FRESNEL LENS SOLAR HOT WATER, Heat Solar Pool Heater Solar Swimming Pool Heater

[62rome]

could you use a fresnel lens with solar panels or would it just fry them?.

[henderman2008]

I love your videos... very very interesting and informative... great work!! One question though... where can I buy the 'Copper Looping System' shown in the video (the heat exchanger piece). Is it something that could be built at home... or better to be purchased? I really appreciate your videos... A+!! Thanks!!

[AnUnlimitedRecord]

Hey Dan/wife,

Your efforts in promoting alternative energy technologies are admirable!

Just wondering what kind of videocamera you use?

[DarthMai]

This is good but you have to consider the scale that will form inside tubes...pool water has high alkalinity, high hardness, or salinity (for salted pools)...flow rate would be important to prevent any scale formation.

[CJLeTeff]

Dan, thanks for putting out the video. Question, would this not give better results if copper tubes were black as well as the back plate?

[savagenomore]

I'd like to see him stick his hand under that....

[olzzn]

You should cast a soild block with tubing inside for more effective surface area

[redrosejewelry]

Any ideas on how to adapt it to work for an above ground pool? Runs with a 3/4 hp Hayward pump and filter with standard 1 1/2" pvc fittings for the hoses. My main question is how to connect the larger fittings/hoses to the smaller copper.

[utsports]

thanks for your videos Ive learned a lot lots of good Idea's

[kcummings545]

Your video was helpful and a good start for us learning about fresnel lens.

How did you keep the water flowing? with a pump or did you siphon the water and somehow got it moving?

BTW, are you in TX? the birds in the background reminded me of birds I've heard in Texas.

[av8rdav]

Do you have to keep moving the lens to keep it on your heat exchanger as the planet rotates? Like a telescope?

[a10fjet]

why not paint the copper black? MAXIMUM EFFICACY

[DrFox2000]

Excellent idea and like that blooper too, keep up the fine work.

[Evilfisher]

more carbon tax

[MrEnergyCzar]

This is brilliant Dan, brilliant....

[b18k4705]

theres a bug on your right at 3.31... :)

[andysim232]

lool bloober!

[TheLeilisa]

what's the ideal height for swimming?

[longboardingmonkey]

at 3:33< something ran down that big palm leaf ting in the back, lol

[bashiryu]

Mr Greeen, What is the real application for these FRESNEL?

[bashiryu]

in real world how this be used to produce electricity?

[buddcinder]

@bashiryu Heat water to turn a turbine.Directing the beam at a boiler. A telescopes gps could be used to keep track with the sun. The heat is incredible so boiling water is easy. This will run a steam engine. This method here could heat your house with in floor heating.(much smaller that the glass tube systems).

I just got mine out of my 52" Panasonic floor model 1985. Can't wait for a sunny day to melt some concrete.

[knoose]

@bashiryu sun, steam, generator, batterie, electricity.

[RaDoubleD4]

EEEEOOOOUUUUHHHH!! 

[Ackreti]

30 sq. meters pool will absorb 30 kW without any heater. With your heather it will gain cca +2kW. Does it really make difference!?

[sammysignal]

3:31 look above and to the right of the copper appurattus and there is a small lizard crawling on the leaf!!

[thadodublg]

wouldn't the copper that you are focusing the Fresnel's light on be much more effective if it were black, rather than shiny? I would think a flat black stove paint would help to absorb alot more of that light rather than reflecting alot of it. Thanks for the vids, they are very informative.

[questionful]

lmao at the blooper.

[thelegendbullet937]

Lol, u used a computer water pump, tubes. And even looks like maybe a GPU heatsink to do this?

