A new method for testing the performance of flat-plate solar collectors

In this study, a new method is proposed for determining the thermal performance parameters of a flat-plate water heating collector. A parametric identification principle is applied to a mathematical model of the collector operating in a real system. The advantages of the method are that it does not need a sophisticated testing system, it avoids the problem of regulating the inlet fluid temperature (which must be held constant during the tests in the standard procedures) and a cloudless sky is not essential. Solar radiation of 600 W m⁻² was chosen as a threshold to start experiments. Applied to a flat-plate collector with a single-glazed cover, the proposed method gave satisfactory results for the determination of its thermal performance coefficients. To verify the adequacy of the present method, it was used to predict the outlet fluid temperature. The results indicate a satisfactory agreement between predicted and measured values with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and an error of 0.4%. We propose that performance results will be presented as a technical sheet showing collector features and accompanied with a curve giving the correlation between estimated and measured output temperature of the collector fluid.     

An experimental investigation on the effect of Al2O3-H2O nanofluid on the efficiency of flat-plate solar collectors

In the present work the effect of Al₂O₃-water nanofluid, as working fluid, on the efficiency of a flat-plate solar collector was investigated experimentally. The weight fraction of nanoparticles was 0.2% and 0.4% and the particles dimension was 15 nm. Experiments were performed with and without Triton X-100 as surfactant. The mass flow rate of nanofluid varied from 1 to 3 Lit/min. The ASHRAE standard was used to calculate the efficiency. The results show that, in comparison with water as absorption medium using the nanofluids as working fluid increase the efficiency. For 0.2 wt% the increased efficiency was 28.3%. From the results it can be concluded that the surfactant causes an enhancement in heat transfer.     

On the correlations between collector efficiency factor and material content of parallel flow flat-plate solar collectors

The collector efficiency factor F^′, besides the collector heat loss coefficient U_L, characterizes the thermal quality of a solar collector. As F^′ is strongly influenced by the tube distance w and the absorber plate thickness δ, F^′ is also correlated with the material content of absorber plus tubing. Due to the future mass production of collectors and to the restricted copper resources (in the literature, a range until 2026 is given), the role of material savings can be expected to become more and more important. This paper focuses on the correlations between F^′ and the material content of absorber and tubing for flat-plate collectors with the fin-and-tube geometry. The correlations between w, δ, F^′ and material content are presented in a new type of nomograph. This nomograph indicates the values of w and δ that minimize the material content (for a given F^′). For a typical absorber with F^′=0.90, material savings of 25% can theoretically be achieved without any deterioration of F^′, by reducing the absorber plate thickness and the tube distance. The resulting plate thickness is below 0.1 mm; the respective tube distance will be about 7 cm. Practical restrictions are discussed. In a sensitivity analysis, the influence of different parameters on F^′ is investigated. The most important parameters are w, U_L,δ and the Reynolds number. The technique chosen for contacting tube and absorber has only a minor influence on F^′.     

Thermal performance enhancement of flat-plate and evacuated tube solar collectors using nanofluid: A review

During the past decades, the technology to make particles in nanometer dimensions has been improved and a new kind of solid–liquid mixture, which is called a nanofluid, has appeared. Nanofluids are an advanced kind of fluid containing a small quantity of nanoparticles (usually less than 100 nm) that are uniformly and stably suspended in the liquid. The dispersion of a small amount of solid nanoparticles in conventional fluids such as water or ethylene glycol changes their thermal conductivity remarkably. Since then, nanofluids have been applied to enhance the thermal performance of many engineering systems. Recently, nanofluids have been used as heat transfer fluids to enhance the performance of solar collector devices. This paper reviews the recent progress and applications of nanofluids in flat-plate and evacuated tube solar collectors. Other than to review the efficiency of solar collectors with nanofluids, the paper also discusses the impact of nanofluids in solar collectors on economic and environmental viewpoints. Finally, the challenges and future trends in the application of nanofluids in thermal solar collectors are discussed.     

The effect of off-south orientation on the performance of flat-plate solar collectors

There are many instances in which an off-south installation of a flat-plate solar collector is more compatible with a building's orientation than a due-south installation. In these cases it is important to determine the magnitude of the performance sacrificed by conforming to the building architecture. This study investigates the collector performance and optimum tilt as functions of the off-south angle, collection temperature, number of glass covers and the relative amounts of direct and diffuse radiation. It was found that the yearly energy collection for a given collector tilt is insensitive to the off-south angle and that in some cases it actually improves with increasing azimuthal angle. It was also found that for a given azimuthal angle an optimum collector tilt exists which is between 3 and 10° less than the latitude. Calculations were based on New York City weather.     

Thermal performance of a flat-plate heat-pipe collector array

This article presents a theoretical model for the determination of the efficiency, the heat removal factor, and the outlet water temperature of a single collector and an array of flat-pipe heat-pipe collectors. The model is validated by on-site testing of 16 heat-pipe collectors under the typical weather conditions in Singapore. Within the operational range of interest of the hot water temperatures, the results show that the proposed model is sufficient to describe the steady-state performance of the collector array.     

