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10. Piping and pipes connections
10.1 Piping
The copper heat exchange pipe in RM Solar panels contain glycol, pressurised and
heated to temperatures in excess of 170ºC when exposed to direct sunlight where
the rays are striking the absorber plate at roughly a right angle. This heating
process takes place very quickly. Similar temperatures will be reached in winter,
but more slowly due to the lower levels of insolation. In winter at night the system
is designed to be safe to temperatures of minus 30º C or lower. It will perform in
winter in the right insolation conditions and in below freezing temperatures. Copper
piping is used because copper is highly efcient in heat exchange operations
because the thermal conductivity is high. The copper piping will be exposed to high
and low heat, including high variable heat.
Three points should be made:-
Copper does not become brittle at low temperatures.•
The melting point of copper is 1083°C.•
The grade of copper used by RM Solar will not become hard (like steel) if •
it is cooled rapidly after heating.
Internally, the collector heat pipe, is folded into the absorber tray and is one
continuous tube which is hard soldered in two places only as part of the connective
pipe. We accordingly recommend that best quality copper pipe is used in the heat ex
change loop, or stainless steel exible pipe is used.
NOTE: On RM Solar system you must not use plastic pipe in the heat exchange
circuit due to very high temperatures the system generates. Using plastic pipes
might cause major injuries in the almost certain event that the plastic will explode
under the combination of temperatures and pressures generated.
10.2 Pipes connections
RM Solar systems are either “hard” soldered or preferably connected by press
ttings, which allow fast, safe and efcient joints to be made. We recommend
the use of press tools powered by a rechargeable battery to achieve a sound joint
without the need for solder, ux or any other jointing materials. This creates
extremely sound pressure proof joints without soldering or brazing.
This is particularly important as the glycol solution has a much lower surface tension
than water and will nd cracks and crevices in pipe work and jointing that water will
not nd. The fact that the heat transfer system is pressurised also requires the
integrity of the pipe work to be paramount.
The RM Solar recommends using thick-walled copper or gunmetal ttings that have
a machined bead – similar to a solder ring tting – containing an O-ring. This is
pressed onto copper tube using the tool tted with the appropriate clamp. Or
alternatively use good quality compression ttings.
10.3 O rings
If you use press tting please remember to use solar quality O rings, rather than
traditional plumbing O rings. Solar quality O rings will not melt at the temperatures
experienced inside the thermal loop.
(24 Seiten)
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