Combining Solar power with computer hardware... now you're going RIGHT down my ally xD

[blockh34d]

I think you could use natural circulation (hot water rises) along with a slightly different configuration of tank and hotbox to remove the pump from the equation. I think the basic idea is have the tank ported at two different elevations, a high and a low. Water heats up in the hotbox and exits the higher hose, which displaces colder water from the bottom of the tank into the hotbox entrance. Good enough for nuclear reactors ;)

[frontdesk123]

Do you have a computer program directing motors to follow the sun so I wouldn't have to supervise the heating?

[bLuDcL0T]

I love your vids man. I used to work in a factory where they had huge sinks, and to get hot water there was a high pressure steam pipe going into it. A few blasts would get it piping hot (from cold tap water - in 3-4 second). I'm amazed at the sheer intensity that the fresnel lens produces. Have you experimented using a closed container with just 1 hose coming off going straight intot the water you wanted heating? I hope you read this, it's a simple idea - hopefully you'll try it

[bLuDcL0T]

@bLuDcL0T What i mean - eg. a pyrex glass with the stainless steel wool in, with an airtight top fitted to the hose - hose goes into the water you want heated - the steam would pass through the water heating it. Extremely low-tech but it would be 100% green as no other power sources would be needed. Hope you read this, and try it sometime.

[collettebelch]

your videos are amazing!!

[suzannrosica]

wow!

[ghurod]

On the following video, Dan talks about a 'copper looping system', the unit on which the Fresnel lens is focused.

I need such a device for my own project but I don't know where to look for it. I tried to pause the video at the right moment so I can read what's written on the green label but the still is too blurry.

Does anyone know where I can find the same or similar apparatus?

[ghurod]

On this video, Dan talks about a 'copper looping system', the unit on which the Fresnel lens is focused.

I need such a device for my own project but I don't know where to look for it. I tried to pause the video at the right moment so I can read what's written on the green label but the still is too blurry.

Does anyone know where to find something like that?

ghurod

[ghurod]

On this video, Dan talks about a 'copper looping system', the unit on which the Fresnel lens is focused.

I need such a device for my own project but I don't know where to look for it. I tried to pause the video at the right moment so I can read what's written on the green label but the still is too blurry.

Does anyone know where I can find the same or similar apparatus?

ghurod

[gaugdogg2]

I would like to see you solar distill alcohol with this set up or something similar. Then trying to run a generator off ethonal.

Do you think this is possible?

[trailkeeper]

Nice video. Can even use that to heat up some water to take a shower, maby camping. Just construct a tank, maby 5 gallons, with hot and cold water storage with adjustable valves for the right mix you need. Also, like the oil heat exchanger you mentioned, I think some people have tried running the water through a block of metal, like aluminum, with holes or a coiled type of pipe within that. I guess it would have to have some kind of black coating on its surface that does not come off easy.

[bearsensei]

I checked out ur website but u guys don't supply cylindrical fresnel lenses? where would i be able to price a cylindrical lens? my friends and i are doing a project and need to know the cost if we want to scale it. the project is about using the fresnel lens to boil and thus clean water.

[diamencik1]

where do U buy this big Magniffying Glass? Plese help me with the info ..

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Check our website for a link.

[pamil092]

@diamencik1 its actually probably from a old tv... check out kipkay's solar death ray!

[ryancrazy1]

3:30 OMG I SEE A lizard/gecko on the leafy plant in the background lol :D

and nice blooper

[essex2]

Hi Dan, what if you were to have a black basestation at the bottom of the pool that could retain the heat of the light beaming through the water? or even if you were to tile or paint the bottom of the pool black? do you think this could work for heating without a tubing system by focusing the lens directly into the pool?

[PsycoDirector]

what would happen if you were to send the ray through a second glass? would it dolute it or strenghten it?

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

@PsycoDirector

Hi,

You would concentrate it to a smaller area. The power would not increase on heat a smaller area hotter.

[Christopher711]

Sounds like one of these would work great in a bath tub in a motor home.

[JonDeth]

You know with a half globe lens set up and sealed to ground, ground insulation and a large radiator in the center of it, you could heat an exponential amount of water even during the winter.

