alt.energy.homepower

nicksanspam@ wrote:
> Jeff wrote:
>
>
>> What's the verdict on trickle collectors, I haven't heard you talk
>>about them for a while?
>>
>> It seems the big disadvantage is the need for glass as glazing.
>
>
> That's one. I had thought polycarbonate might work before learning that
> it won't last long in warm water vapor. Gary's looked into unglazed pool
> trickle collectors at . If we trickle down
> water in a narrow channels that conduct heat in from nearby dry metal
> surfaces, evaporation heat loss is less.

I haven't looked throug Gary's site for a while, I'll look into it. He
seems to be making every issue of Mother Earth News though!!!

>
> We might use an asphalt roof as a pool collector with a polyethylene cover

I did some experimenting with polyethylene last year and have come down
against it for a couple of reasons.

1) It is one of the few, if not the only glazing that is IR transparent.
You get much higher losses due to that.

2) It's hard to find really clear poly.

It seems to make a particularly poor glazing due to those. Shame
though, because it is so cheap!

I have some vinyl show curtain liner I may try... mostly becuase I
have it.... It's dead clear. The Dome book had some vinyl pllow domes in
it and they apparently did not age well. Anyone ever try Saran Wrap?
They make that in commercial widths.

Jeff


Jeff



> and something to hold it off the shingles to keep it from gluing itself to
> the shingles when they are hot and dry in full sun, eg air inflation with
> overhead straps to avoid wind fatigue.
>
> Nick
>