Using the parabolic mirror (o similar) to heat a home

[bugler]

Hi. Gas bill in winter has been quite expensive and as the Earth is cooling and prices are going up it will be more and more expensive every year.

I was thinking whether it would be possible to home-manufacture a device to heat a home using the parabolic imrror (like the one the kid did with 5800 mirrors) to heat a home.

What could be the components?

Thanks for your insight.

[Matthew Jones]

Hi. Gas bill in winter has been quite expensive and as the Earth is cooling and prices are going up it will be more and more expensive every year.

I was thinking whether it would be possible to home-manufacture a device to heat a home using the parabolic imrror (like the one the kid did with 5800 mirrors) to heat a home.

What could be the components?

Thanks for your insight.

Build a copper coil with pipe. Encase it in Fire clay. Use the mirror on it. Pump water through it at rate it which the water either heats to steam or just below. Use the steam or hot water to heat. Mount the whole collector on a solar tracker.
You could use some kinda oil as well. Then do heat transfer to water or not.

You could probably come up with some kinda wood gasifier that worked with it. But you would have to get up to par on wood gasifiers as well. Anyway pump the gas to an ignition point and burn it for heat.

Alot of possibilities for sure.

Matt

[everyidea]

Or build a pop can solar heater and forget about the mirror and water.

YouTube - Pop soda beer can Solar heater furnace cansolair panel -- Part 1

rw

[Golden Mean]

Or build a pop can solar heater and forget about the mirror and water.

YouTube - Pop soda beer can Solar heater furnace cansolair panel -- Part 1

rw

Yes, this is the simplest method... but make sure you have adequate sunlight in the colder months! I built one for testing and it worked extremely well, but I couldn't find a decent place to mount it and get the warm air into my basement (where I need the heat!) so it is being dismantled this Spring.

I'm currently working on a new inexpensive, passive light-tube design to concentrate and pump the sunlight directly into the house for lighting and possibly heating (if the infrared channels well). Ran some tests using PVC, mylar and a flashlight and it works pretty well. Haven't tried full sunlight yet. This will be an open-source project that I will share when there's something substantial to show!
Currently trying to find a way to build a passive solar collection system without having to program a tracker and mount it, etc. I have some ideas, but haven't tested them yet.

Have a great day!

[everyidea]

I'm currently working on a new inexpensive, passive light-tube design to concentrate and pump the sunlight directly into the house for lighting and possibly heating (if the infrared channels well).

I installed sun tubes in my second home, they worked "too good" for sun light in the home! I needed to put diffusers on them where they came out into the home. Without the diffuser it was like a death ray beam of light in a dimly lit room.

I didn't use them for heat, just light. But, it was always a little warmer where they shined in the home.

rw