When making a solar water heater has anyone used a Fresnel Len as the glass to increase heating?
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Question by Chad M: When making a solar water heater has anyone used a Fresnel Len as the glass to increase heating?
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2 Responses to When making a solar water heater has anyone used a Fresnel Len as the glass to increase heating?
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They do use them, but not configured as you say.
Just using the glass won’t change the amount of energy.
The proper way to use it is to put a big (much bigger than the collector) lens well in front of the collector, with the focal length chosen to concentrate the energy onto the collector.
SamIAm
November 3, 2012 at 10:08 pm
Yes, of course. Because a fresnel lens, these days, is made of thin plastic, a properly constructed lens can be made that is long and narrow and come to a focus when it is mounted flat or when it is arched. In either case, the lens collects light from a wide area and focuses it on a line where there should be a pipe ideally with a treated surface to absorb as much energy as possible
mike1942f
November 3, 2012 at 10:40 pm