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There are two type of bottom dividers thats the best, but there are some diffrence between us.

Type 1(this is the old version):

and Type 2 (this is the new version)

For air flow both of them colud almost equal airflow rate in all tubes.

But the main differece is in that xsection:

Thats why Type 2 is better. Becuse of different air thicknes between “glasing” and tubes it has higher heat loss!

For top divider I recommend this new ones:

After collecting a lots of beer cans, you have to separate the aluminium and the
iron ones. A simple refrigerator’s magnet is perfect for this job.

Only aluminium cans fit for collector, beacuse iron ones can colig rusting.

You can use several methods to cuting out the ends of the cans.

By handle

By driller

etc.
doboznyitas1

By knife (very dangerous!)

After that you have to wash them all carefully.

To assemble the beer tubes you can use some heatptotected silicon based glue or either without any
glue you can slide them together with using some heating device.

Google inserted Hungarian language to Google translate.

It’s a good news for all of us

Translated version of sorkollektor.hu

We are building beer can solar heater for almost 3 years, but one of the most interesting thing in it still the dividers.

Fist, you have to know dividers includes to absorber area too! So it must be at least one side from something metallic material.

There ’s a lot of version of it:

This one is not too good:

It looks mutch better (click image to enlarge):

Finaly we got the best shape (click image to enlarge):

This shape has the best flowing parameters at all.

… is just a home made (turned) plastic hand protector. It protect your fingers not to cut off while drilling the holes to cans.

The outside diameter an avarege beer can is 65mm so the inside of the plastic ring must be at least 66mm. (I missed from drawing

This protector is fit both side of beer can. The upper ring plate is a simple plexi plate, the other one is made some kind of other plastic.

(all measures in mm)

My collector is 2m2 size 1m x 2m
15 tubes x 10cans (150) + divider & collecor element.
The spliceing of cans I  made with balck silicon based glue. It resistant up to 200 C heat.  After drying it still flexible.

Building the housing:

I bought 140mm wide aluminium adverusment billboard aluminium elements.

After a few hours workin i got the frame of the collector. My son was realy handfull of srewing

This temperature difference switcer (i hade to mount myself) would operate the whole system.

Here is my dividers-collectors. (I build a solar heater for my father too

.

Some picture of mounting the housing:

First step after collecting some beer cans was the cut out of both ends of cans. It takes me about 3hr with this equipmnet.

Special cutter for driller: (one of my turner friend made it to me)

Plastic “thing” to protect my hands while drilling

Second step: to make propellers (now I know thats not necessary) to revolve the air more afficiently in the beer-can-tubes

Download pdf!

Introduction: Energy sources

The energy supply of population represents today’s most significant challenge. We need energy to cook, manufacture products, for heating, cooling, and for transportation etc.

Man uses up fossile fuels generated and accumulated during many 100-millions of years in slightly more than 100 years. A hundred-year period is only a fleeting moment in the history of Earth. Now the future of mankind is at stake.

It is high time search for alternative energy sources that can fulfill man’s demand for energy.
people buy what the market offers and with the thinning resources at more and more higher price.
What can the average person or a small community do?

Even if average people cannot save the whole world there are ways that everyone can implement to lessen energy consumption and our impact to the environmnet.
First of all a change in our overall view of the world is needed. We must understand that energy is indispensable treasure and we must use in the most economical way possible.

Secondly we have to realize that we can generate energy at home making do-it-yourself equipment that can generate heat and/or hot water to reduce gas or electricity consumption.

This article provides instruction on how to use solar energy in your home for heating with a collector that anyone who has a bit of knack for tinkering can build at home.

Beer Can Solar Heater („Sörkollektor”)

According to the story this unique solar panle was first made in Canada. A Hungarian engineer Péter Szentgyörgy found out about it on the Internet.
After having studied the concept thoroughly he built the first can solar panel for heating air inside his home.
His example inspired others and more and more beer can solar heater were made and intalles in Hungarian homes in 2006.
Today nearly 1000 m2 homemade solar panel surface operates in the country and this number is growing day by day.

Beer Can Solar Panels Map – The sun icons indcate operating homemade can solar systems

The enthusiastic amateurs help each other with their projects through an Internet community.
The members of the community first met at the national Can Solar Heater Competition at Solt in August 2007 organized by the webmasters of the „Sörkollektor” website.

Beer Can Solar Panel Competition at Solt 8th Aug. 2008

Encouraged by a friend of mine I, too, participated in the competition. A versenyre több internetes barátom unszolására én is beneveztem. My project received the „Everyone’s Beer can Solar Panel” name. The story behind the name is that every step of the panel’s building and assembly was discussed online and that allowed me to choose and build the most suitable version. (The process and the discussions can be accessed at http://www.sorkollektor.hu/ where you can read about other superb can solar heater projects, as well)

Beer can solar panel during construction

Let’s look at some numerical data:

How much building and operating a can solar panel costs?
The „Mindenki sörkollektora -Everyone’s Beer Can Solar Panel” was built from materials and accessories available in stores and it costed 60.000 HUF. Many were able to build it from materials and gadgets found in their homes and made it from 30-40.000 HUF or less.
There is only one nergy consumer during operation the ventilator. Taking 50W as base output it costs around 2 HUF/hour.

How much and how hot air can it blow into our house?
Approx. 100 m3 40 – 50 °C air/hour.

What’s its efficiency?
According to our measurements and calculations the efficiency of such solar panel reaches 70%.

How much energy does it generate and how much can we save with it?
A 2 m2-surface can solar panel with good southern building orientation can generate 300-400 kWh during heating season. This means 12. 000 -16.000 HUF saving calculating with 40 Ft electricity price.

What is it enough for?
Duringtransitional period a whole room can be heated. In winter it helps maintaing temperature inside the room. If we drive in hot iar into the room the thermostat will turn on less frequently and as a result less gas is used.

Where – How large? Based on facts gained by experience we say that a 2 m2-surface beer can solar panel can help in heating a 20 m2 room in proper circumstances.

What are those proper circumstances?

Before any of you starts building a can solar panel, it is important that you reduce the thermal emission of your home first, preventing the generated heat from escaping through bad window seals. Therefore, first you have to improve the outdoor insulation of your house then replace the windows and doors for more airtight ones if necessary.

Conclusion

The Beer Can Solar Panel is a great device from many aspects. It helps to change our view of our world and it inspires people to lead a more environmentally-conscious lifestyle. The beer can that would be thrown into a selective waste bin at best is reused in an inventive way protecting our immediate environment.

( Written by Károly György & Zoltán Horváth)