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User's manual

SOLAR COLLECTOR

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 content

CAREFUL------------------------------------------------- -------------------------3
Who should read the instructions
Symbols
recommendation

Applicable standards
Cautions
Transport, unpacking and inspection

INTRODUCTION------------------------------------------------- -----------------5
Description

Construction

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS ------------------------------------------------ 7

size
Technical data

INSTALLATION------------------------------------------------- ---------------------- 8
Location of the solar collector
Minimum space required
Installation of solar collectors
Hydraulic connections
Heat transfer pipes

GETTING STARTED, PUTTING INTO OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ------------ 11

Training
Starting
Commissioning and maintenance

SOLAR CONTROL UNIT ---------------------------------------------- 12

INSTALLATION EXAMPLES ------------------------------------------------ --14

MOUNTING FRAMES ------------------------------------------------ --------------- 15

Inclined roof

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 installation, commissioning, maintenance
and repair of the system in accordance with
CAREFUL current standards.
Who should read these instructions Fornello will not be held liable in the event of
These instructions should be read by: damage caused by improper system
- technical engineer placement or the use of parts or fittings not
- installer approved by Fornello for such use.
- user
- service engineer

symbols
The following symbols are used in this manual
Basic instructions for the correct
installation The manufacturer reserves the right to

change the characteristics and

Basic safety instructions technical specifications of the product

without notice.
people and the environment.

Danger of burns Availability of certain versions and a

recommendation Their accessories depend on the market.

Please read this manual carefully before

installing and operating the boiler. TRANSPORT, UNPACKING AND INSPECTION

It is forbidden to make changes inside the Whenever possible, move the vacuum tubes

appliance without the prior consent of the upright, taking into account the arrows with

manufacturer. THIS WAY UP (side up). If the boxes can only

The product must be installed and repaired by qualified be placed in a horizontal position, always

engineers according to current standards. place them on a hard surface, such as a

Failure to follow the test instructions and test pressed wooden board. If you stack

procedures may result in personal injury or

risk of contamination. The boxes should ideally not exceed 3 layers, and

To ensure the safe and proper operation of you should make sure that they are securely

your device, it is important that it is serviced fastened to avoid moving. Fastening straps

and maintained annually by an authorized should be lined with thick cardboard or

installer or maintenance company. something similar to the corners of the boxes to

avoid cutting the boxes.

In the event of a malfunction, contact the service

List of components

engineer.
Please familiarize yourself with the

APPLICABLE STANDARDS components listed on the packing list that is

The devices are marked in accordance

Solar,within the included in the container box. If components

EN 12975-1 and EN 12975-2 are missing or additional parts are required,

please contact the supplier who will send

CAREFUL you spare parts from stock.

This documentation is part of the information

provided with the device and must be given to
the user and stored in a safe place!
An authorized installer must perform

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Tube and heating element inspection

a] Open the box (s) containing the vacuum tubes with the heating elements inserted. Check to make
sure that the vacuum tubes are intact and that the bottom of the tube is still silver. If a pipe has a
white or transparent base, it is damaged and needs to be replaced. The heating element must be
removed and inserted into a replacement pipe.
b] Do not remove and / or expose the tubes to sunlight until installation is complete;
Otherwise, the tip of the heater will become very hot enough to cause severe skin burns. The
outer surface of the glass will not heat up.
NEVER TOUCH THE INSIDE OF THE EMPTY TUBE OR THE TOP OF THE HEATING ELEMENT
AFTER EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT
WHEN HANDLING THE HEATER, WEAR THICK LEATHER GLOVES. ALWAYS WEAR PROTECTIVE
GLASSES WHEN HANDLING GLASS TUBES.

c] Fornello makes no warranty for pipes or heating elements damaged as a result of transport
or installation.
Framework

a) Unpack the standard frame that came with the manifold. If you use a frame kit, those
components will be packed separately from the manifold.
b) Depending on the roof surface, rubber mats, roof attachment straps or round feet can be
used to attach the standard roof frame. These components are supplied separately from the
standard frame.

