these projects. |
| The concentrated sunlight can raise the collector temperature to about 1200F, but I will run a cooling fluid, usually nontoxic type anti-freeze through it to absorb the heat just as it does in your car's engine. The heated fluid will be piped to a heat exchanger where it gives up its heat to another material such as the water you will shower with in the morning. The fluid, now cooled returns to the collector to be heated again and again. The possible uses are limited only by your imagination. This can preheat your domestic hot water before you run it into the gas or electric water heater. Energy left over might be run through a genuine automobile radiator stuck in your space heating system or used to heat a basement or portion of the house that the central heat or stove can't reach. |
| SITING SAFETY |
| The concentrated sunlight can ignite combustibles or cause other damage. At the focal point, temperatures of about 1200 F will be achieved. This point is about three feet in front of the satelite dish. If this concentrated energy does not hit the collector because the array is not properly aligned with the sun, then a hazard exists about another eight feet beyond the missed target. Protect this sixteen foot space ! Beyond this, the energy is dispersed and will simply becomes a lot of bright spots scattered upon surrounding objects. It's a rather pretty effect, especially if the array is lightly dancing in the breeze. The energy can hit the nearby roof prior to total dispersal and damage the asphalt shingles. It did just that so we relocated it for safety reasons.
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| A piece of sheet metal roofing blocked with a one inch air space between it and the shingles should protect it. |
The concentrated sunlight can ignite combustibles or cause other damage. At the focal point, temperatures of about 1200 F will be achieved. This point is about three feet in front of the satelite dish. If this concentrated energy does not hit the collector because the array is not properly aligned with the sun, then a hazard exists about another eight feet beyond the missed target. Protect this sixteen foot space ! Beyond this, the energy is dispersed and will simply becomes a lot of bright spots scattered upon surrounding objects. It's a rather pretty effect, especially if the array is lightly dancing in the breeze. The energy can hit the nearby roof prior to total dispersal and damage the asphalt shingles. It did just that so we relocated it for safety reasons.
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A piece of sheet metal roofing blocked with a one inch air space between it and the shingles should protect it.
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Also consider the hazard to persons, particularly children that may find it fascinating and within reach. You can get one H of a sun- burn, mighty fast with a little horseplay. One look at the array from the focal point might be your last.
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I'm not trying to scare you, but we ARE playing with fire. It can be tamed and used like fire, but be careful, please.
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Parts needed to make a Solar Concentrator:
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| Old Satellite Dish 10' or 12' |
Free |
| Actuator |
Free |
| Solar Tracker (electronics) |
$40.00 |
| Gas line 3/8" 25' |
$30.00 |
I got this 10' satellite dish for free, it's an aluminum dish, I just have to take the paint off and polish' it, this is a big saving, no mirror to buy, yeah
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Here's my son grinding the dish with a wire brush
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The actuator came with the dish
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3/8" 25' Gas line from auto parts
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I purchase this solar tracker from Red Rock Energy (redrok.com)
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