Investigación Experimental de un Colector Solar de Tubo de Calor Utilizado como una Alternativa Ecológica para el Calentamiento del Agua

An experimental study of a heat pipe solar collector was carried out to analyze the efficiency of the system through the variation of ambient temperature and solar radiation, this system is used as an ecological alternative for water heating. A solar water heater with heat pipes is 50% more efficient than conventional systems, taking into account the water temperature at the outlet of the prototype. Because this system uses solar energy, it helps reduce the electrical energy consumption by 26.5 % required by an electric shower. The data were taken in various weather conditions, testing the system on clear, rainy and cloudy days to obtain the operating values and the intensity of solar radiation. The water reached a maximum temperature of 40.4 °C within a solar radiation range between 700 and 800 W/m2. The efficiency of the system depends on several factors, such as solar radiation, wind speed and ambient temperature. The highest efficiency achieved by this system is around 50 % on sunny days, while in rainy weather it was 37 %. The implementation of this system can help reduce 226.5 kg of CO2 emissions produced by the daily use of an electric shower. The objective of this research is to determine the best conditions to achieve the highest efficiency of the system.