Performance comparison of two-pass modified reverse flat-plate collector with conventional flat-plate collectors

The performance of a modified reverse flat-plate collector with air as working fluid is studied. The results are compared with the corresponding results of a reverse flat-plate collector originally proposed as well as with normal flat-plate collectors operating under single and two pass modes. It is found that much higher fluid temperature can be obtained with the new reverse flat-plate collector.     

Thermal performance of gas-filled flat plate solar collectors

A sealed space between absorber and cover glass in a flat plate solar collector makes it possible to reduce the influence of humidity condensate and dust at the same time as the enclosed space can be filled with a suitable gas for lowering the heat losses. This article describes the influence of different gases on the heat losses in a typical flat plate solar collector. A model of a gas-filled flat plate solar collector was built in Matlab with standard heat transfer formulas. The results show that the overall heat loss can be reduced by up to 20% when changing from air to an inert gas. It is further possible to reduce the distance between absorber and cover in order to reduce the mechanical stresses in the material with similar heat losses.     

Transient test of a solar air heater with a compound parabolic concentrator

A method for measuring the performance parameters of a solar thermal collector under non-steady conditions has been applied to an air heater with a truncated compound parabolic concentrator having an aperture area of 1.44 m² and a flat absorber with concentration ratio three. This type of collector was chosen in order to obtain high air temperatures in a tropical climate where the proportion of diffuse solar radiation is high. The parameters found were the optical efficiency, the linear and nonlinear heat loss coefficients, and the effective heat capacity. These parameters were determined individually in separate experiments, some with and some without solar radiation falling on the collector. Agreement within 2% was found between the optical efficiency measured in the experiments and the optical efficiency determined from direct measurements of the optical properties of the materials in the collector. The method can be performed all the year round in a tropical climate when steady conditions do not occur.     

Exergy optimization of flow rates in flat-plate solar collectors

The optimal flat-plate collector mass flow rate is determined by maximizing the exergy (available energy) delivery of the collector as the objective function. Collector and storage dynamics are neglected. Although the case where the pumping power loss is ignored results in bang-bang control, the case where this loss is included in the exergy equation results, after some assumptions, in an optimal mass flow rate that is a function of collector parameters, inlet and ambient temperatures and solar heat gain. Daily performance of a typical flat-plate solar collector with optimum mass flow rate is compared with the performance of the same collector using the mass flow rate obtained by maximizing the difference between the collected thermal energy and the required pumping power.     

Performance of flat plate solar collectors in off-south orientation in India

This paper presents the effect of off-south orientation on the performance of flat plate solar collectors. This study is done, taking into consideration the building's off-south orientation. The present work investigates collector performance and optimum tilt as functions of the off-south angle, collection temperature, latitude and wind velocity. The three latitudes considered are of New Delhi(L = 28.38°N), Bangalore (L = 12.97°N) and Madras (13.0°N). It has been found that, for the best average winter performance, the tilt is latitude angle +15°, whereas, for the best average summer performance, it is latitude angle ?15°. It has also been confirmed that, for year round operation, the maximum solar energy is collected when the tilt is 0.9 times the latitude angle. Further, it has been noticed that there is an optimum value of collector tilt for a given azimuthal angle at which yearly effectiveness is a maximum. The effect of increase in off-south angle is to decrease the yearly effectiveness.     

Transient analysis of parallel flat-plate water collector

This paper deals with a transient analytical solution of a parallel flat-plate water collector. Based on a transient analysis, an explicit expression for water temperature as a function of time and space co-ordinates has been developed. The effects of various parameters, namely inlet water temperature, velocity of flow, depth of flowing water, etc., have been incorporated in the analysis. To appreciate the analytical results, numerical calculations have been made for a typical winter day in Delhi.     

Detailed comparison of the performance of flat-plate and vacuum tube solar collectors for domestic hot water heating

The performance of a DHW system fitted with flat-plate and vacuum collectors has been analysed. Simulations were carried out on the basis of equal aperture or gross areas of basis using TMY data for hour-by-hour dynamic simulation generated for 1036 sites located in different regions of the world. The performance indicators of solar fractions and number of days were determined for specific water mean temperatures in the storage tank of 37 °C, 45 °C and 55 °C. It has been shown that vacuum tube collectors provide slightly better DHW performance indicators than typical flat-plate collectors having the same aperture area. However, since the space that needs to be provided and directly or indirectly paid for is what matters to the user of solar heating systems, the analysis was also carried out on equal gross area basis; on this basis, the advantages of using vacuum collectors are not obvious.     

Thermal optimization of the closed air layer of a light-absorbing heat-exchange panel- transparent cover system of water-heating flat-plate solar collectors

A method to determine the critical Rayleigh number Ra_cr for the closed air layer of the light-absorbing heat-exchange panel-transparent cover system of flat-plate solar thermal collectors is proposed based on the solution of a modified correlation equation suggested by Hollands et al. [3]. This method can be used to determine the thermal-engineering optimal thickness of the layer considered within the 20–60° range of its tilt to the horizon.     

