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The Final Design
In this section, first, the components of the system will be discussed in detail. Then, the system integration will be discussed in detail.
Component 1: The Heat Exchanger
The heat exchanger consists of a welded serrated aluminum finned tubing contained inside a PVC shell. The water from the resevoir runs through the tubing. The hot air from the solar collector flows between the finned exterior and the PVC piping. A picture of the system can be found below.
 
Finned Tubing in Shell
The PVC wye joint was capped on both ends. On the air side, the cap was tapped and fitted with a 3/8" barb so that it could be connected to the system. On the water side, a hole was drilled that allowed the aluminim tubing to pass through. The fins were removed from the tubing at the end so it could pass through the hole. Both the barb and the protruding aluminum tubing were connected to plastic tubing secured by a hose clamp. See the pictures below.
In order to regulate the pressure through the heat exchanger, a manual valve was added at the end of the heat exchanger. This valve can be tightened or loosened to increase temperature during off peak hours.
 
Heat Exchanger with Regulator
Continue on to Component 2 ->
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