A Solar Engine: the Minto Wheel?

[Christophe]

I raise the subject on the wheel of Minto, solar engine, which would have, according to internet sources, a return higher than 60%.

The process exploits the properties of a refrigerant and the low delta of T ° between the temperature of a coolant (water) heated by a solar panel and the ambient temperature.


Source: http://www.amasci.com/freenrg/minto.html

The idea seems good but what about performance? A user of this forum (vincent27 I think) started here a few months in calculations. I do not know exactly where it is at the moment but the subject concerns me. (Because even if we had that 30% yield we would already be much higher than the solar cells ... imagine the thing in Africa!)

Here is the literature I have on the subject ...

And here are 2 proto videos running: https://www.econologie.com/forums/post97540.html#97540

[Christophe]

Here is an article about the Minto sun wheel, click to enlarge each image:





[Url = https: //www.econologie.com/forums/upload/TMENMinto3.jpg[/ Url]

[Cuicui]

Since the Minto wheel needs gravity to function, the hot spring must be at the bottom and on a part of the rising side, and the cold source at the top and on a part of the descending side, all to settle for the best yield depending on the fluid used.
The nature of the fluid depends on the temperature of use.
The bigger the wheel, the more fluid (gasoline, acetone, ether?) Has the time to evaporate and then condense, and the better the efficiency.
Well done, the system can be durable.
Nice challenge for a handyman!

[Christophe]

Yes the worry is to cool up (not logical since the heat showed) but images this thing mounted in Africa with solar panels tinkering sending water to 70 ° C!

Even a return of 20% would be miraculous for Africa!

[Cuicui]

One can actually provide a large water tank, glazed on both sides of the wheel, in which the bottom of the wheel would dip. And also reflective surfaces (mirrors) to focus the radiation on the tray to increase the intake of calories. And why not a system to recover heat at the top of the wheel and improve cooling?

[Christophe]

Good news, vincent27 who was on the minto project is back on the forum.

He is looking for 1 L of fridge gas for his proto.

KK1 could help him find that? I think he will leave a message here soon!

[PITMIX]

Uh ben ke ki him like gas?
One liter of gas fridge. How to spin it to someone? Should have a bottle of oxygen mini empty torch.
Weld a shraeder fitting over and introduce the gas inside.
It must be able to do that.
If you have news of vincent27 file, leave a mp or an email to see this.

[vincent27]

Thank you all,

I need R 123, but the difficulty is to have a reasonable amount (1 liter to make the first experiments will be enough).
The 123 is liquid at room temperature ("low"), the packaging is therefore simpler.

Otherwise, I have an old propane cylinder of 5 liters that can be used.

Thank you all again for your encouragement. With a little gas, I'll be able to validate or invalidate the wheel.

See you soon

[PITMIX]

Arff then damn R123 I have none. The gases I use evaporate at low pressure.
It seems to me that this is a gas used in cascading fridge machines. The evaporator of one cools the condenser of the other and the evaporator of the other gives cold very low temperature.
Unless it's the R23 oops I have a doubt

[vincent27]

123 is HCFC replacing 11 R.

It is mainly used in air conditioning I think, given the not very low temperatures of change of state, but I believe that now we work with gas at lower evaporation point but at higher pressures.

Given the size of the tanks (even of different design compared to the Model Wheel here), I can not afford to have a system running under pressure.