[Christopher711]

ah , where can i find out more?

[JonDeth]

It would be something you would construct on your own. Say build a wood framing of a very small scale-maybe 3 feet in diameter and 2-3 feet in height, and then place a lens in each panel that aims the light source at your radiator,

This ensures any light beams directly where you need it and there's no adjusting. With the costs of the lens, some plexi to seal up the "igloo" panels before attaching the lenses, probably run a couple hundred dollars but wood be very efficient.

[Daemo4]

LoL at the blooper! I've done that with a gallon of milk before.

[im4osu2ru]

What is the name of the copper part you are using?

[smegingbastard]

Do you need a pump? Isn't there a way to make the heat pump the water?

[1Scrub1]

fbueno123, are you thinking of thermal cycling? I agree. The temperature difference would make the cold fall, but the path up would have to be pretty vertical and clear for good motion. And have mercy if he simply roughed up the copper and put a light captivating coating on it. He's losing a GREAT percentage of energy through reflection. informative presentation, thank you.

[sjh7132]

106F - 63F = 43F degrees = 23C degrees

7 gals of water = 26 liters = 26 Kg (approx)

Specific heat of water = 4.2Kj/Kg*C

1 hour = 3600 seconds

Total energy = 2511 Kj  in 3600 seconds

power = 697 watts.

I think it would take a while to heat a pool. The black hose probably puts out more power because it has more area. You can also just put black plastic in the pool.

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Black plastic is a great idea. Winter is tough because the sun is lower, most pools do not get bottom direct sun. Cheap yardsale mirrors and plastic drop cloth with some weights. $30 pool heater:-)

[sjh7132]

If you put a little Styrofoam under the plastic, maybe it could float halfway up to get more of the sun at a shallow angle.

[ytoobpg]

@GREENPOWERSCIENCE I like the black plastic idea too, but would that end up being something requiring periodic replacement in a the high desert where the UV can be really strong?

[l33thustla]

oh oki, I had no ideas, but thanks :D But is that thing also from tv? (glass stuff)

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Some are, some are from 90's stage production special effects systems, Newer tv's have weak lenses for solar.

[23crazykid23]

did you see the mouse in the leaf at 3:23

[ZER0EVO]

lol this dude someday will accidently set his house on fire.

[fbueno123]

I think, if you put the watter higher , you will not need the pump

[sirnicholson]

nescisary necisary nessseccary

[mspacone]

What camera do you use for the slow motion stuff?

[gravityisweak]

Now if you took that design you have going with the copper tubes, added a lot more curves and length of tubing, painted it black and simply placed it in the sun on its own without a fresnel lens, would you be able to achieve the same effect on a smaller scale?

[sjh7132]

Yes, his black hose heater uses that same idea. Just have a long black hose (coiled) in the sun and it will heat water.

[gravityisweak]

Spot the lizard at 3:33 !

[johnQguy]

Thanks Dan! This is a great demo. Yes, tracking the sun and the danger of torching anything but the target pretty much kills the practicality of this approach. Better off with pumping water through panels or tubing. Worst thing you can have is a leak.

[kchedville]

Dan?. Is that where you get one of these Fresnel Lenses? Out of an old Big Screen TV?....

[carlosthecactus]

ROFL.. I loved that blooper !!! :D

[richallenmusic]

good ending

[doug2877]

nice video keep em coming

[stopcraponutube]

Bloopers are the best!

[ohmslaw111]

Also get it kick out of the

Albert Einsteins of Youtube.

Not videos,

Lots of opinions. Guess Mythbusters must get a truckload

of suggestive junk mail.

[ohmslaw111]

Great Video.

Really like the way you explain things.

This helps dummies who point lenses at clear water.

I saw a video where a guy had one right in the center.

Claimed it worked, not possible.

