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Pump head and pump power required in a 28 meters length ,15mm diameter copper pipe! 1

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gabigowriel

Agricultural
Feb 15, 2012
7
Hello everybody!
I am stuck in an engineering "dilema" regarding pump head and power for a solar panel and its heat-exchanger!
The problem is like this:
1.the solar panel has a serpentine collector with about 50 "elbows" and a 15 mm diameter copper pipe!
2.the heat exchanger is a 10 meters 15 mm diameter copper pipe put in an insulated barell and the difference between the solar collector and the heat-exchanger is no more than 2 meters!
3.the liquid in the system will be diesel fuel, kerosene or low viscosity synthetic oil
Does this mean that the pump should be able to handle 28 meters of "head" and taking in account the temperature that MIGHT reach the whole system(around 90 degrees C) and that kind of heat?
Never mind the viscosity of the heat-exchange fluid...
I got here because I became even more confused after searching for pumps to fit these requierements!
If someone can give me a good and corect answer , please do so!
I NEED one like a fish on dry land needs air...
Thank you kindly!
Gabriel.
 
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Viscosity of liquids decreases with temperature. Your maximum head loss will be when your design flowrate is at low tempeatures.
Head required depends also on flow rate. If that is "normal" for a 15 mm tube, head loss should not be extreme, even with 50 elbows. Maybe 10 meters (???) but it all depends now on how much fluid you try to push down that tube. 15 mm is small, so head losses will go up fast with increasing flowrates.

"People will work for you with blood and sweat and tears if they work for what they believe in......" - Simon Sinek
 
@BigInch : well I don't intend to have a flow of 100 liters per minut through that solar panel but 1-2 liters per minut should be enough to capture some energy/heat and transfer it to the water!
This project was "Dead" for about 1 year but this year/2012 I suddenly thought of finishing "the dam.. thing" , just to end up with more question signs...
I'll keep you all informed to how this will end up!
I also thought of eliminating the heat exchanger/10 meters of 15 mm copper pipe, but I don't think the whole system can be fully drained of water wich has a bad "habbit" to freeze below zero degrees C...
One thing is clear: more study on this solar system is needed...
cheers
 
gabigowriel
Not meaning to sound unsympathetic, but these forums are really meant for people with engineering backgrounds. They're not intended to walk people through the basic design of do-it-yourself building projects. If that's what you've got, then I'd suggest searching your local library for books or maybe actually spending a few dollars to buy one from Amazon.

Patricia Lougheed

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Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of the Eng-Tips Forums.
 
I would agree with Patricia, no black magic involved - just straight-out simple flow calculation with the basic information available from 100's of sources on the net or in books.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)
 
if the fluid temperature changes from ambient to very warm you will have expansion and contraction in the piping. You may need to install an expansion tank to keep the line pressure constant for the pump
 
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