Let's get technical: heat sink from black ABS pipe

17 years ago

I have read the threads on heat sinks, and can't claim to understand the number crunching, but I do feel strongly that I want to create a self-designed/built heat-sink for my (not yet purchased) greenhouse.

After reading reams about wintertime heating, and realizing that my wish to have solar panels provide electricity to the greenhouse is not financially feasible (apparently costs a lot and takes too many years to pay for itself) -- I have (sadly) concluded that unless my disability grant covers heating during the winter for the first season, I won't be able to afford the heat for my GH.

After the first year, if my revenue from selling plants is high enough, I can build the cost of heating the greenhouse in the winter into my budget. (and NO, I am not 'advertising', just stating a fact)

I plan to grow houseplants, and also use the GH for plant plugs and starts in late Feb/early Mar.

I live in a desert environment -- I would not say that it is like Arizona, but more like Sequim WA. (The Dalles, Oregon).

SO -- I was thinking (to get to the real point) -- of using Black ABS pipe, as large as I can get it, filled with water, in rows on the outside S and W sides of the GH.

I was thinking that if it is possible to connect them at the bottoms, I could run a pipe under the ground into the greenhouse, and connect several rows under the 4" of pebbles so that the pipes outside would bring heated water into the pipes under the pebbles and help keep the GH warm.

QUESTION: will the geothermal factor help keep the water warm if it is just below the 4" of pebbles, or do I have to bury them deeper? (if the setup works at all, that is)

I do not know if this would work passively -- I mean without pumping or circulating the water back and forth.

I could wrap the whole she-bang in a black pond liner to keep wind from leaching heat.

Also, I was thinking to build a heat collector from a large black ABS pipe open at the apex - traveling downward with flexible black ABS to some stationary black ABS pipes along the back wall for heat storage.

The reason I like the ABS pipe idea is that you can have several layers packed together in less room than, say, five 55 gallon drums. (am I wrong?)

They could be strapped together for stability, and a bench could go on top.

I'm also thinking -- because my GH will have glazing down to the ground, I can make a bench setup on the S and W walls of black ABS pipes (filled with water), with a bench on top.

here is a big question for you number-crunchers:

SHOULD I bury the ends of the ABS pipes in the ground about 4 feet for geothermal assistance, or is that defeating the purpose? Will the ground leach the stored heat away from the pipes? If I cannot bury them, what should I put between them and the ground to keep the heat from leaching out?

IF my "transfer the water heat from outside pipes to pipes on the inside" idea is not "engineerically" feasible, how does heat, from a heat-sink outside, warm the inside of the greenhouse? Is it just heat-transfer directly through the fiberglass wall? IF SO, then why does everyone say "don't allow your heat collectors to touch the greenhouse wall"?

any thoughts on these ideas are very welcome.

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Comments (3)

nathanhurst
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Putting the pipes on the outside of your 'thermal area' is a bad idea - you'll have much higher loses. If you have a good thick piece of foam between the water and the wall, then you'll be better off.

I have no idea what you mean by ABS pipes (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a kind of impact resistant rubber AFAIK). PVC or PE are the only pipes we have here.

I would avoid trying to use the ground as thermal storage unless you can build a suitable insulating skirt around the whole house.

The rate of transfer of heat is proportional to the difference in temperature times the contact area. Heat won't pass from the cooler to the hotter (you can try it if you like, but you far better nota...).
gw:plant_babies
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
ABS is a PVC-type pipe - it's apparently a bit stronger.

The GH will be on pier blocks with a wood or fake decking frame and cap for the GH to sit on/attach to.

I don't want to pour a slab foundation since it will be unsightly when we move away w/ the GH.

So, Nathan -- what you are saying is that an outside heat-sink should be as close against the GH wall as possible, without touching it directly?

I do plan to bury insulation panels around the entire perimeter, and under the soil inside.

Nathan -- how close to the foundation should the insulation ditch be?

thanks for all your help.
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nathanhurst
17 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I'm a little dubious about the pipes storing enough heat. Here in .au you can get large PE welded bladders which you can fill with water (with volumes in the order of 1000 gal). If you are going to have a raised floor, perhaps these would be a better investment.

What is going to circulate your water? Otherwise the hot water will sit at the top, and the cold water at the bottom...

Perhaps you could email me and we can go over this more carefully, as you are currently posting lots of stuff all over the place?

Let's get technical: heat sink from black ABS pipe

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nathanhurst

gw:plant_babies

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