[piwright42]

Kpjay posted a video this week in which he makes a 'solar death ray' from a old rear projection tv. His point was that the view screen is a Fresnel lens. Is this true and if so could this be a efficient way to get a Fresnel lens on the cheap?

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Depends, most now have very poor lenses. The pre 1993 era was where you can find good ones. Anything after 1993 viewable from all angles demand. This design, 1993+ MOST MODELS incorporated a whitish Linear lens that takes about 2 minutes to smoke wood. The TVs had better electronics providing a brighter image so the lens can be more opaque. If you remember first big screens direct viewing only. No side view or very distorter. These were CRYSTAL CLEAR spot lenses. HUGE power difference.

[Anothercoilgun]

Remember every watt was free!!! And had you not used it you would be loosing it. To think every minute we sit in buildings at work day after day and year after year, we are letting free energy from the sun just go to waste. Its a shame. The day we loose the suns light, we will all be crying for the good old days. Never know how good you got it till its gone.

[ufewl]

That's a rab bad video, poorly explained, bad sound very amateur, why waste you time producuing a video of no use to anyone who does not already know what you are talking about???

[AtvProjects]

Woah, Hotter then The Max Temp i Can Put My Hot Tub At!:P My Hot Tub only goes to 104F

[Juiceman8686]

great idea, liked that you used a hd water cooler as your test equipment, look forward to more of your energy efficient ideas.

[Sonyoooo3]

Squeed or like starfish like as a robot that collect miniral,stone etc. in space are the next best thing and solar lens may have a potesial of melting it by the help of the sun. and some of the collect maybe water on a ice asteroid.

[WORRO01]

AWESOME video!! 5*'s

I wish I had the extra money to go solar on my home!!!!!!!

[GoatHollow]

(Inefficiencies aside) - I really thought a Fresnel lens that size could produce more energy than that! This proves that they have no useful applications in the real world!!!

106-63= 43 degree temp rise

7 gal water = 58.417 lbs.

58.417 x 43 = 2512 btu's per hour

A 15' round above ground pool 48" high contains 4646 gallons (US). To heat this pool 10 degrees it would take 387730 btu's or roughly 10 hours a day for 2 weeks with this lens!!!!

[chrisleblay]

It is an Insulation problem and the heat exchanger problem. You need to add cylinder behind with mirror behind the copper or aluminium pipe to focus all the energy and use a vaccuum tube and there the results will improve.

But the best it to do steam and store it in a vaccuum sand tank,

cheers,

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Not the whole picture. This system was operating at about 12-15% efficiency. For direct heating a Fresnel Lens can easily reach the upper 80% range of efficiency. The test was designed to show one concept that can be improved upon. This lens compared to an electric heating element heats water at a rate of 2500 watts. That is not to say it produces 2.5Kw but compared to electric, it does. Few modifications, easily 3x the results.

I still recommend the black hose, as mentioned 2x in the video:-)

[Anothercoilgun]

Think parallel.

[STARFIRESOLAR]

I agree with your calculations of the BTU. You are right at what I have figured also.

You say at first (inefficiencies aside). I think that his system efficiencies are the main problem here. He's half assed focused on a half assed collector that's not black at all, and not glazed (glass or tefzel, or anything) and no insulation in sight.

The numbers show that he is using an insolated area that should produce about 12.000 BTU and only getting 2500 BTU. That is nothing but inefficient !

[ohmslaw111]

Half assed is better than no assed, LOL

Check his info area, he mentions it.

[STARFIRESOLAR]

Yep! I like Dan's videos, I'm a subscriber, don't get me wrong. He comes up with some off the wall stuff. Guess that's partly why I like him. I've always wondered what he does for a living, he spends hours and money on making "better than no assed" projects, and videos it for eveyone, and except for one thing he's made none of it is put to actual use saving him money.

