Saint Louis University

School of Engineering and Architecture

Department of Mechanical Engineering

An Undergraduate Research Proposal:

Design, fabrication, and performance testing and evaluation of a
Passive Solar Water Heater System utilizing
PET bottles as solar collectors

Author:
Engr. Ferdinand B. Itliong, MSME

Co-authors:
Cobangbang, John Rowel R.
Guillermo, Sherwin S.
Lavarias, Mark Daniel B.
Lucena, Jomar C.
Manlapaz, Nikko Y.
Pelayo, Ron-Dhale A.
Tedoco, James Robert S.

April 30, 2016

1

Abstract
Solar water heaters (SWH) are becoming increasingly attractive in sustainable
development. Efforts are continuously made to reduce their costs to make them more affordable. We
Mechanical Engineering Students of Saint Louis University Baguio City has designed a low cost SWH
that uses recycled PET bottles as solar collector and solar reflectors to maximize the heat absorb by the
water. This project focused on a comprehensive feasibility analysis of the use of the SWH here in Baguio
City. Our feasibility analysis of the SWH is consisted mainly of two sections: 1) the design of the passive
type SWH, 2) the heating performance of the SWH.
Human skin can tolerate a temperature of 35C up to 45C.The design of the passive SWH has an
average temperature of 36C and with the aid of the solar reflectors the SWH does achieve the desired
temperature of 40C. It further showed that most of our data gathered was warm enough to be used in
washing and bathing. The heating performance was very dependent on the weather condition (sunny,
cloudy, etc.) but we can say that it has a capability to produce warm water for household chores on a
slightly cloudy weather condition. But because of the lack in insulation of the storage tank the 40C
temperature wont last enough to reach until the next day. Finally, further design for the solar reflectors
should consider the material to be used and the curvature of the solar reflectors. And we recommend
proper insulation for the storage tank to minimize heat loss and we also recommend finding a place where
it can absorb heat in the North, East, West, and South for the utilization of the solar energy.
I.

Background of the study

In high altitude places such as Baguio City where the average temperature all year round is
around 20 C and even drops to 9 C to 15 C during the months of December to February, hot water is
considered to be a necessity in every household. Gutierrez-Escolar (2014) devised a new system to
estimate and reduce electrical energy consumption of domestic hot water in Spain as hot water ranks
accounts for 20% of the household energy consumption, making it the second following space heating at
46%. The results of the researches about hot water consumption implicated a high household demand for
hot water which is then affected by many factors such as size of the household, availability of hot water,
and energy source to produce hot water.
Hot water production in households is effected by different energy sources. In rural China,
biomass accounts for the 85.03% of hot water production while coal is at 14.95% (An, 2014). Kung-Ming
(2013) reports the domination of gas water heaters in Taiwan whereas in the United States, Schoenbauer
et al (2012) account 24% of residential natural gas use to water heating. All these sources require
combustion to produce the needed energy to raise the temperature of water. The combustion process
results to the emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which
contribute to one of the most controversial global environmental issue: global warming. In addition,
Saygin et al (2015) enumerated some underlying benefits of renewable energy utilization such as energy
security, carbon dioxide emission reductions, and improved human health.
The rising approval of renewable energy use is also transpiring in the domestic water heating
sector. Several researches regarding generation of hot water using geothermal energy have been
performed by Yrjl (2015) in Finland, Choi (2013) in South Korea, and Stecher and Allison (2012) in
the United States. The results of their respective studies showed potentials as geothermal energy can
reduce household energy consumption allotted to heating by 50% (Stecher and Allison, 2012). However,
to utilize geothermal energy, a household must dig 6 to 600 ft in search of a hot reservoir and the high
installation cost of the system itself presents an unsustainable note on a small scale level such as in
households. Solar water heating is a thriving sector for hot water production as it plays a significant role
in reducing the amount of energy required (Gunerhan and Hepbaslia, 2007. In addition, Khan (2010)
reported the relatively strong need of solar water heaters in Bangladesh as he designed and fabricated a
natural circulation rectangular box type solar domestic water heating system and evaluated its
performance. The maximum reported water temperature was at 82.4 C with efficiency at 57.3% and
33.7% for glazed and unglazed collectors. These researches reflect the strong potentials and effectivity of

solar water heater which can be integrated in the households of Baguio City where hot water can be
strongly considered a necessity.
The basics of solar water heater
The operation of a solar water
heater can be best understood with the
use of a diagram. Figure 1 (Ong, 2011)
shows a schematic diagram of a natural
convection solar water heater with a flatplate collector. The solar collector is one
of the main parts of a solar water heater.
It is a mechanical device which captures
the radiant solar energy and converts it
to useful thermal energy (Jesko, 2008).
Other major parts include the thermal
Figure 1: A natural convection solar water with flat plate collector
(Ong, 2011).