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 INTRODUCTION
USE OF SOLAR ENERGY fixed with high quality silicone adhesive.
The principle of operation of a solar heating There is no need for a seal between the glass
system can be easily explained. A collector pipe and the heating element, in fact, the air
receives solar radiation and therefore heats must be able to circulate in and out of the
up. This heat is channeled as much as pipe as the air inside heats up and cools
possible to a hot water tank. No fuels are down.
required during this process and therefore The heating element transfers heat to the
there is no CO2 emissions, so there is no manifold by a very simple method. The
environmental pollution. The quality of the copper heater is hollow on the inside and
solar energy that the collector can transfer contains acetone. the empty center of the
to the home depends mainly on its ability heating element is vacuumed, so that the
to absorb light, but also on the insulation acetone will heat up to 40ºC and evaporate
from (boil). The vapors will rise to the top
(condenser) of the heating pipe, where the
heat will be transferred to the water flowing
through the manifold. The heat loss causes
the vapors to condense and return to the
heating element where the process will be
resumed. This method of heating is thousands
of times more efficient than a solid copper
rod. Therefore, heat is transferred very
efficiently from the vacuum glass tube to the
water.

external environment, which prevents the dissipation of

energy from the collector.

The vacuum tube of the heating element

consists of the glass vacuum tube described
below. In addition, a copper heating pipe is
installed inside the tube. The copper heater
transmits heat to its tip, which is connected
to the manifold's heat transfer manifold. As
water passes through the collector, heat is
transferred from the copper heat pipe to the
water. The element of
Heating is a very efficient means of heat transfer
from the vacuum tube to the water. The
diagram below shows both the glass vacuum
tubes and the copper heating element. The pipe
is simply intruded into the glass pipe,

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 excellent in solar heat absorption and minimal
reflection. The air is emptied from the space
adsorbent
between the two glass tubes to form a vacuum,
outer tube
which eliminates the loss of conductive and
convective heat.
inside tube

Manifold

Aluminum alloy or stainless steel

housing, insulated with mineral wool.
1. Bottle

2.Vid

3. Adsorption layer
Framework

4. Table round
There are two types of frame: flat roof
aluminum
and sloping roof.
5. Heating element

fig. 2 Vacuum tube

SOLAR COLLECTOR CONSTRUCTION

Glass vacuum tubes
Glass vacuum tubes are the key component of
vacuum tube solar collectors. Each
discharged tube consists of two glass tubes.
The outer tube is made of extremely strong
transparent borosilicate glass, able to
withstand the impact of hail with a diameter
of up to 25 mm. and the inner tube is also
made of borosilicate glass, coated with a
special layer (Al-N / CU), with properties

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specifytechnical requirements

sizeand technical data

Size L * l * h
Model Number of pipes Weight (kg)
(mm)
SPA-58 / 1800-12 12 1056 * 1983 * 130 51
SPA-58 / 1800-15 15 1296 * 1983 * 130 65
SPA-58 / 1800-18 18 1536 * 1983 * 130 68
SPA-58 / 1800-20 20 1696 * 1983 * 130 76
SPA-58 / 1800-22 22 1856 * 1983 * 130 84
SPA-58 / 1800-24 24 2016 * 1983 * 130 92
SPA-58 / 1800-30 30 2496 * 1983 * 130 112

Outer diameter 58mm

Glass thickness and type 1.6mm borosilicate

Selective adsorption coating Al-N / Cu

Adsorption 93%
broadcasting 10%

Manifold Vacuum tubes

Outer diameter of copper tube: 22mm

Inner diameter of copper tube: 20mm
Insulateto you:14kg / m3 woolmineral
Maximum pressuretest:9bar

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Pressure drop⁇

INSTALLATION

LOCATION OF SOLAR COLLECTORS lightning arrester, etc. are commonly used

Roof mounting: lightning protection.
Tube collectors can be mounted at a 15 'angle
⁇75 '. An installation angle of less than 15 'is The metal kit like a water tank and the
not permitted. console must be connected with metal and
Flat roof mounting: every two points of the solar collector must
The solar collector can be mounted on flat be welded with the lightning rod on the top
roofs as supplied, with an angle of 30 ', 45' or level.
60 '. Installation angle less than 15 'is not Always check local conditions and
allowed legislation before installation.
In most cases, a mounting angle of 45'-50 'is The unloader must be welded to the lightning
recommended. This ensures optimal winter rod, connect the front end of the unloading
performance and greatly increases part to the appropriate position of the back of
resistance to hail storms. the solar panel by fixing with screws.
MINIMUM SPACE REQUIRED Make the construction with

The minimum installation space is calculated U profiles. Then install the

based on the size of the solar collector and the manifold and the profile

frames. parts of the mounting frames and aluminum. After

installation options are presented on pages you can install it
12-14. vacuum tubes. Detailed description on pages 12
INSTALLATION OF SOLAR COLLECTORS ⁇14.
It is recommended to install solar collectors INSTALLATION OF EMPTY GLASS TUBES
on the south side of the roof. Protect
buildings from wind and snow. Installation of vacuum tubes on the profile
Warning: the permissible snow load is 1.4 kN / [lrys.3]. For installation, you must screw on the
m2 and a wind of 0.8 kN / m2 [or 30 m / s] pipes and the base brackets must be open.
LIGHTNING PROTECTION RECOMMENDATION After laying the tube, close the base bracket
and use the screw to secure the tube. Careful:
Lightning arrester, earthing wire, lightning
conductor, earthing belt,

