Dynamic performances of solar heat storage system with packed bed using myristic acid as phase change material

This paper is aimed at analyzing the thermal characteristics of packed bed containing spherical capsules, used in a latent heat thermal storage system with a solar heating collector. Myristic acid is selected as phase change material (PCM), and water is used as heat transfer fluid (HTF). The mathematical model based on the energy balance of HTF and PCM is developed to calculate the temperatures of PCM and HTF, solid fraction and heat release rate during the solidifying process. The latent efficiency, which is defined as the ratio between the instantaneous released latent heat and the maximum released heat, is introduced to indicate the thermal performances of the system. The inlet temperature of HTF (50 °C), flow rate of HTF (10 kg/min) and initial temperature of HTF (66 °C) were chosen for studying thermal performances in solar heat storage system. The influences of inlet temperature of HTF, flow rate of HTF and initial temperatures of HTF and PCM on the latent efficiency and heat release rate are also analyzed and discussed.     

槽式太阳能集热器传热模型及性能分析

槽式太阳能集热器一维和二维传热数学模型是一组非线性代数方程,为改进求解的稳定性和计算精度,将槽式太阳能集热器一维和二维传热模型的求解看作有约束优化问题,建立了集热器传热过程求解的有约束优化数学模型,应用MATLAB软件优化函数fmincon进行求解。分析了传热流体入口温度及太阳能辐射热流密度变化对集热器性能的影响。采用fmincon函数求解集热器传热过程,计算速度快,计算过程稳定。分析表明,传热流体温度变化对集热器效率的影响大于太阳能辐射热流密度对集热器效率的影响。     

Thermal performance analysis of the glass evacuated tube solar collector with U-tube

In this paper, based on the energy balance for the glass evacuated tube solar collector with U-tube, the thermal performance of the individual glass evacuated tube solar collector is investigated by analytical method. The solar collector considered in this study is a two-layered glass evacuated tube, and the absorber film is deposited in the outer surface of the absorber tube. The heat loss coefficient and heat efficiency factor are analyzed using one-dimensional analytical solution. And the influence of air layer between the absorber tube and the copper fin on the heat efficiency is also studied. The results show that the function relation of the heat loss coefficient of the glass evacuated tube solar collector with temperature difference between the absorbing coating surface and the ambient air is nonlinear. In the different ambient temperatures, the heat loss coefficient of the solar collector should be calculated by different expressions. The heat efficiency factor will be subject to influence of air layer between absorber tube and the copper fin. Specially, the influence is remarkable when the heat loss coefficient of the collector is large. When the synthetical conductance amounts to 5 W/m K, the solar collector efficiency decreases 10%, and the outlet fluid temperature decreases 16% compared with the case which the air thermal resistance is neglected. And the surface temperature of the absorbing coating increases 30 °C due to the effect of air thermal resistance. So the surface temperature of the absorbing coating is an important parameter to evaluate the thermal performance of the glass evacuated tube solar collector.     

Collector characterisation and heat loss tests on a novel batch solar water heater with CPC reflector for households

ABSTRACT

This solar water-heating unit is an integration of the older concept of batch water heating with the modern trends in solar water-heating technologies i.e. incorporating a concentrator in the design. The concentrator used is the compound parabolic type (CPC) which is a non-imaging device having wider acceptance angle (64°) and supported on a wooden cradle, which comprises the two arms of the parabola. To suppress the heat loss, an air gap has been introduced in the arms of the CPC. The collector is a single larger diameter drum which serves both as an absorber and storage unit positioned at the focus of CPC. The parametric study of the model showed the thermal efficiency of the collector as high as 38% and maximum water temperature attained was 53°C. Heat loss tests performed on the collector on a 24-hr cycle period showed good long time performance estimates. The response time of collector computed and performance characteristic curve plotted to predict system response under any given conditions of solar insolation and ambient temperature.     

Experimental analysis of convective heat transfer on tubes using twisted tape inserts,louvered strip inserts and surface treated tube

This paper analyses and compares the effects on outlet water temperature, heat transfer rate and its thermal efficiency of three different types of tubes such as twisted tape inserted tube, louvered strip inserted tube and a surface treated (laser peened) tube are dealt with different operating parameters, viz., solar insolation, water temperature at the inlet and ambient temperature. Non-concentrate collector (flat plate) is used. A plain or normal tube (non-surface treated) was also tested for comparison. Polystyrene and acrylic glasses were used for reduced heat loss. It is observed that the heat transfer rate and its thermal efficiency tend to increase with the increased ambient temperature and solar insolation with the louvered strip inserts had given the best thermal performance in comparison with the other types.     