storage tank, the circulating water pipes, and

the solar water heater bracket supports.
Kung-Ming (2012) reported two
types of solar water heater systems based on fluid circulation: natural and forced. Natural SWH systems
are characterized by their simplicity in design and their low cost whereas forced SWH systems are used in
freezing climates and commercial and industrial process heating (Goswami et al, 2000). In addition to
fluid circulation classification, Kalogirou (2004) reported five types of solar energy systems in hot water
production: thermosiphon, integrated collector storage systems, direct circulation, indirect, and air. When
water is directly heated in the collector, it is considered a direct system, but when water is heated
indirectly by a heat transfer fluid through a heat exchanger, it is an indirect system. Khan (2010)
generalized the types of designs of solar water heater systems into two: active and passive systems.
Active SWH systems require the usage of pumps, sensors, and other control units while the
passive type hugely relies on the thermosiphon principle. Cengel (2003), Farber (2007), Song (2011), and
Fink (2015) described thermosiphon as a fluid motion due to the resulting difference in densities caused
by difference in temperature for the same fluid; i.e. warmer fluid (lower density) rises and cooler liquid
(higher density) falls. The passive type of solar water heater contributes to the establishment of a strong
thermosiphon loop if the hot water storage tank is located higher than the solar collectors. The strong
thermosiphon loop helps in the prevention of possible reverse circulation of water during nighttime (Ali
Sadeghzadeh, 2012).
The working design of thermosiphon principle can be generalized with reference to Figure 1: the
circulating fluid is fed to the solar collector wherein a certain fraction of its volume the is heated up by the
solar radiation, causing it to move up to the thermal storage tank wherein heat exchange happens between
the hot circulating fluid and cold water. The resulting heat exchange cools the circulating fluid and warms
the cold water. The certain volume fraction of the circulating fluid is again fed to the solar collector as a
downcomer and once heated acts as an upriser to heat again the incoming cold water supply.
Solar Intensity
According to Claudiu & Mircea, (2012), direct solar radiation intensity depends on the
atmospheric condition and position in the world, with daily and annual variations depending on the
movement of the terrestrial globe. Solar radiation intensity also depends on the temperature from day to
night and from season to season.
PET as a solar collector alternative
Most performed researches on solar water heaters utilized either flat plate or glass evacuated
tubes as solar collectors. In the Philippine setting, commercially-available solar water heaters, both flat
plate and evacuated tube, however effective, are still expensive for the ordinary Filipino families. With

this regard and the proven benefits of the solar water heater in reducing the energy consumption and
greenhouse gases emissions of a household, the researchers decided to fabricate a passive, direct-type
solar water heater using PET bottles as solar collectors in substitute for the evacuated glass tubes of
commercially available solar water heater systems. The idea of using PET bottles as solar collectors came
from a similar passive solar water heater in Southern Brazil that utilized soda bottles as solar collectors.
The said water heater is self-built; hence, low-cost, and claims the ability to heat water up to 41 C given a
quite cloudy weather condition. The researchers adapted this idea, but unfortunately, the said project has
no formal write-up. The researchers came up with the idea of fabricating a similar design and testing it in
the city of Baguio, wherein hot water can be considered a necessity.
PET or polyethylene terephthalate, is a long chain polymer belonging to the generic family of
polyester. PET is formed from the intermediates terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG), which
are both derived from oil feed stock
Non-biodegradable polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have attracted the increasing
attention due to environmental concerns in today's world (Issam, 2013). This material is fully recyclable
and may be used for manufacturing new products in many industrial fields. But this excellent properties
of PET with all of its many applications are also responsible for the difficult degradation of PET and the
accumulation of polymer waste, which in turn creates a serious environmental problems connected to
littering and illegal landfilling or incineration (Sirocic, Fijacko, and Hrnjak-Murgic, 2013). The
researchers decided to use PET bottles as a substitute for glass in the thermosiphon system due to the
properties and advantages mentioned above.
Khalimov et al (2011) provided a report on the thermophysical characteristics of PET bottles as
an element of water heat accumulators in solar applications. The report stated that PET is of high light
transparency (88 90% transmission) which makes it a good substitute for glass in the conventional solar
water heater designs wherein breakage is imminent at any time. In addition, the PET is thermally stable
within the operating conditions of the solar water heater as it only starts to soften at 245 C and melts at
260 C. Madhukeshwara and Prakash (2012) specified the operating range of solar water heaters at a
certain ambient temperature up to 100 C.

