200W 12V Immersion Heater
200W 12V Immersion Heater
Using a wind turbine to heat water for your home via an immersion heater element
heating | wind | waterHeating water using a
wind turbine is one of the most efficient uses of that renewable resource. When a wind turbine is used to charge a
battery bank a lot of power is wasted in heat in the coils of the turbine
alternator etc. particularly during gusty conditions. When the turbine is instead used to
heat water with a suitably rated
immersion heater element, virtually every watt that is generated
heats water, even when the turbine is only turning slowly. For every degree the water is heated in this way, electricity or gas (and therefore money) which would otherwise have been used to raise the
water temperature is saved.
Pictured above is a schematic of a basic system designed to use
alternative energy - primarily
wind power - to heat water for domestic use. A low voltage DC
immersion heater element is retro-fitted to a standard
hot water cylinder. This heating element goes in to a depth of around
12 inches so it is at the center of the bottom of the tank ready to
heat the water most efficiently.
A
heat exchanger coil can be added to the water tank through which hot fluid from a
Solar Water Heater
will flow to heat the water further during
sunny days. In this way, water can be heated day and night during windy conditions and all day when it is sunny. If used on a sunny coastal (i.e.
windy) location
this complete system could easily supply
all the
hot water needs of a home for most of the year.
Basic 12V Heater Kit
Above is a photograph of a basic DIY
wind turbine water heater kit fitted to a UK standard
immersion heater. Included in the kit are the following parts which have been labelled on the photograph: 1) 22mm to 3/4 bsp fitting, 2) 22mm to 22mm coupling, 3) 22mm T-piece for housing the heater, 4) 12V 200 Watt immersion heater element (12-14" long). The part labelled 5 above is not included in the kit. Many of these kits were sold on
eBay UK during 2006/7 but is no longer available.
NEW Click here to read our recently updated and extended article on
Wind Turbine Water Heating, or here for our new article on the latest
Immersion Heater Elements for Wind Turbines - available in a vast array of power outputs and voltages (12, 24, 36, and 48 VDC).
Article Last Modified: 13:21, 4th Sep 2008Comment on this Article
If you have any comments on this article, please email them to
neil@reuk.co.uk.
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