太阳能平板集热器关键参数对其热性能的影响

为了提升太阳能在建筑能源供给体系中的比重,形式多样的太阳能集热设备及其系统在建筑领域得到了广泛应用。基于机理分析法,建立了具有单层玻璃盖板的管板式太阳能平板集热器的稳态传热模型。并且针对集热管间距、集热管内径、工质入口温度和工质质量流量等关键参数对集热器集热效率的影响特性进行了数值模拟与分析。结果表明,建立的该稳态传热模型是可行的;此外,在其余参数值保持不变的情况下,减小集热管间距或增加集热管内径均可使集热器瞬时效率增大;增大工质入口温度会导致集热器瞬时效率下降;而增大工质质量流量会提升集热器瞬时效率。这些结论对于太阳能平板集热器在太阳能建筑一体化的实际应用中,具有一定的参考作用。     

槽式太阳能集热器聚光面能流分布及传热特性

本文运用蒙特卡罗光线追踪法模拟了LS-2型槽式太阳能集热系统的聚光特性,并以此为边界条件,进一步研究传热工质为THERMINOL55合成导热油时该集热器内管壁和管内流体的温度分布特性和传热特性。结果表明,管壁和管内流体温度分布十分不均匀。并考察了不同导热油以及导热油的流速对传热效率的影响工质流速对管壁温度分布影响较大,当太阳直射辐照为1000 W/m^2,导热油入口温度为160℃,流速为0.05 m/s时,吸热管圆周方向最大温差为235℃左右,当流速增加到0.05 m/s时,最大温差减小到142℃左右。     

A heat pipe photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid system and its performance evaluation

Building-integrated photovoltaic/thermal (BIPV/T) system has been considered as an attractive technology for building integration. The main part of a BIPV/T system is PV/T collector. In order to solve the non-uniform cooling of solar PV cells and control the operating temperature of solar PV cells conveniently, a heat pipe photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) hybrid system (collector) has been proposed and described by selecting a wick heat pipe to absorb isothermally the excessive heat from solar PV cells. A theoretical model in terms of heat transfer process analysis in PV module panel and introducing the effectiveness-number of transfer unit (?-NTU) method in heat exchanger design was developed to predict the overall thermal-electrical conversion performances of the heat pipe PV/T system. A detailed parametric investigation by varying relevant parameters, i.e., inlet water temperature, water mass flow rate, packing factor of solar cell and heat loss coefficient has been carried out on the basis of the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Results show that the overall thermal, electrical and exergy efficiencies of the heat pipe PV/T hybrid system corresponding to 63.65%, 8.45% and 10.26%, respectively can be achieved under the operating conditions presented in this paper. The varying range of operating temperature for solar cell on the absorber plate is less than 2.5 °C. The heat pipe PV/T hybrid system is viable and exhibits the potential and competitiveness over the other conventional BIPV/T systems.     

Experimental and numerical investigation on thermal and electrical performance of a building integrated photovoltaic-thermal collector system

An experimentally validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a novel building integrated photovoltaic-thermal (BIPV/T) collector is studied to determine the effect of active heat recovery on cell efficiency and to determine the effectiveness of the device as a solar hot water heater. Parametric analysis indicates that cell efficiency can be raised by 5.3% and that water temperatures suitable for domestic hot water use are possible. Thermal and combined (thermal plus electrical) efficiencies reach 19% and 34.9%, respectively. A new correlation is developed relating electrical efficiency to collector inlet water temperature, ambient air temperature and insolation that allows cell efficiency to be calculated directly.     

建筑一体化电热冷联产光伏组件能量特性研究

传统太阳能光伏或光热建筑一体化只能为建筑提供单一电能或热能。通过研究一种集成发电、集热、制冷3种功能的建筑一体化电热冷联产光伏组件,对其夏季工况下能量特性进行了实际检测。结果表明:白天,组件集热同时能有效降低光伏电池温度,组件工作温度高于环境温度约8~16℃,发电和集热效率分别为14.1%~13.7%和40.1%~15.7%;晴朗夜间,组件通过对流和辐射两种传热方式进行散热制冷,总制冷功率为26.0~268.5 W/m~2。电热冷联产光伏组件适合与热泵结合,为建筑提供所需能源。     

Coupled heat transfer modes for calculation of cooling load through hollow concrete building walls