II.

Statement of the problem / Objectives

The objective of the study was to design and develop a solar water heater with the use of PET
bottles and test and evaluate its performance in producing hot water in Baguio City. Three project settings
have been studied, namely: 1) bare black pipe only, 2) pipe with PET bottles only, and 3) pipe with PET
bottles with reflector. Each setting is sought to answer the following specific questions:
1.) Does the designed passive solar water heater for the given setting accomplished its objective of
heating the water in the thermal storage tank to the desired temperature of 40 C within the
timespan of one hour?
2.) How effective is the water heating performance of the designed project for the given setting given
the different weather conditions of Baguio City?
III.

Scope and Delimitations

The scope of the study was focused on finding the effectivity of the designed passive solar water
heater using PET bottles as solar collectors in Baguio City given that the said location is a high altitude
place. The solar water heater design was varied in three different settings as stated in the previous section.
The effectivity was evaluated by the resulting end temperature for a given amount of time for the specific
setting. Moreover, the effectivity was assessed through the maximum temperature that was obtained
within the operating times.
Due to the limited amount of time, the study was not able to determine a full-year performance
evaluation of the designed project. The timeframe for the project testing was only during the month of
March of the year 2016.

IV.

Conceptual Framework
The design and development of a passive solar water heater integrating PET bottles as its solar
collectors and conducting tests to evaluate its performance is the main concept of this project study. The
conceptual framework provides the interconnection of different variables and components to be used in
the study. The framework is stratified into three phases, namely: input, process, and output.
The input is consisted of the variables to be tested or to be circulated. Moreover, the input serves
the function of the working fluid, component, or mechanism. The cold water supply serve as the input of
the passive SWH project as it is one of the variables to be tested and circulated in the said research. The
cold water is to be heated with the use of the developed design and it will gauge the effectivity of the said
design. In addition, the three variations of project design is also included in this section.
The project design and the subsequent water heating operations and the data gathering procedures
and analyses comprised the process phase. The resulting project design is discussed in the design and
fabrication section of the project manuscript. The water heating operations was carried out during
daytime. The data gathering procedure have been a tedious task as temperatures were taken during the
varying times of the day. Corresponding graphs and data tabulations were also carried out.
The output of the project study is consisted of a supply of hot water at a temperature of 40 C that
is to be stored in a thermal storage tank, a detailed tabulated data of results and their corresponding graphs
that is plotted against the time they were obtained for the different times of the day, and a comprehensive
analysis of these values and results.
Input

Cold water
PET Bottles
Three different
project settings

Process

Solar Water Heater

Design
Solar Water Heating
Operations
Data Gathering at
varying times of
operation

Output

Hot Water
Detailed
Tabulated Data of
Results

Figure 2: Conceptual Framework

V.

Significance of the Study

The project study is aimed to design a low-cost yet effective passive-type solar water heater with
the use of PET bottles as solar collector. The significance of this study lies on the reduction of energy
consumption when it comes to water heating in Baguio City. If fully adapted and implemented by every
household in Baguio, the carbon footprint of the city could be greatly reduced and PET bottle use could
be maximized.
VI.

