This is Part 3 the final part of the series. Next we add pipe to heat water and expand air.
Have something to add? Please consider leaving a comment, or if you want to stay updated you can subscribe to the RSS feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.
25 Responses to PART 3 FINAL TROUGH MIRROR Parabolic Parabola Reflector Solar Water Heater
They actually make servos and heliostats that you can use to have it follow the sun.
If you are busy outside making sure the sunbeam is focusing on a pipe,You really dont need hot water in the house do ya?Correct me if im wrong but wont the concentrated sunbeam be moving all day long?
if you made it from lots of layers of styrofoam it wouldn’t distort under its own weight and would be much easier to support & aim. Also could you just stick in the mirror with two beads of glue along the straight edges?
davidvwilliamson
February 18, 2013 at 4:31 pm Reply
if you made some way of tracking a movie camera along the focus and also made some way of tracking altitude/azimuth (like one of those rockers you use to tip cars over?) you could create a movie of an enlarged image. You would need some way of combining all the movie into a single still image.
davidvwilliamson
February 18, 2013 at 4:59 pm Reply
What about adhesive velcro on the back instead of screws?
Great job appreciate all your videos.
Im guessing suppliers in the US supply you
With product at a reduced rate which you then pass on.
Pity Im in the UK as we tend to pay through the nose for stuff.
That said I will be making one of these anyways.
Keep up the good work.
John.
PS. Took your corrugated heat collector a stage further and build one out of
Plastic UV laminated roofing sheet (Large type of 10mm coroplast) worked great
No vids unfortunately.
I would think that teh glue that you need to bond to acrylic actually melts it together. If you use that type of glue and it melts the reflecitve coating off the back of the mirror, you’re screwed!
put your glue down on the frame and then place trash bags full of water on the mirror to force contact
patriotsundergod
February 19, 2013 at 1:16 am Reply
The device you need to determine electrical usage of a deep freezer for example…. Is called a “Kill – a watt”. You can find them on e-bay for around $20
I would like to see more videos on how you can determine your everyday power usage so that you can start going off grid… I know how many kw I use each month, but I don’t know the pull our deep freezer has on the system when it kicks on etc…
Is there an easy way to hook something up to the electrical system to monitor this?
They actually make servos and heliostats that you can use to have it follow the sun.
pentupentropy
February 18, 2013 at 3:43 pm
If you are busy outside making sure the sunbeam is focusing on a pipe,You really dont need hot water in the house do ya?Correct me if im wrong but wont the concentrated sunbeam be moving all day long?
krowebmf76
February 18, 2013 at 3:55 pm
if you made it from lots of layers of styrofoam it wouldn’t distort under its own weight and would be much easier to support & aim. Also could you just stick in the mirror with two beads of glue along the straight edges?
davidvwilliamson
February 18, 2013 at 4:31 pm
if you made some way of tracking a movie camera along the focus and also made some way of tracking altitude/azimuth (like one of those rockers you use to tip cars over?) you could create a movie of an enlarged image. You would need some way of combining all the movie into a single still image.
davidvwilliamson
February 18, 2013 at 4:59 pm
What about adhesive velcro on the back instead of screws?
carp1844
February 18, 2013 at 5:14 pm
that was incredibly awesome!
vanderstelt00
February 18, 2013 at 5:36 pm
how much hot water does this mirror generate?
Ed Christopher
February 18, 2013 at 6:19 pm
Hi Dan,
Great job appreciate all your videos.
Im guessing suppliers in the US supply you
With product at a reduced rate which you then pass on.
Pity Im in the UK as we tend to pay through the nose for stuff.
That said I will be making one of these anyways.
Keep up the good work.
John.
PS. Took your corrugated heat collector a stage further and build one out of
Plastic UV laminated roofing sheet (Large type of 10mm coroplast) worked great
No vids unfortunately.
johnypc2008
February 18, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Hi Dan. can be make it with home made fresnel mirrow for save space or needs a different plataform, more complicate to center the light
tex1965able
February 18, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Lowes sells it….if you order a 4×8 sheet they will charge you Motor Freight , since UPS or Fedx cannot ship that size.
Kevin Chedivillie
February 18, 2013 at 7:36 pm
or you can use an acrylic bit.
warforlips
February 18, 2013 at 8:24 pm
To bad you didn’t use treated wood. Now you have to treat it yourself, so it can be used outside for extended use…
warforlips
February 18, 2013 at 8:49 pm
I would recommend drilling the holes with the protective layer on it still that way you don’t mar the surface up
dragoncracker
February 18, 2013 at 9:41 pm
Drill your holes in the acrilic with the drill in reverse. I think a bit of PVA in all the wood joints would make it strong.
Hamish121212
February 18, 2013 at 10:14 pm
I would think that teh glue that you need to bond to acrylic actually melts it together. If you use that type of glue and it melts the reflecitve coating off the back of the mirror, you’re screwed!
STARFIRESOLAR
February 18, 2013 at 11:10 pm
how much water can a parabolic trough mirror like this heat?
123gt
February 18, 2013 at 11:36 pm
or get mrs green power to hold the camera ffs! i feel sea sick!
leslie briddon
February 18, 2013 at 11:59 pm
Love your stuff, but can you build a tripod? This video was a bit like the Blair witch project…
amommamust
February 19, 2013 at 12:22 am
Quetions:
1) Where Do I buy that acrylic Mirror?
2) How do you keep it clean?
3) How will you track the sun with such a big rig?
XSlayerALE
February 19, 2013 at 12:45 am
put your glue down on the frame and then place trash bags full of water on the mirror to force contact
patriotsundergod
February 19, 2013 at 1:16 am
The device you need to determine electrical usage of a deep freezer for example…. Is called a “Kill – a watt”. You can find them on e-bay for around $20
GoatHollow
February 19, 2013 at 1:26 am
double sided tar tape could have took the place of the screws.
crob227
February 19, 2013 at 2:01 am
I would like to see more videos on how you can determine your everyday power usage so that you can start going off grid… I know how many kw I use each month, but I don’t know the pull our deep freezer has on the system when it kicks on etc…
Is there an easy way to hook something up to the electrical system to monitor this?
AcidRaZor
February 19, 2013 at 2:24 am
a cordless soldering iron from radio shack would be perfect to melt little holes in mirro for you
johnnecron
February 19, 2013 at 2:38 am
What do you do with all these mirrors with no sunlight
JokerTim76
February 19, 2013 at 2:47 am