Solar vacum tube water heating?

[mtlogcabin]

Any body have any experience designing a solar system using vacum tubes for radieant floor heat?

 

[Frank]

Why would anyone use old fashioned vacuum tubes when designing a solar system controller when solid state is so much cheaper, reliable, and available?

The old vacuum tube fire control computers they had at Natticus off the Battleship Wisconsin came to mind.

On solar evacuated tube heat collection system you have to have a heat dump for when the heat is not needed to avoid overheating the thermal storage tank--typically a large insulated water tank.

 

[ICE]

Why would anyone use old fashioned vacuum tubes when designing a solar system controller when solid state is so much cheaper, reliable, and available?The old vacuum tube fire control computers they had at Natticus off the Battleship Wisconsin came to mind.

On solar evacuated tube heat collection system you have to have a heat dump for when the heat is not needed to avoid overheating the thermal storage tank--typically a large insulated water tank.

There ya go....adding to global warming

 

[Paul Sweet]

If I remember correctly from the late 70s when people thought solar heat was the wave of the future, vacuum tube collectors are supposed to be able to get the water a lot hotter than flat plate collectors. This is good if you're trying to heat water for an institutional laundry or for an absorption cooling system. However, radiant heat only needs warm (110 - 110 degree) water, so they would be spending a lot of extra money for no benefit. They would be better off with flat plate collectors.