Design and Methods

Research Design
The research is composed mainly of three activities as stated in the project title: 1) design, 2)
fabrication, and 3) performance testing and evaluation. For the design phase of the study, the researchers
have already made an initial draft of the passive solar water heater with the utilization of PET bottles as
solar collectors. The design concept was adapted from commercially available evacuated glass tube solar
water heating systems in which circulating water pipes are arranged in parallel and the thermal storage
tank is above these pipes. According to a study by Kumar et al (2011), solar water heaters in parallel
configuration give a 0.5 2.5 C higher output water temperature than solar water heaters in series

configuration. The designs were varied in three different settings, namely: 1) bare black pipe only, 2) pipe
with PET bottles only, and 3) pipe with PET bottles with reflector.
For the fabrication phase, a time period of one month was given. The researchers deemed this
length of time enough to complete the actual project model. The fabrication phase also included the
purchase of materials. Activities done in this phase include basic machine shop processes, such as pipe
threading, metal cutting, welding, measuring, dimensioning, and other processes deemed necessary have
been applied by the researchers.
Lastly, for the performance evaluation, a time period of one month was allotted for this phase.
The researchers have conducted the experiment on the rooftop of Hugo Del Baere Bldg. at the Sunflower
Halfway Home for Boys of Saint Louis University, Baguio City. The tests were conducted on a daily
basis, and water temperatures were taken at specified times of the day. The data gathering was conducted
from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and inlet and outlet water temperatures was hourly taken and every 15 minutes
on an occasional basis. As for the weather conditions and ambient temperatures were recorded.
The researchers view on performance evaluation include the effectivity of the designed system.
The designed system will be considered effective if it will heat the water to 40 C or more for the hour of
operation.
For better and easier facilitation of the research, the stated specific questions will guide the
researchers in the research process:
1.) Does the designed passive solar water heater accomplished its objective of heating the water
to the desired temperature of 40 C within the given required span of time?
This guide question will be answered through the conducting of an hourly temperature
measurement of water in the thermal storage tank. The thermal storage tank and the tubes will be
completely filled with water to effectively facilitate the thermosiphon process. Since the
temperature is hourly obtained, effectivity is also determined every hour. The system will be
regarded effective if the obtained temperature of the water in the thermal storage tank reached 40
C.
2.) How effective is the water heating performance of the designed project given the different
weather conditions of Baguio City?
This guide question is in relation with the first question, but this question is geared towards the
performance of the designed system that is relative to the geographical location, which is, Baguio
City. The parameters included in answering this guide question are the local atmospheric
pressure, hourly ambient temperature.
Materials and Instrumentation
For the design phase of the study, the materials that have been utilized were mostly academic in
nature, such as research journals, design handbooks, manuals, textbooks, product brochures, and others.
These materials provide the necessary information in forging a proper effective and efficient model
design.
For the fabrication phase of the study, the materials that have been employed are the tools used in
machine shop processes such as steel rules, measuring tapes, hack saws, welding machine, and others.
Accuracy, precision, and safety were required in the use of these tools in fabricating the model.
For the performance testing and evaluation, the needed instruments include thermometers and
timers. Other pertinent data such as the ambient temperature was obtained from PAGASA Baguio
Complex.
VII.

Results and Discussions

A. Design and Fabrication Phase

List of Materials Used

Below is the list of the materials used in the fabrication of the project:
Item
Duct tape
Teflon tape
Epoxy clay
GI bell reducer
GI pipe, 1 in. S40
GI wire
Faucet
Welding rod
Aluminum thermal foam
Drum/storage tank (220L, HDPE material)
GI tee, 1 in.
GI elbow, 1 in.
Spray paint
rebar 10mm
rebar 12mm
flat sheet
spray paint

Quantity
20m
8pcs
5pcs
2pcs
60ft
1kilo
3 pc
1/2 kilo
4yards
1pc
20pcs
3pcs
2pcs
20ft
40ft
3ft x 8ft
2pcs

Table 2: List of materials used in the fabrication of the project

Project Sketch

Figure 3: Ideal project sketch. The design resembles the commercially-available solar water
heaters (evacuated tube type)