A method of testing for rating solar collectors based on thermal performance

This paper describes a proposed test method for determining the efficiency of solar collectors under specified outdoor “steady-state conditions. The prescribed series of tests should provide useful data for the rating of solar collectors based on thermal performance. A study was made of existing theory, measurement practices and a number of collector test procedures in use prior to the publication of the proposed method.The test apparatuses and major components have been prescribed so a liquid or air can be used as the transfer fluid. The energy of the fluid entering and leaving the collector is determined by making appropriate measurements and these quantities are than compared to the energy incident upon the collector (also determined by measurement) in order to calculate the collector efficiency.The series of tests to be conducted consists of determining the average efficiency for 15 min periods (integrating the energy quantities) over a range of temperature differences between the average fluid temperature (average of inlet and outlet) and the ambient air. The test apparatuses have been designed so that the temperature of the fluid entering the collector can be controlled to a selected value. This feature is used to obtain the data over the temperature range desired. At least sixteen “data points” are required for a complete test series and they must be taken symmetrical with respect to solar noon (to prevent biased results due to possible transient effects).     

Thermal performance analysis of a direct-expansion solar-assisted heat pump water heater

A direct-expansion solar-assisted heat pump water heater (DX-SAHPWH) is described, which can supply hot water for domestic use during the whole year. The system mainly employs a bare flat-plate collector/evaporator with a surface area of 4.2 m², an electrical rotary-type hermetic compressor, a hot water tank with the volume of 150 L and a thermostatic expansion valve. R-22 is used as working fluid in the system. A simulation model based on lumped and distributed parameter approach is developed to predict the thermal performance of the system. Given the structure parameters, meteorological parameters, time step and final water temperature, the numerical model can output operational parameters, such as heat capacity, system COP and collector efficiency. Comparisons between the simulation results and the experimental measurements show that the model is able to give satisfactory predictions. The effect of various parameters, including solar radiation, ambient temperature, wind speed and compressor speed, has been analyzed on the thermal performance of the system.     

太阳能集热器热性能测试系统

为满足工业生产及科学研究中对太阳能集热器测试的需要,按照GB/T 4271-2007《太阳能集热器热性能试验方法》设计了太阳能集热器热性能测试系统。系统由恒温控制台、恒温水箱、旋转平台、循环水泵和连接管路等组成,可对采用液体作为传热工质的集热器进行稳态和动态测试。选取了温度、流量、压力、风速及太阳辐照度传感器,设计了其硬件通讯电路,利用Labwindows/CVI软件为基础开发了测试系统的软件部分,实现了数据的采集、分析和显示。测试结果表明,系统能准确完成集热器的瞬时效率、时间常数、入射角修正系数及两端压力降等的测量,可为准确掌握集热器热性能提供试验平台。     

平板型太阳集热器盖板及保温层性能测试与初步研究

主要针对目前在国内极具发展潜力的平板型太阳集热器进行重点研究.应用太阳集热器的动态性能测试方法,对自行设计制作的不同保温材料组成的太阳能空气集热系统进行了性能测试,并结合FLUENT软件对试验过程进行模拟,提出材料费用比原系统节省1/2的新型保温材料结构的新方案.针对集热器透明盖板结构进行对比试验,得到:透光率为0.6...     

Thermal and mechanical performance of sealed,gas-filled,flat plate solar collectors

The study includes calculations for both the thermal performance and the mechanical behaviour of a gas-filled, flat plate solar collector without external gas expansion, i.e., a collector with varying gas volume and gas pressure and movement in both cover glass and absorber. Classical theories for the thermal performance are combined with a finite-element method to investigate which factors have an impact from the mechanical stress point of view.This article describes major results for collectors with copper and aluminium absorbers combined with different inert gases. It is shown that a collector may be designed which uses less material than a standard collector but achieves at least the same thermal performance, by using a thinner collector and a thinner absorber and a suitable gas filling other than air. If copper is used in absorber and tubes, a 0.15 mm thick absorber together with a tube-to-tube distance of 103 mm results in the same performance as a 0.3 mm absorber with a 144 mm tube-to-tube distance, but the former will use 25% less material. The use of copper can be further reduced if the absorber is made of aluminium and the tubes are made of copper. The factor of safety for thick (>0.5 mm) aluminium absorbers is, however, not as large as it is for copper absorbers.     

Thermal performance of air-heating solar collectors with thick, poorly conducting absorber plates

Expressions are derived for the efficiency and loss factors of a coverless, air-heating solar collector in which it is possible to assign finite values for the thickness and thermal conductivity of the absorber plate. In the geometry treated, air flow is beneath a flat absorber, and heat transfer is both steady state and one dimensional. The expressions are validated by outdoor measurements from a fullscale tile roof used as a collector and by indoor measurements from tile and metal roof sections tested in a heating simulator. For the tile roofs, the expressions presented give better agreement with experiment than do expressions based on the usual “thin plate” models since the absorber is thick and poorly conducting. Efficiency characteristics of the full-scale tile roof are also presented. Trapezoidally profiled metal panels are commonly used as a cladding for industrial buildings; it is shown that their performance as collectors may be described by a “fin and tube” model. Information is presented in a format that is useful for design and may be used in computer models of the thermal performance of solar-assisted buildings comprising these, or similar, collection devices.