HL 314 Domestic water heating with tube collector
The HL 314 trainer can be used to demonstrate the principal aspects of solar thermal domestic water heating in a system with components used in real world applications.
Radiant energy is absorbed and converted into heat in a commercially available evacuated tube collector. Heatpipes located inside the absorbers enable heat transfer to a heat transfer fluid in the solar circuit. Subsequently another heat exchanger feeds the heat into the hot water circuit and into the storage tank.
A solar controller controls the pumps for the hot water and solar circuits. The solar circuit is protected by an expansion tank and a safety valve.
The trainer has been designed so that it is possible to carry out a complete preheating as part of a practical experiment.
The temperatures in the storage tank, at the outlet from and the inlet to the collector are measured, as is the flow in the solar circuit. Additionally, as in practice, the temperatures of the inlet and return are displayed on the solar circulation station.
In order to ensure there is sufficient illuminance, the system should be operated with solar radiation or the optionally available HL 313.01 Artificial light source.
- conversion of solar energy into heat
- trainer with real-world components
- pivotable evacuated tube collector
- system with heat exchanger and two separate circuits
- solar controller with data logger and USB interface
Solar circuit
- collector
- total surface: 2,5m2
- absorbing surface: 1,4m2
- number of tubes: 15
- rated throughput: 58L/h
- Solar station
- solar pump: adjustable
- safety valve: 6bar
Hot water circuit
- plate heat exchanger: 3kW, 10 plates
- buffer tank 70L
Measuring ranges
- flow rate: 20…320L/h
- temperature: 4x 0…160°C
- pressure: 0…6bar
230V, 50Hz, 1 phase
230V, 60Hz, 1 phase
120V, 60Hz, 1 phase
UL/CSA optional
Dimensions and weight
LxWxH: 1660x800x2300mm
Weight: approx. 240kg
- trainer for investigating the function and operating behaviour of a solar thermal collector
- evacuated tube collector with selectivly absorbing coating
- connection of absorbers by heatpipes
- adjustable collector inclination angle
- solar circuit with collector, pump, expansion vessel and safety valve
- hot water circuit with buffer tank, pump and plate heat exchanger
- 4 bimetallic thermometers
- solar controller with temperature, flow rate and illuminance sensors
- data logger with USB interface
- operation with solar radiation or HL 313.01 Artificial light source
- familiarisation with the functions of the evacuated tube collector and the solar circuit
- determining the net power
- relationship between flow and net power
- determining the collector efficiency
- relationship between temperature difference (collector/environment) and collector efficiency
