How can I make water flow through a solar panel in a laboratory experiment?
Hi, if I were to do a laboratory experiment on how to find the energy conversion rate for a solar panel (an array of pipes), how can I make cold water (from a beaker at one end) flow through the panel? Then make hot water on the other end?
Please advise, many thanks!!
Gravity.
Since you are not going to be able to heat the water to a boil, use a funnel and a stopcock valve on the top.
You probably won’t get a true reading unless you have enough water to completely fill the system, so you’ll also need a stopcock on the bottom.
Measure your change in temperature of the H20 over, say, 5 minutes. (Fill system, wait 5 minutes, drain system and measure temp in outlet flow.)
And, if possible, use copper – better heat absorption.