B. Performance Testing and Evaluation

1. Testing Site Description
The selected testing site for the performance test of the designed system is at the rooftop of Hugo
Del Baere Bldg. where the Sunflower Halfway Home for Boys is located. The site receives full
sunlight from sunrise up until 3:00 pm. The site does not receive any sunlight from 3:00 onwards
due to the blockage coming from the Saint Louis University Hospital of the Sacred Heart.
Therefore, the heat being received by the system from 3:00 onwards can be attributed as residual
heat captured by the system during its entire operation.
Experimental Procedure
The data gathered from the system are the inlet, outlet, and inside drum water temperatures.
These were measured every after 15 minutes using a mercury thermometer with 1 degree
graduations. Measurement time is from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm in the afternoon for the whole month
of March. The measured temperatures serve as basis for the performance evaluation of the system
given the amount of water that is needed to be heated and the time it takes to provide hot water.
The obtained water temperatures will be plotted against the time of the day when it was obtained.
Moreover, since there were three different settings that have transpired in this study, namely bare
pipe setting, PET bottles only setting, and PET bottles with the addition of flat steel sheet
reflectors setting, a presentation of data will be carried out in the proceeding sections.
2. Data, Results, and Discussions
The temperatures of the solar water heater at different points on the system, namely the inlet,
outlet and tank storage were measured with the ambient temperature considering varying weather
and cloud patterns which also affect the results. For the following data, the peak hours were
considered to be from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM as these give the highest outlet and storage
temperatures. All the read temperatures are in degree Celsius
March 9, 2016

Time
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00

Mean storage tank

Inlet
temperature, C temperature, C
25
28
26
28
28
27.5
25.5
25.3
30
32
32
32
30
29

Outlet
temperature, C
36
40
35.5
39.3
42
42
41

Ambient
temperature, C
22
20.9
19.7
18.8
18.5
18.3
18

Table 2: Solar Water Heater Temperatures with PET Bottles as the Solar
Collectors

On March 9, 2016, the set-up of the solar water heater was pipes with PET bottles as solar
collectors without steel reflectors. The maximum outlet temperature recorded was 42 degrees Celsius at
1:00 and 2:00 PM while the average outlet temperature from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM was 39.2 Degrees
Celsius. Outlet temperature varied positively from 9:00 to 10:00 AM and from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM.
During this day, the weather condition was sunny.

50
40
30
20
10
0
9:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

1:00

TEMP.(STORAGE MIDDLE)

TEMP.(INLET)

TEMP.(OUTLET)

TEMP.(AMBIENT)

2:00

3:00

Figure 4: Line graph showing the behavior of the different parameters observed for the PET
Bottles Only Setup

March 15, 2016

Time

Mean storage tank

temperature, C

10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00

24
24
24
24

Inlet
Outlet
temperature, C temperature, C
31
32.5
25.5
29

Ambient
temperature, C

33
34
31.5
30

20.4
19.4
18.4
18.1

Table 3: Solar Water Heater Temperatures with Bare Pipes as the Solar
Collectors

On March 15, 2016 the set-up of the solar water heater was bare pipes without steel reflectors. The
maximum outlet temperature recorded was 34 degrees Celsius at 11:00 AM while the average outlet
temperature from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM was 32.125 degrees Celsius. At the peak hours, the inlet
temperature always remained higher than the storage temperature. Water at the tank storage did not
increase in temperature during the peak hours. During this day, the weather condition was sunny.
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
10:00
TEMP.(STORAGE MIDDLE)

11:00

12:00

TEMP.(INLET)

TEMP.(OUTLET)

1:00
TEMP.(AMBIENT)

Figure 5: Line graph showing the behavior of the different parameters observed for the Bare Pipes Only Setup

March 21, 2016

Mean storage tank
temperature, C
27.8
29.5
31.3
33.5
34.2
35.9
35.6
35

Time
9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00
4:00

Inlet
temperature, C
29.1
29.5
30.25
30
29
32.9
30
29

Outlet
temperature, C
39
41.3
44.5
42.5
40.5
37
35.7
34

Ambient
temperature, C
20.8
20.1
19.5
18.8
18.5
18.2
17.8
17.7

Table 4: Solar Water Heater Temperatures with Steel Reflector Setup

On March 21, 2016 the set-up of the solar water heater was pipes with PET bottles as solar
collectors with steel reflectors. The maximum outlet temperature recorded was 44.5 degrees Celsius at
11:00 AM while the average outlet temperature from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM was 42.2 Degrees Celsius.
Outlet temperature varied positively from 9:00 to 11:00 AM while tank storage temperature varied
positively from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM. During this day, the weather condition was sunny and the relative
humidity ranged from 88% to 96% humid from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
9:00