I'm still waiting for his final series of parabolic water heater video but now he's piddeling with this project. HAHAHHAHA

[ubergnar2808]

i think the pump might draw more than 12 watts

[terry735001]

i sent you a email but you never sade hi back i all so live in FL i am making a big solar tracker thats going to be on a large trailer if you would like to test a system like this to track the sun you can try it on my system befor i put my solar panels on it its is a up and down left to right tracker  email me if you would like more info

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Hi Terry,

I Please send it again, we go an email jam while my Laptop was in the shop.

Dan

[UKBB]

Well at least I'm not the only one to splash myself with a carboy. I just didn't do it on camera.

[web4deb]

I use SunGrabber panels to heat my pool here in CT. They work really well but take up a lot of space. I have 6 panels and pump about 5 gal/minute. The water differential is 15-20 degrees on a sunny day. The fresnel is good but you would have to keep moving it to track the sun. BTW, great videos....I watch them all the time!!!!

[viperbitea]

what if you painted the copper tubeing with high temp black paint you could raise the solar absorbtion

[neven01]

Dan says' "in fact this water coming outta HERE >> OUCH is hot!

lol funny stuff Dan

Denise watch your hubby don't boil his digits =D.

[Aracuru]

Hahaha I love the end blooper.

Awesome Videos!

If you don't already do this I bet you could sell some of these devices or take custom orders.

[8DoverNJ]

Great vid. Will pass it on. Thanks for the build your solar panel vid, btw. Just got a kit in the mail. And yes, I loved the blooper(s)!

[thejesters1975]

love the blooper!

[shreddlord]

you should've stored the water in non glass tank, painted black? i think it would keep the heat and maybe add some more because black surface won't reflect any sunlight=energy=heat in this case

[hellracer0]

Hi there ! i think the desighn nees some safety improvements.

[SINCLAIRRESEARCH]

hiya

Well what a large lens , where the hell do you get big fresnels like that ? we live in england (you know the small rock before france lol) and would love to knopw where i could aquire one over here or wopuld we have to send to the states for it as we do for everything nowadays?

keith sinclair

[3fortyproductions]

I have seen many of your videos. I appreciate your efforts in trying to generate thoughts and ideas.

I wish you had put more thoughts and organization in your designing.  I have not seen a single one yet where efficiency is maximized. You seem to have all the resources at hand.

I hope to see some useful designs coming out of your projects.

[iulian28ti]

LOL your hand was turning red O_O

[pubtor]

instant fire!

[godsend420]

luving the slo-mo artistic and fun to watch

another sub commented below but there is a spelling mistake in description but still great vid 5*

[ikcti]

LOL at bloopers.

[AlexGrim]

It could heat the Jacuzzi too. ;)

I'm sure the other design is better, but I like to see many designs so I can get a gauge for how well certian techniques work better. Thanx for da vid.

[jimmo]

A swilling pool?lol

[silversatchmo]

Dan, give the temperature in celsius too please

[QuantumAnomaly]

You can easily do conversions using Google.

In the search field type (for example):

100 degrees fahrenheit in celsius

[pvampire]

I totally appreciate your video's. That said, the blooper made my day! I really needed a laugh, and by gawd you didn't fail me! thanks! haha..

[lvecsey]

alternatively, roll out an overclocked supercomputer by the pool and use this same heat sink setup ;)

[insAneTunA]

Great video Dan, and I agree what you said about enough ..... to warm up a pool. The blooper was very funny !

I re-installed my computer, and I could see high def for the first time. It looks awesome.

Greets from the Netherlands, iT

[egn83b]

That would make a great way to heat your house just add a nice simple radiator and solar fan and when sun is gone the whole process stops and no worrie about bring outside cold in.

[mvrhodes2000]

i like all yalls stuff, just thought i tell ya. thank for the constant videos, iam from dallas tx

[breezebro]

We can tale!

Hi from Texas too. Kennedale, south of Arl.

