Design, Construction and Installation of Solar Water Heater

This report outlines systematic design of a solar water heating system for use in the Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management (H.C.I.M) Department of the Bolgatanga Polytechnic in the Upper East Region of Ghana and presents the results of calculations of the design parameters. A solar water heating system for domestic use has been designed and constructed using locally available materials. Solar energy is received by a flat-plate collector consisting of a thin absorber plate, integrated with underneath grids of fluid carrying tubes, and placed in an insulated casing with a transparent glass cover having a cold and a hot water tank integrated in the system. The radiation emitted by the sun is absorbed by the absorber plate and contained within it thereby increasing the temperature of the water in the tubes. The water gets heated and flows into a storage tank by the principle of thermosyphon system. A total amount of 50 liters of hot water was obtained representing 75 percent of hot water needs in the department. Maximum fluid output temperature of 80 oC, the collector temperature of 55 oC , ambient temperature of 37 °C, and solar radiation of 4.61 KWh/m2/day, were obtained