10:00

11:00

12:00

TEMP.(STORAGE MIDDLE)

1:00

TEMP.(INLET)

2:00

TEMP.(OUTLET)

3:00

4:00

TEMP.(AMBIENT)

Figure 6: Line graph showing the behavior of the different parameters observed for the PET
Bottles with Steel Reflectors Setup

March 22, 2016

Time

Mean storage tank

temperature, C

9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00

28
28
31
33

Inlet
temperature,
C
28
30
32
33

10

Outlet
temperature, C

Ambient temperature, C

44
42
44
44

21.8
20.9
20
19.2

1:00
2:00
3:00
4:00

34
36
36
36

28
29.5
33
31

37
36.5
39
37

19
18.8
18.6
18.2

Table 5: Solar Water Heater Temperatures with Steel Reflector Setup

On March 22, 2016 the set-up of the solar water heater was pipes with PET bottles as solar
collectors with steel reflectors. The maximum outlet temperature recorded was 44 degrees Celsius at 9:00
AM, 11:00 AM and 12:00 NN while the average outlet temperature from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM was
41.75 Degrees Celsius. Water at tank storage temperature varied positively from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
At 1:00 PM, the outlet temperature dropped below 40 degrees Celsius and was recorded to be 37 degrees
Celsius but at the same time, the storage temperature is steadily increasing and approaching the outlet
temperature. During this day, the weather condition was sunny.

50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
9:00

10:00

11:00

TEMP.(STORAGE MIDDLE)

12:00

1:00

TEMP.(INLET)

2:00

3:00

TEMP.(OUTLET)

4:00

TEMP.(AMBIENT)

Figure 6: Line graph showing the behavior of the different parameters observed for the PET
Bottles with Steel Reflectors Setup

March 31, 2016

Time

Mean storage tank

temperature, C

9:00
10:00
11:00
12:00
1:00
2:00
3:00

24.5
25
26
28
26
27
29

Inlet
temperature,
C
34.5
29.5
26
26
25
31
30

Outlet
temperature, C

Ambient temperature, C

38
47
36
36
53
41
40

22
21.1
20.3
19.4
18.7
18.3
17.8

Table 6: Solar Water Heater Temperatures with Steel Reflector Setup

On March 31, 2016 the set-up of the solar water heater was pipes with PET bottles as solar
collectors with steel reflectors. The maximum outlet temperature recorded was 53 degrees Celsius at 1:00

11

PM, while the average outlet temperature from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM was 43 Degrees Celsius. Water at
tank storage temperature varied positively from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM and from 12:00 NN to 1:00 PM.
The outlet temperature dropped below 40 degrees Celsius at 9:00 AM, 11:00 am and 12:00 NN even
though temperatures were high at 10:00 AM and 1:00 AM. Storage temperature also did not went over 30
degrees Celsius. During this day, the weather condition was sunny.
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
9:00

10:00

TEMP.(STORAGE MIDDLE)

11:00

12:00

TEMP.(INLET)

1:00
TEMP.(OUTLET)

2:00

3:00

TEMP.(AMBIENT)

Figure 7: Line graph showing the behavior of the different parameters observed for the PET
Bottles with Steel Reflectors Setup

General Observations
The solar water heater with PET Bottles as solar collector with steel reflectors has generally
higher outlet and storage temperature, followed by solar water heater with PET bottles as solar collector
without steel reflectors. When the solar water heater only has bare pipes as its solar collector, the
temperature were lower than when the PET bottles were present, and during this set-up, the tank storage
temperature also remained consistently low and did not increase.
The outlet temperature tend to increase from 9:00 AM to 12:00 NN and will then decrease as the
hours pass by. During this phenomena, the storage temperature will start to increase at around 10:00 AM
to 1:00 PM and will start to approach the outlet temperature. It is also important to note that at the
location and angle of the set-up of the solar water heater, the main heat source, which is the sun, is
unobstructed by building structures and trees from around 9:00 AM to 12:00 NN but could be obstructed
by thick clouds. At around 1:00 PM, sunlight is still unobstructed but will pass over the solar water
heater, making the angle and direction at which the solar water heater was placed ineffective. At around
3:00 to 4:00 PM, the sun will be obstructed by the SLU Hospital during the data gathering period on
March 2016.
The extended data for March 22, 2016 shows a pattern on the solar water heater temperatures. It
shows that outlet temperature will start to increase first and reach its peak before gradually decreasing. An
hour or two after the outlet temperature increases, the storage temperature will start to increase gradually
and will approach the outlet temperature which is now gradually decreasing. When the outlet and storage
temperatures are almost equal, both will then start to increase again during the peak hours. At around past
12:00 NN, the storage and outlet temperature will start to decrease but with the latter decreasing more
rapidly. It is important to note that the outlet temperature varies more frequently and faster than the
storage temperature.

