Flat-Plate Solar Collector in Transient Operation: Modeling and Measurements

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad M. Saleh ◽  
Donald W. Mueller ◽  
Hosni I. Abu-Mulaweh
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Differential Equations ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Storage Tank ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Time Varying ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector

Solar energy is a viable alternative to limited fossil fuel resources. One of the simplest and most direct applications of this energy is the conversion of solar radiation into thermal energy with a flat-plate solar collector which can be used in water-heating systems. This paper presents a mathematical model for simulating the transient processes which occur in liquid flat-plate solar collectors. A discrete nodal model that represents the flat-plate solar collector’s layers and the storage tank is employed. The model is based on solving a system of coupled differential equations which describe the energy conservation for the glass cover, air gap, absorber, fluid, insulation, and the storage tank. Inputs to the model include the time-varying liquid flow rate, incident solar radiation, and ambient air temperature, as well as the volume of liquid in the storage tank and initial temperature of the solar collector and tank. The system of differential equations is solved iteratively using an implicit, finite-difference formulation executed with MATLAB software. In order to verify the proposed method, an experiment was designed and conducted on different days with variable ambient conditions and flow rates. The comparison between the time-varying computed and measured fluid temperature at the collector outlet shows good agreement. The proposed method is extremely general and flexible accounting for variable ambient conditions and flow rates, as well as allowing for a geometrical and thermophysical description of all essential components of the solar collector system, including the storage tank. The validated and verified, general model is suitable to investigate the effectiveness of various components without the necessity of carrying out experimental work, and the flexible computational scheme is useful for transient simulations of energy systems.

Flat-Plate Solar Collector in Transient Operation: Modeling and Measurements

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad M. Saleh ◽  
Donald W. Mueller ◽  
Hosni I. Abu-Mulaweh
Keyword(s):  
Differential Equations ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Storage Tank ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Fluid Temperature ◽  
Ambient Conditions ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Collector System ◽  
Nodal Model

This paper describes a mathematical model for simulating the transient processes which occur in liquid flat-plate solar collectors. A discrete nodal model that represents the flat-plate solar collector's layers and the storage tank is employed. The model is based on solving a system of coupled differential equations which describe the energy conservation for the glass cover, air gap, absorber, fluid, insulation, and the storage tank. Inputs to the model include the time-varying liquid flow rate, incident solar radiation, and the ambient air temperature, as well as the volume of liquid in the storage tank and initial temperature of the system. The system of differential equations is solved iteratively using an implicit, finite-difference formulation executed with Matlab software. In order to verify the proposed method, an experiment was designed and conducted on different days with variable ambient conditions and flow rates. The comparison between the computed and measured results of the transient fluid temperature at the collector outlet shows good agreement. The proposed method is extremely general and flexible accounting for variable ambient conditions and flow rates and allowing for a geometrical and thermophysical description of all major components of the solar collector system, including the storage tank. The validated, general model is suitable to investigate the effectiveness of various components without the necessity of carrying out experimental work, and the flexible computational scheme is useful for transient simulations of energy systems.

Design, Implementation, and Evaluation of Thermal Performance of a Thermosiphon Flat-Plate Solar Collector for Water Heating in Ecuadorian Coastal Region

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carola Sánchez ◽  
José Macías ◽  
Jonathan León ◽  
Geancarlos Zamora ◽  
Guillermo Soriano
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Storage Tank ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Attractive Alternative ◽  
Local Market ◽  
Water Heating ◽  
Water Storage Tank ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector

Passive solar water heating (SWH) is a convenient method to meet domestic hot water requirements in rural areas, where electricity may not be available or fuel supply might be limited due to difficult access. In this work, a low-cost thermosiphon flat-plate solar collector alternative is presented. The design was purposely limited to materials and recyclable products widely available in the local market, such as Tetra Pak, plastic bottles, and polypropylene (PP) fittings and pipes. Since PP is a thermoplastic polymer, a poor heat conductor, it was necessary to ensure a suitable system isolation to obtain an optimum thermal performance, comparable to commercial solar collectors. The design was built and tested in Guayaquil, Ecuadorian coastal city. Six inexpensive temperature sensors were placed at the entrance and exit of the collector, on the flat-plate and inside the hot water storage tank. Data was recorded using an Arduino single-board computer and later analyzed with the data gathered via weather station. The implementation costs of the system are approximately US$300, the overall performance during January 2017 fluctuated between 54% and 23%, and the storage tank temperature range varied from to 46°C to 33°C. Due to its reliability and affordable cost, the SWH system is an attractive alternative to an Ecuadorian commercial solar flat plate collector, which price is set between US$600 and US$700, it has an efficiency around 60%, and the average annual storage tank temperature is 62°C.

