PEACE WORK FATHER LAND PAIX TRAVAIL PATRIE

MINISTER OF HIGHER MINISTRE DE L’ENSEIGNEMENT

EDUCATION SUPERIEUR

UNIVERSITY OF BUEA UNIVERSITE DE BUEA

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

COURSE TITLE: RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPONENTS AND TECHNOLOGIES

LAB

COURSE CODE: 488

GROUP MEMBERS

S/N NAME MATRICULE

1 KUBI COSMOS VENWEH FE20A177

3 KOAGNE TIEKAM FRANK FE20A175

4 NGONG KUOH NGAM FE20A194

5 NGULEFAC OLIVER FONGUNG FE20A196

6 KAMENYI TCHINDA ASTINIE FE20A169

COURSE INSTRUCTOR

Dr. NOUADJEP SERGE

Dr. AKANA May, 2023

Table of content
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………..2

Schematic……………………………………………………………………………….2

Working principle ……………………………………………………………………...3

Materials…………………………………………………………………………… …..3

Procedure………………………………………………………………………………..4

Construction……………………………………………………………………… ...… 5

Impact…………………………………………………………………………………...8

Maximizing efficiency…………………………………………………………………..8

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….9

Gallery…………………………………………………………………………………..10

References………………………………………………………………………………..11

List of tables

Table 1…………………………………………………………………………………4

Table 2………………………………………………………………………………….7

Graph

Graph 1 ………………………………………………………………………………..7

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Practical 2: Home solar heating system using plastic containers.

Introduction:
Solar water heaters are devices that use solar energy to heat water. They are a cost-effective and
environmentally friendly alternative to traditional water heating systems that rely on fossil fuels.
In this report, we will discuss the production of warm water using a solar heater made from
plastic bottles. This is a simple and affordable solution that can be easily implemented in many
parts of the world, especially in developing countries.

The plastic bottles collect energy from the sun and transfer it to the water in the storage tank,
which can then be used for showers, washing dishes, and other common uses of hot water. This
technology can help reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions associated with
traditional fossil fuel-based water heating systems.Recycled plastic bottle solar water heater is an
effective and zero fuel consumption way to heat the water for domestic purposes. It can be made
by following easy steps and using simple recycle material and can fulfill the need of an average
house.

Block Schematic of the System.

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Working Principle
A solar water heater works by collecting the energy from sunlight and transferring it to heat
water. It typically consists of a collector, a storage tank, and associated plumbing and controls.
The collector is typically a flat-plate or evacuated-tube design and is mounted on the roof or
other location with good exposure to sunlight. The collector is made up of a series of tubes
coated with an absorbing material that absorbs sunlight and converts it into heat.
The heated fluid in the collector then flows through pipes or tubes to a heat exchanger inside the
storage tank, where the heat is transferred to the water within the tank. The stored hot water can
then be drawn from the tank for use in showers, dishwashing, laundry, and other household
activities.
Solar water heaters may also have a backup heating system, such as an electric or gas-powered
heater, to provide hot water during periods of low sunlight or high demand.

Materials:
To construct a solar water heater from plastic bottles, the following materials are required:

1. 10 plastic bottles (1.5-liter Supermont bottles)

2. Foil paper

3. Water tank 10 liters

4. Glue gun or strong adhesive

5. Hose (black pipe)

6. Water tank

7. Thermometer (DS18b20 sensor)

8. Flow rate sensor

9. Protractor (App on our mobile phone)

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 Procedure
Before the start of building the setup, a test experiment was carried out using five bottles filled
with water.

Two of the bottles were wrap with aluminum foil and placed at different angles 90o, 45o and 15o
respectively.

Two of the bottles wrapped with aluminum were placed at 15o, with one having solar reflector
(mirror concentrating the sunlight energy on it)

The remaining three were placed at angles of 90o, 45o and 15o respectively as shown on the
figure below.

Bottles at 15 o, 45o, and 90 o Protractor angle

The temperature from these bottles were measured after every one thirty minutes and recorded
on the table below.