12

Performance Comparison
With the three settings, the PET bottles with reflector gave the highest outlet water temperature
readings with 53 C as the highest recorded water temperature and 42.3 C as the average hot water outlet
temperature from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The PET bottles only setting gave 42 C as the highest recorded
water temperature with an average of 39.2 C from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm. The bare pipe setting gave the
lowest temperature readings for hot water outlet with just 34 C as its maximum value and 32.1 C as its
average value for the similar times as the two settings aforementioned.
Conclusions
The designed passive solar water heater system utilized PET bottles as its solar collectors as
compared to conventional SWH systems available in the market that use evacuated glass tubes to
facilitate the thermosiphon process. There were occurred variations from the original design to the
resulting outcome of the project during the fabrication phase. However, despite the changes that have
transpired, the project have still successfully demonstrated the thermosiphon principle and have produced
hot water with temperatures above 40 C given the 220L volume. Since this project is weather dependent,
variation of resulting trends from the data gathered can be observed and peak hours where water
temperatures above 40 C is also changing. There were three settings that have been observed, namely, (1)
PET bottles only, (2) bare black pipes only, and (3) PET bottles with reflector. For the first setting, the
highest water temperature recorded was at 42 C and the average hot water temperature from 10:00 am to
1:00 pm is 39.2 C. For the second setting, the highest water temperature recorded was at 34 C and the
average hot water temperature from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm is at 32.1 C. For the third setting, the highest
water temperature was recorded at 53 C and the average hot water temperature for the similar time
periods as with the first two settings was at 42.3 C. From the three settings, the best system that have
performed is the PET bottles with reflector.
Recommendations
In the undertaking of this study, the group identified some areas to improve. These areas are
material application, size variation, and site selection. For material application, the type of thermal
insulation of the tank will be tackled. Improving the insulation is hypothesized to improve the effectivity
of the system in that the hot water outlet temperature will increase. Moreover, in the same area, changing
the galvanized iron pipes to copper pipes is also hypothesized to fu+rther raise the water temperature as
heat transfer will increase due to higher thermal conductivity properties of copper compared to steel.
Another problem encountered is the moisture accumulation inside the PET bottles due to insufficient
sealing property of the adhesive used. The moisture that have accumulated have negatively affected the
convective heat transfer process as it reduced the amount of heat being received by the black pipes.
Hence, usage of an adhesive which has good sticking properties when it comes to PET bottles will ensure
an airtight condition within the PET bottle. For the size variation area, reducing the pipe diameter to fit
common PET bottles is highly recommended as this will speed up the fabrication process. Lastly, for site
selection, the project could be experimented in other places where it can maximize its obtainable sunlight.
Acknowledgement
A huge amount of gratitude is given to all the staff of SLU Sunflower Halfway Home for Boys headed by
Fr. Geraldo Costa, CICM, to the SLU Special Services Department, to the jury panel of this research
headed by ME Department Head Engr. Alfon V. Gatchallan, PME, MSME, and joined by Engr. Geneross
Padua and Engr. Dylan Deponio for their suggestions and revisions, to the ME Workshop Staff, to the CE
Department headed by Engr. Renato D. Tandoc, MSCE, to the Materials Testing and Laboratory Staff, to
the PAGASA Baguio Complex, to the SLU Libraries, to our respective families for being our inspiration,
to all fellow researchers who have continually pushed us in this use of renewable energy track of research,
and of course to the Almighty God who made this all possible with just one single breath.

13

Appendices
Actual Images of the Project
1) Installation of the PET bottle only set-up

2) Bare Pipe Setting

3) PET bottle with reflector

14

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