Using a Windbreak to Improve the Thermal Performance of a Flat Plate Solar Collector: A Feasibility Study

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saeed Moaveni ◽  
Michael C. Watts
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Forced Convection ◽  
Thermal Performance ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Absorber Plate ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector

During the past few decades, a wide range of studies have been performed to improve the performance of flat plate solar collectors by either reducing the heat loss from a collector or by increasing the amount of solar radiation absorbed by the absorber plate. Examples of these studies include adding transparent honeycomb to fill the air gap between the glazing and absorber plate to reduce convective heat loss, replacing the air in the gap by other gases such as Argon, Krypton, Xenon and Carbon Dioxide, or adding a chemical coating such as Copper Oxide to increase absorbtance and reduce the emittance of the absorber plate. While these methods improve the collector’s efficiency, they focus primarily on limiting the natural convection that occurs in the collector cavity, or on improving the optical properties of the absorber or glazing. None of these studies have addressed the problem of heat loss due to forced convection to the surrounding ambient air in any detail. Yet, research has shown that forced convection will contribute significantly to the heat loss from a collector. Windbreaks have traditionally been used to direct wind to protect farmland, and to direct wind drifts and sand dunes. Windbreaks also have been shown to provide protection for homes from winter winds which result in reduced heating costs for buildings. While windbreaks have been traditionally used for large scale applications, there is reason to believe that similar benefits can be expected for scaled down applications such as adding a windbreak along side of a flat-plate solar collector. In this paper, we examine the feasibility of using a windbreak to provide a flat plate solar collector protection from the wind in order to improve its performance. A series of experiments were performed wherein the thermal performance of two flat-plate collectors — one without a windbreaker and one with a windbreaker — were measured. The results of these experiments are reported in this paper and the need for further studies to explore different windbreak configurations is discussed.

scholarly journals Energy and exergy analysis of air based photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector: a review

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 109 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Fudholi ◽  
Mariyam Fazleena Musthafa ◽  
Abrar Ridwan ◽  
Rado Yendra ◽  
Ari Pani Desvina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Exergy Analysis ◽  
Exergy Efficiency ◽  
Pv Panel ◽  
Energy And Exergy ◽  
Energy And Exergy Analysis ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector

<span lang="EN-US">Photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors convert solar radiation directly to both electrical and thermal energies. A PVT collector basiccaly combines the functions of a flat plate solar collector and those of a PV panel. This review presents thermodinamics fundamentals, descriptions, and previous works conducted on energy and exergy analysis of air based PVT collector. Studies in 2010 to 2018 of the energy and exergy analysis of air based PVT collectors are summarized. The energy and exergy efficiency of air based PVT collector ranges from 31% to 94% and 8.7% to 18%, respectively. In addition, flat plate solar collector is presented. Studies conducted on air based PVT collectors are reviewed.</span>

scholarly journals Evaluation of Global Solar Radiation Received by a Spherical Solar Collector

2012 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferenc GáSPáR ◽  
Mugur BÄ‚LAN ◽  
Lorentz Já„NTSCHI ◽  
Victor ROȘ
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Tilt Angle ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Global Solar Radiation ◽  
Radiation Incident ◽  
Solar Radiation Incident ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector ◽  
Existing Data

In the paper the global solar radiation incident on a fixed spherical solar collector is evaluated and compared to a south oriented with 46 grade tilt angle fixed flat plate solar collector. Mean daily and hourly solar radiation are calculated from existing data for Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The results show that depending on the equivalent absorbing surface area taken into account, spherical collectors can be more efficient in receiving solar radiation than flat plate collectors.

Unsteady thermotechnical model of a closed flat plate solar collector–storage tank system

2017 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-305
Author(s):  
Sh. I. Klychev ◽  
O. Kh. Nizomov ◽  
D. E. Kadyrgulov
Keyword(s):  
Flat Plate ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Storage Tank ◽  
Tank System ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector

Modelling of a flat-plate solar collector using artificial neural networks for different working fluid (water) flow rates

Solar Energy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 188 ◽  
pp. 1320-1331 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.J. Diez ◽  
L.M. Navas-Gracia ◽  
A. Martínez-Rodríguez ◽  
A. Correa-Guimaraes ◽  
L. Chico-Santamarta
Keyword(s):  
Neural Networks ◽  
Artificial Neural Networks ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Working Fluid ◽  
Flow Rates ◽  
Artificial Neural ◽  
Flat Plate Solar Collector
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