Design and Manufacturing of Thermosyphon Solar Water Heater Using Locally Available Materials in Nsanke Village

Abstract

The weather conditions of Nsanke village starting from April to October emphasis the need for judicious utilization of warm water. We designed, constructed and tested a Solar Water Heater based on Thermosyphon principle in Nsanke village using locally available materials. Solar energy is received by two flat-plate collectors of 1.68 m² each, consisting of absorber plate carrying copper tubes and placed in an insulated casing with a transparent glass cover of thickness 4 mm. The collectors are connected in series and are assumed to operate on the same efficiency. The resultant collector is connected to a storage tank, which is an association of two barrel nested overall and separated with an insulator. The radiation emitted by the absorber plates cannot escape through the glass, thus increasing its temperature. The system’s performance evaluation has shown that it can heat water from 23°C to at least 51°C on sunny days. The water heated flows into a storage tank through Thermosyphon principle. The Solar Water Heating System uses the Thermosyphon principle and can therefore be called Thermosyphon Solar Water Heater (TSWH) for simplicity. This system finds useful application in serving as a renewable energy resource in Nsanke village and neighboring villages.