[dlmarti]

I think the copper is reflecting a lot of the heat

[599891]

I had a 10 wheel dumptruck load of horse manure dropped off a couple weeks ago. Today I turned it over to help compost it and it was about 130 degrees inside that pile. I need a copper pipe inside of that pile.

[centervilletn]

would it work better if you painted your absorber black?

[ABETRMAN]

Awesome!

Great Demo..

Five Stars Dan*****!

[mvrhodes2000]

did ya see the lizerd going down the Cactus Plants @ , and thats a good idea withe the Heat exchanger

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Good catch:-)

[Hopefl1]

Pretty cool.

[madjimms]

I would rather be wealthy in solar panels, than have 10 million dollars......

money doesn't work too well in a war situation.......

[VisionQuest2012]

A portable system would be nice to have if one wanted a hot shower during their camping trip or just going mobile.

[crob227]

couldnt you do it without the pump is you just put one end in the water and the other just in the jug but not in the water.

wouldnt if you primed it first, just vacumm the water in as youboil it to vapor, back into the jug???????

[luc59457]

Not sure but I know you can do that with oil.. If you have the pipe a certain way connected to a container, and heat the pipe in a certain spot, it will circulate oil without a pump.

[centervilletn]

then you could route the oil through a automobile ac condensor and make a radiator oil heater .....hmmm

[luc59457]

Exactly. They go for very cheap used. The coils can be mounted all around the car radiator, except for part of the bottom and possibly top. You can further insulate around the pipes with steel and ceramic glued to it. This will insulate well. For myself since I use oil, I should heat the surface for longer before running water through the system. This allows the oil to reach much higher temps than the water can reach, and will cool slowly with flow as the hot oil from the bottom rises to combat.

[luc59457]

The thing with oil is, some parabolic mirrors and fresnel lenses can eventually make them reach beyond their smoke point eventually, but all that can be taken care of by adjusting focal points so the rays are not as strong. Some oils can reach around 600Degrees Celcius such as high performance diesel oil. That is more than enough to boil water. Oil will keep metallic surfaces hotter for longer, and will provide more heated areas directly around the pipes. Stronger mirror faster oil will heat up.

[JavaLessons]

Check out Fluidyne .

[luc59457]

58 minutes and its hot, I believe it! It was only +6C over here and I got it warm with my medium mirror. You can also use a fraction of a air conditioner "A-coil" It will help if the copper is flat black and/or the surface where the sun is shinning is painted flat black. Also, You can use thick ceramic mounted to the wood and have a mount for the looped plate attached from the bottom.. You will have trouble attaching anything directly to ceramic unless you have proper ceramic and a masonary bit

[luc59457]

to drill holes in it carefully.. But the white ceramic will help block the heat, and you will never have to worry about burning the wood..

[nephozo]

lol at last part xd

[cdltpx]

You could focus the lenz inside the pool then use something black under the water it would absorb the light and would not burn through because the water will protect the black collector.

Best way to heat the pool is get some noodles make some squares with pvc frame inside the noodles glue black plastic to the frames and add water inside the frames the heat will collect and warm the pool. Just drape the pool with a tarp that can handle uv light.

[RcGalaxy]

Very Nice!

[WattoDaToydarian]

You forgot the link to the other video at the end...

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

Working on it:-)

Annotation up now.

[souleeze]

Your the Steve Irwin of Solar Power :)

[JULYINJULY]

Yep, I agree Steve Irwin.

GPS guy

Love the slow motion and artistic view to your videos.

[ricande]

Ha, ha, ha.. Look at the beuty of that fresnel lens.. :D I agree with you..

[GREENPOWERSCIENCE]

THANK YOU:-)

Steve was great!

[truckeejp]

Very nice!

[shadow14212]

wow this is soo freakin awsome

[30GB]

cool but it sucks on a cloudy day

[bigboy854876]

yeah

[silverbakuk]

I like your video but you're so close to that bloody concentrated sunlight that it makes me wonder if you're taking safety seriously!