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 - the ends of the heating element - pay attention to the position of the tubes -
(condenser) must be covered with keep them upright on the profile and
thermal adhesive before putting them manifold and tighten them tightly
in the manifold (fig 4)
Sloping roof installation⁇see page 14
Profile U -for mounting the manifold and the vacuum tubes
Aluminum profile -Used at the bottom to install plastic supports for vacuum tubes. Must be
combined with U profiles.
The connection to the roof - the feet are installed with U-profiles on the roof
Flat roof installation - see page 15
Profile U -for mounting the manifold and vacuum tubes, the angle can be changed
Aluminum profile -Used at the bottom to install plastic supports for vacuum tubes. Must be
combined with U profiles.
The connection to the roof - the feet are installed with U-profiles on the roof

INSTALLATION

HYDRAULIC CONNECTION
The connection between the collectors

To install solar collectors in series, use flexible

connections, with both collectors installed
on the manifold.

At the end of the installation, the non-

powered solar collectors must be closed
with rubber plugs (all tubes). Vacuum tubes
installed after filling the system with propylene
glycol. Parallel connection
. Other connections Heat transfer fluid
Caution: Solar stations and expansion vessels The heat transfer liquid is a special
should be installed in an easily accessible propylene glycol, called TYFO COR LS,
location - most preferably near the hot water with a freezing temperature below 28
tank. On summer days and without heat transfer, the

After attaching the temperature sensor to the temperature in the solar collector can reach 200

manifold, close all other outlets with rubber plugs. ℃.

The maximum working temperature can be 6

bar. Because of this, all connections must be
well made.
Flexible connections should only be used between

solar collectors and copper pipes.

Only use authorized pipes (with the

manufacturer's name) to connect the solar

serial connection (max. 2 collectors)

collectors to the water tank.
⁇Maximum pipe length⁇30 m
⁇Diameter
recommended:

Page 9 d
external / internal⁇20/18 m⁇depending on the length Pipe installation
⼀Recommended flow rate: 0.1 -0.251 / min for a glass All pipes should be installed as close as possible
tube; for 22 tubes: 2.2⁇5.5 l / min to the water tank, with the inclination towards it
to avoid the accumulation of air in the pipes. If
⁇Pipe connection - fixed welding this is not possible, use manual ventilation.
For the active surface [opening] of about 20 m2, the

recommended diameter is 42/39 mm or 54x50 mm,

depending on the length.

INSTALLATION

isolation

ducts
depth
insulation must
to or of
approximate a
pipe diameter
D (for lambda Ventilation installation

approx. 0, 04 W /
mx K⁇Through the wall or roof can be
reduced to 50% Thermal insulation should
withstand
⁇temperature not less than 150 ℃, FIG. 8. Recommended items for tubes with
- UV radiation, thermal liquid around the water tank
- weather
For flat roofs, the insulation should be
If the volume of the transfer fluid
protected with aluminum sheets - to avoid
thermal is higher than 20 l, se
mechanical damage or weathering.
recommends the installation of a

greater expansion.
Boiler connection
It must be carried out according to the instructions of the

boiler. At the bottom it is recommended to create the

thermosphere at a height of 10 diameters of the diameter of

the pipe to avoid the flow

gravitational. At the bottom of the

thermosphere should be the drain valve.

Solar station
Must be installed in a place with easy access, close to

boiler. The 3/4 "safety valve outlet pipe

must be inserted into the propylene glycol
transport box (length 1.5 m).

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 - 3 working intervals for the flow regulator:
0.3-6 1 / min, 2-15 1 / min and 10-30 l / min

- Loading / unloading / washing the system and

removing the circulator without emptying the system;

- Internal degasser in the supply pipe

- Compact safety unit includes safety
valve, pressure gauge and flexible
connection
For the expansion tank;
- Side hole for pump cooling
1.3 flow regulators; 2. Return valve DN25 VRRS with
- Wall / storage tank assembly
check valve; 3.Blue handle; 4.Thermometer;
- Flange valves with flow / return thermometer
5. Safety unit with pressure gauge, valve
- Insulation on black ER '40 g / 1
fuse, expansion tank connection;
- All sealed areas are secured with
6.Support wall mounting; 7. Gasket kit; 8 Insulation; 9.
flat sealing fittings and gaskets
Circulator (optional); 10. Support EPP controller; 11.