Table 1: Temperature of the bottles at different angles measured over a

period of two and a half hours

Time / Angle 90 o 45 o 15 o Temp of Coated and with solar reflector 15 o

coated 15 o

30mins 29.5 oC 29.12 oC 29.9 oC 29.2 oC 29.25 oC

1 hour 30.12 oC 30.13 oC 30.5 oC 29.5 oC 30.1 oC

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1 hour 30 minutes 30.69 oC 31.8 oC 30.9 oC 30.63 oC 30.7 oC

2 hours 30.87 oC 32.37 31.0 oC 30.5 oC 30.38 oC

2 hours 30 31.6 oC 34.69 oC 32.67 30.37 oC 31.6oC

minutes

Construction:
1. The ten (10) plastic bottles where cleaned and all labels or stickers removed as shown below

2. A hole was made at the bottom and top of each container and a black pipe send through all the
bottles as in the picture

3. Foil paper was attached to half the bottles this helped to reflect the sunlight energy back to the
bottle thereby improving on the efficiency of the heater.

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4. The bottles were arranged in a way that allowed the free flow of water inside the pipe and
glued together using glue.

5. The extension of the pipe was connected to the top and bottom of the bottle array. One end of
pipe was made long enough to reach the water supply tank and the other end was placed in a
collecting tank.

6. The bottle array was placed on a flat surface facing south to receive sunlight. The angle was
adjusted to 45 o as per the experiment conducted at the beginning to maximize sunlight exposure.

7. The pipe was connected to the water tank. The tank was placed at a higher elevation than the
bottle arrays to increase the pressure of water flowing through the pipe.

8. The bottle array was filled with water and allowed to heat up in the sun.

9. The flow rate of the water was measured using a flow rate sensor our group programmed as
shown on the right figure. The flow rate was measured to be 0.16L/min

10. The temperature of the water was measured using a thermometer after every thirty minutes
(30 minutes) and recorded on the table below.

11. The initial inlet temperature of water was measured to be 25.02oC. The outlet temperature
was then measured after every thirty minutes (30) and recorded on the table below.

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Table 2: Temperature of solar heater

Duration (minutes) Temperature (oC)

30 25.81

60 32.5

90 33.26

120 35.75

150 36.96

180 40.83

210 43.12

240 47.03

Graph: Graph of temperature against time for the solar heater.

Graph of temperature against time

50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

Series1

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Impact of Solar water heaters.
The solar water heater has many positive impacts in various ways.

 Society: helps the community to get access to hot water especially the people living in rural
areas of Saudi Arabia.
 Economy: This provides an economical solution to have a product that helps with their needs
and the ability to work without an electrical grid.
 Environment: It helps in reducing the pollution and provide people with products that work
on renewable energy.

The efficiency of this system can be further maximized by

 Use black plastic bottles. Black absorbs more heat than other colors, so it will help your
water heater heat up faster.
 Paint the inside of the bottles black. This will help to prevent heat loss from the water.
 Use a clear cover on the water heater. This will help to trap the heat inside the water heater.
 Place the water heater in a sunny spot. The more sun the water heater gets, the hotter the
water will be.
 Insulate the water heater. This will help to prevent heat loss from the water heater.

Environmental impact of our solar heater.

Most of the materials we used in building this project we gotten from scrap and used plastic
bottles, therefore building such a project will help reduce the plastic waste around the
environment and also reduce the pollution from fossil fuels and electric bills from many home

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Conclusion:
Our solar heater showed how efficient it is to use solar heaters in our homes the system reached a
maximum temperature of 47C˚ within a period three hours.

We gained knowledge and huge team work skills. We learned various renewable energy systems
and especially solar energy technologies available around the globe. The knowledge we acquired
is one of the stepping stone to the future of renewable energy. The work has been divided among
team members in such a way where each team member got a task that suits his strength points.

In conclusion, a solar water heater made from plastic bottles is an easy and affordable way to
heat water using renewable energy. By using readily available materials, such as plastic bottles
and black spray paint, this solution can be implemented in many parts of the world. It is a
sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional water heating systems that rely
on fossil fuels.

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Gallery

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References

https://paksc.org/pk/diy-projects/diy-project-recycled-pet-bottle-solar-water-heater/

https://www.ijsdr.org/papers/IJSDR1704017.pdf

https://www.pmu.edu.sa/attachments/academics/pdf/udp/coe/dept/me/9-solar-
water-heater.pdf

https://www.pmu.edu.sa/attachments/academics/pdf/udp/coe/dept/me/12-solar-
water-heater-geyser.pdf
An Introduction to the Geography of Tourism by David Timothy Duval, published by Routledge
in 2017.

How to Build a Solar Water Heater with Plastic Bottles by The Sustainability Hub, published on
their website in 2016.

Solar Water Heating Systems: A Guide for Homeowners by The Solar Energy Industries
Association, published in 2015.

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