A CFD model was developed to study thermal performance of hollow cement wall constructions of buildings under hot summer conditions. The approach employed couples conjugate, laminar natural convective flow of a viscous fluid in hollow building blocks with long-wave radiation between the cavity sides. Realistic boundary conditions were employed at the outdoor and indoor surfaces of the wall. A state-of-art building energy simulation program, ESP-r, was used to determine the outdoor thermal environment that included solar radiation, equivalent temperature of the surroundings and convective heat transfer coefficient. The CFD problem is put into dimensionless formulation and solved numerically by means of the control-volume approach. The study yielded comprehensive, detailed quantitative estimates of temperature, stream function and heat flux throughout the wall domain. A detailed parametric study showed that using a wider cavity within a building block does not necessarily reduce heat flux through the block. Radiation heat transfer between cavity sides may account for a significant fraction of heat flux through the block and neglecting its effect can lead to errors that could be as large as 46%. The geometry of the hollow blocks was demonstrated to affect the heat flux by as much as 30%.     

太阳能辅助地源热泵供热运行特性研究

介绍了太阳能辅助地源热泵,对其各装置性能进行了研究。分析了地下埋管换热器进出口水温及有、无蓄热水箱对太阳能辅助地源热泵性能的影响。太阳能辅助地源热泵制热性能系数随地下埋管换热器进口水温的升高呈下降趋势,随其出口水温的升高呈上升趋势。随地下埋管换热器出口水温升高,蒸发器传热量增大。当太阳能辅助地源热泵中无蓄热水箱时太阳能集热器的瞬时集热效率高于有蓄热水箱时的瞬时集热效率。就总体效果而言,有蓄热水箱要优于无蓄热水箱,这样可使地源热泵运行更加稳定。     

双层玻璃幕墙的传热特征研究

展示了一个通过计算流体动力学(CFD)计算机模拟获得双层玻璃幕墙传热特征的方法。通过CFD模拟计算的结果,拟合得到了双层玻璃幕墙系统和单层玻璃幕墙系统的室内得热与太阳辐射和室内外温差两个变量之间的线性近似公式。该关系表征了幕墙系统的传热特征:太阳得热系数和有效传热系数(或U值)。用该公式估算夏冬季透过幕墙的室外冷(热)负荷十分方便,工程实用性很高。     

Numerical simulation of phase change heat transfer of a solar flat-plate collector with energy storage

The technical feasibility of an innovative solar collector is studied in this paper. A phase change material (paraffin) is used in the solar collector to store solar energy. This type of system combines both collection and storage of thermal energy into a single unit. The major advantages of the phase change stores are their large heat storage capacity and isothermal behavior during the melting and solidifying processes. A negative aspect of paraffin is its low thermal conductivity which increases the melting and solidifying time for paraffin energy storage. In this paper, new aluminum foams infiltrated with paraffin are presented. It presents a two dimensional model describing the melting and solidifying processes of paraffin while accounting for both phase change heat transfer and natural convection. Apparent heat capacity method was used to simulate the melting and solidifying processes of paraffin. The simulation results show that the motion of the hot liquid paraffin plays an important role in increasing the heat transfer between paraffin and top surface of solar collector. The shape profile of the pure paraffin solid-liquid interface is determined by the synergistic relationship between its temperature and velocity field. Though aluminum foams impregnated with paraffin will limit motion of the hot liquid paraffin, the heat transfer ability is greatly improved. The distributions of the temperature in the paraffin with aluminum foams are more homogeneous compared with that of the paraffin without aluminum foams. Thus, use of aluminum foams infused with paraffin improves heat transfer and enhances paraffin’s melting and solidifying rates.     

Conjugate conduction convection and radiation heat transfer through hollow autoclaved aerated concrete blocks

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model is developed to study thermal performance of hollow autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC) blocks in wall constructions of buildings under hot summer conditions. The goal is to determine size and distribution of cavities (within building blocks) that reduce heat flow through the walls and thereby lead to energy savings in air conditioning. The model couples conjugate, laminar natural convective flow of a viscous fluid (air) in the cavities with long-wave radiation between the cavity sides. Realistic boundary conditions were employed at the outdoor and indoor surfaces of the block. A state-of-the-art building energy simulation programme was used to determine the outdoor thermal environment that included solar radiation, equivalent temperature of the surroundings, and convective heat transfer coefficient. The CFD problem is put into dimensionless formulation and solved numerically by means of the control-volume approach. The study yielded comprehensive, detailed quantitative estimates of temperature, stream function and heat flux throughout the AAC block domain. The results show a complex dependence of heat flux through the blocks on cavity and block sizes. In general, introducing large cavities in AAC blocks, being a construction material of low thermal conductivity, leads to greater heat transfer than the corresponding solid blocks. Several small cavities in a block may lead to small reductions in heat flux, but the best configuration found is a large cavity with a fine divider mesh in which case heat flux reductions of 50% are achievable.     

