I'm in the planning stages of thermal storage for my Econoburn 150. I'll be using a hand-built rectangular tank holding about 770 gallons in un-pressurized storage with an in-tank heat exchanger. I've looked at the usual array of commercially produced plate heat exchangers and coils. As I was looking at this website http://www.energytransferinc.com/?gclid=CKCe07jNm6QCFQ8E5QodlxKtDg I noticed the picture in the "Custom Heat Exchangers" box. I'm wondering if the same thing could be done with regular fin tube, and how effective it might be. I have quite a bit of spare fin tube in both 3/4 inch size as well as 1 1/4 size. Does anyone know if fin-tube can be used effectively in water as a heat exchanger? Id' appreciate any and all thoughts about heat exchanger options unpressurized storage. Thanks as always. --David H.
Opinions on this as a potential heat exchanger in unpressurized thermal storage
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I have several types of HX in my system and have installed most things at work. I have a 4000 gal unpressurized storage tank and made my own pipe in pipe HX [2inch inside 4 inch] that's 12 feet long. I welded 5/8 bolts 5 inches long in a circle as tight as I could get them [2 5 gallon pails full] The thing works great. Have ran the system with out water and there is no lack of heat transfer, run about 30 gpm. In your case if I had the fin tube sure would give it a try, the fins may not like the water but that can be adjusted, also may need to do an annual wash off for better heat transfer.
Sure fin tube works. Anything that increases the surface area. I build a HX with fin tube a few years back, it worked so well the pallet tank started to soften and bulge through the cage. I built 3 loops of 3/4 fin tube and connected them at the top. The rubber hose was to keep the hot tubes from contact with the plastic bottom.
I wondered about electrolysis with the copper and aluminum in water, but AC units sit out in the rain and weather with copper and aluminum. Same for older radiators in cars.
You get best HX if you could flow both sides, but you would trade away the stratification potential with too much movement.
Ideally place the coils in the bottom section of the tank, and send return water there, also boiler return pulls from low on the tank.
hr
I wondered about electrolysis with the copper and aluminum in water, but AC units sit out in the rain and weather with copper and aluminum. Same for older radiators in cars.
You get best HX if you could flow both sides, but you would trade away the stratification potential with too much movement.
Ideally place the coils in the bottom section of the tank, and send return water there, also boiler return pulls from low on the tank.
hr
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