Controller (optional); 12. M5x20 screw for fixing

controller on EPP support

FIG. 7 Solar unit

SOLAR UNIT, MAIN FEATURES

- Controller protection insulation

START-UP, START-UP AND MAINTENANCE
GETTING STARTED
Read all carefully before washing and After flushing the system, close the drain
checking for leaks valve.
instructions: tank and other devices. Follow Filling with heat transfer fluid Caution: This
them, especially for filling the tank and making must be done immediately after washing the
electrical circuits. system with water
Washing the system The heat transfer liquid is a gypsum propylene
Before filling the system with propylene called TYFOCORLS, freezing temperature⁇
glycol. all heat transfer fluid circuits must be (minus) 28 ℃.
thoroughly flushed with water. Filling pressure: min 2, 5 bar
Minimum washing time⁇Ten minutes. The Leak test
wash water must be connected to the solar Test pressure: 5 bar Test

unit in the filling line. duration: minimum 1 hour

The system cannot be washed and filled if The test is passed if after 1 hour the test pressure will

the collectors have been exposed to direct not drop more than 0.05 bar (0.005 MPa)

sunlight or if they are still exposed to If the test pressure in the solar circuit
sunlight or if the sky is very clear or at a tank is less than 5 bar, the leak test
temperature of less than 3-5 ℃. Washing must be performed without connecting
should be done through the lowest drain the tank.
valve.It must be open until it is full of
water.

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 Flow rate (l / min] = 0.1-0.25 l / min for a heating
STARTING tube. For solar collectors with 30 tubes, this is
VENT about 3⁇7 l / min, for 22 tubes of approx. 2.2⁇5.5
Turn on the solar unit for 3 minutes. Stop. l / min Commissioning and maintenance The
Start again for the next 2⁇3 minutes. Open installation of solar panels must be carried out
all vents and close after venting. Do it in such a way that no intervention is required
again, if necessary. for 1 year. The installation must also be done in
the summer.
Recommended pressure after ventilation: min 25
bar. If possible (every 2-3 weeks) it is recommended
Starting the heat transfer circuit to check the pressure in the solar unit and the
Check all heat transfer valves - they must be capacity of the solar unit and the exhaust valve,
closed. The shut-off valve must be open. located at 3/4 "from the safety valve. The
pressure must be 2.5⁇4.5 bar. After 1 year of
Check the pressure in the expansion vessel - use, authorized personnel must check the
it must be about 0.5 bar higher than the installation (immediately after the first summer
pressure in the cold circuit of the heat of use]
transfer fluid. Any work around the heat transfer fluid circuit
Start the pump at level 1. If the required flow is must be performed after the system has cooled
not received, increase the level. The flow rate down.
should be the equivalent of the temperature The heat transfer fluid must be checked at
difference between 10-15 ºC and the strong least every 2 years. If necessary, it must be
afternoon sunlight. changed. This must be done by authorized
Approximate value: personnel.

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FIG. 10th solar heating with Smart Multi Energy and SD3 control unit

FIG. 10th solar heating with Smart Multi Energy, fireplace, SD3 control unit. Heating

spare with Alfa / Delta boiler

FIG. 10th solar heating with Smart Multi Energy and Prestige Solo condensing boiler and unit

SD3 control.

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 MOUNTING FRAMES ⼀ INCLINED ROOF
Given the similar installation, we will describe the installation of

the solar collector with 30 tubes.

Solar collector installed on the roof (Fig.11⁇using 6 hooks ⁇

2.Front profiles⁇1⁇are equipped with special holes ⁇3),
which allow them to connect the hooks⁇2.In one picture,
the hooks and screwed mounted⁇4⁇ of the front profile⁇1
⁇and the other side of the hook is installed under the roof or
is installed

the roof of the building.

The RK30 manifold is installed on the front profiles (1) using

connections (7⼀FIG. 13

Using the same 17J connections, the P30 profile is mounted with front profiles (Fig. 14) There you have to install the

supports for 30 vacuum tubes (5)

Vacuum tubes must be inserted into the manifold holes (Fig. 11). During installation, the pipes must be screwed
on. The supports at their base must be open. After placing the tube, the support must be closed. Tighten the
screws to secure the tube.
Careful:
- the ends of the heating element (condenser) must be covered with thermal adhesive before inserting them
into the manifold
- monitor the position of the pipes - keep them in a high position in front of the profile and the manifold ⁇

screw in well

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 Importer in Romania

Vrancea, Golesti locality

DN 2 National Road 5

Tel: 0337.401.822
www.fornello.ro

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