North American Solar Solutions is proud to share our products and technolohy for learning purposes. For those who are do it your selfers .

Here you will find information on; Vacuum Tubes, Heat Pipes, Manifolds, Thermal Greese, Gaskets, aswell different types of valves are used on your every day systems.






How Solar Vacuum Tubes Work

The evacuated tube is the key component to all the thermal heaters and systems. It’is similar to a
Conventional Dewar flask and consists of two borosilicate glass tubes, resistant to high chemical and thermal shock. The outer side of the inner tube is coated with a sputtered solar selective surface. This coated inner tube is closed at one end and sealed at the other end to the outer tube. The annular space between the outer tube and inner tube is evacuated to avoid heat loss in conduction and convection. The key element determines function of tube is the technology of the film coating.


Vacuum Tube:          
-Getter (Spring Spacer)          
-Two Layers of Borosilicate Glass       
-Three Layer Coating System



Cap:                                  -High Temp Cap
-Vent Release

How Heat Pipes Work

As the most important component in pressurized solar thermal products (or year round), the quality of heat pipe directly affect function of whole system. The heat pipe is disgned to transfer the dry heat from the vacuum tube to the manifold/collector.

Structure and Principle:

The heat pipe is hollow with the space inside evacuated, much the same as evacuated solar collector tube. In this case insulation is not the goal, but rather to alter the state of the liquid inside. Inside the heat pipe is a small quantity of purified water and some special additives. At sea level water boils at 100C (212F), but if you climb to the top of a mountain the boiling temperature will be less that 100C (212F This is due to the difference in air pressure).

Based on this principle of water boiling at a lower temperature with decreased air pressure, by evacuating the heat pipe, we can achieve the same result. The heat pipes used in our solar collectors have a boiling point of only 30C (86F). So when the heat pipe is heated above 30C (86F) the water vaporizes. This vapor rapidly rises to the top of the heat pipe transferring heat. As the heat is lost at the condenser (top), the vapor condenses to form liquid (water) and returns to the bottom of the heat pipe to once and then repeats the process.

In order to achieve this result more than 20 manufacturing procedures are required and with strict quality control.


Head Office
North American Solar Solutions
RR 2 Lot 28 Con 8 # 496773
Clarksburg, Ontario
N0H-1J0, Canada
Phone: (705) 999-2105
Email: dmoonen@nasolarsolutions.com
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