Numerical and experimental study on heat pump water heater with PCM for thermal storage

An air source heat pump water heater with phase change material (PCM) for thermal storage was designed to take advantage of off-peak electrical energy. The heat transfer model of PCM was based upon a pure conduction formulation. Quasi-steady state method was used to calculate the temperature distribution and phase front location of PCM during thermal storage process. Temperature and thermal resistance iteration approach has been developed for the analysis of temperature variation of heat transfer fluid (HTF) and phase front location of PCM during thermal release process. To test the physical validity of the calculational results, experimental studies about storing heat and releasing heat of PCM were carried. Comparison between the calculational results and the experimental data shows good agreement. Graphical results including system pressure and input power of heat pump, time-wise variation of stored and released thermal energy of PCM were presented and discussed.     

U型管式全玻璃真空管太阳集热器的热性能

在U型管式全玻璃真空管集热器能量平衡分析的基础上,推导了集热器热损系数、效率因子等性能参数计算公式,其理论计算结果与实验数据吻合良好。计算分析表明：真空管热损系数与吸热管温和环境温度之差是非线性关系,将两者的计算关系式按环境温度分段整理将使计算结果更接近实际;涂层发射比对集热器效率影响较大,降低涂层发射比是提高集热器效率的有效途径;采取适当的措施降低吸热管与肋片接触热阻后,采用U型管连接方式不会对热水系统集热器效率造成太大影响。     

Convective heat transfer in domed skylight cavities

Domed skylights are important architectural design elements that deliver daylight and solar heat into buildings, and connect the building's occupants to the outdoor environment. Despite the widespread use of domed skylights, there is limited information on the convective heat transfer within cavities of multi-glazed domes. This information is required to evaluate the thermal performance of domed skylights for product rating purposes, or to evaluate the heat loss or gain of installed skylights in buildings. This article presents a numerical study on the laminar natural convection in horizontal concentric domed cavities heated from the inside surface. A commercial CFD package is used to solve for the flow and temperature fields. The results show that for large cavity gap spacing-to-radius ratios, the cavity flow is mono-cellular and steady state. For small gap spacing ratios, however, the cavity flow may be multi-cellular and transient periodic. Practical correlations for the heat transfer coefficient as a function of the cavity shape and gap spacing ratio are developed for both flow regimes. The critical gap spacing ratio that yields the maximum Nusselt number is quantified for each cavity shape.     

Build-up and performance test of a novel solar thermal roof for heat pump operation

Global increase in energy demand and fossil fuel prices loaded ever-increasing pressure on identifying and implementing new means to utilise clean and efficient energy resources. Due to the environmental benefits, technical and economic possibilities of Solar-Assisted Heat Pump Systems, there has been a growing interest for such hybrid systems with a variety of system configurations for various climates. International Energy Agency Task 44 of the Solar Heating and Cooling Programme has recently started working on finding methods to most effectively use solar heat pump systems for residential use. In the present study, a novel solar thermal roof collector was developed by primarily exploiting components and techniques widely available on the market and coupled with a commercial heat pump unit. The proposed indirect series Solar-assisted Heat Pump system was experimentally tested and system performance was investigated. Yet, the analysis based on indoor and outdoor testing predominantly focuses on the solar thermal roof collector. A detailed thermal model was developed to describe the system operation. Also, a computer model was set up by using Engineering Equation Solver to carry out the numerical computations of the governing equations. Analyses show that the difference in water temperature could reach up to 18°C while maximum thermal efficiency found to be 26%. Data processing of the series covering the test period represents that Coefficient Performance of the heat pump (COP_HP) and overall system (COP_SYS) averages were attained as COP_HP?=?3.01 and COP_SYS?=?2.29, respectively. An economic analysis points a minimum payback period of about three years for the system.     

Study on the performance of a solar assisted air source heat pump system for building heating

This paper proposed a new solar assisted air source heat pump system with flexible operational modes to improve the performance of the heating system. A mathematical model was established on the solar assisted air source heat pump system for building heating with a heating capacity of 10 kW, and an air source heat pump unit was developed to validate the model. The effect of the solar collector area on the performance of the system running in Nanjing was studied. The results showed that the COP of the heat pump unit was enhanced with the increase of the solar radiation density during the typical sunny day in the heating season. In addition, the COP also increased in proportion to the solar collector area. Compared with the case when the solar collector area was 0 m², the COP increase of the heat pump and the energy-saving rate were 11.22% and 24% respectively when the solar collector area was 40 m². Meanwhile, the solar equivalent generation power efficiency could reach 11.8%.