Thermal performance of a solar cooker based on an evacuated tube solar collector with a PCM storage unit

The thermal performance of a prototype solar cooker based on an evacuated tube solar collector with phase change material (PCM) storage unit is investigated. The design has separate parts for energy collection and cooking coupled by a PCM storage unit. Solar energy is stored in the PCM storage unit during sunshine hours and is utilized for cooking in late evening/night time. Commercial grade erythritol was used as a latent heat storage material. Noon and evening cooking experiments were conducted with different loads and loading times. Cooking experiments and PCM storage processes were carried out simultaneously. It was observed that noon cooking did not affect the evening cooking, and evening cooking using PCM heat storage was found to be faster than noon cooking. The cooker performance under a variety of operating and climatic conditions was studied at Mie, Japan.     

Thermal performance of a high conductive shape-stabilized thermal storage material

A composite based on paraffin, styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer and exfoliated graphite (EG) is prepared. In this composite, paraffin undergoes solid–liquid phase change in the SBS network, and there is no leakage of it even in the state of melting. The composite exhibits high thermal conductivity and nearly 80% of the latent heat of fusion per unit mass of the paraffin.     

Thermal performance analysis of a flat slab phase change thermal storage unit with liquid-based heat transfer fluid for cooling applications

This paper presents the results of a thermal performance analysis of a phase change thermal storage unit. The unit consists of several parallel flat slabs of phase change material (PCM) with a liquid heat transfer fluid (HTF) flowing along the passages between the slabs. A validated numerical model developed previously to solve the phase change problem in flat slabs was used. An insight is gained into the melting process by examining the temperatures of the HTF nodes, wall nodes and PCM nodes and the heat transfer rates at four phases during melting. The duration of the melting process is defined based on the level of melting completion. The effects of several parameters on the HTF outlet temperature, heat transfer rate and melting time are evaluated through a parametric study to evaluate the effects of the HTF mass flow rate, HTF inlet temperature, gap between slabs, slab dimensions, PCM initial temperature and thermal conductivity of the container on the thermal performance. The results are used to design a phase change thermal storage unit for a refrigerated truck.     

Performance of a natural circulation solar air heating system with phase change material energy storage

The design, construction and performance evaluation of a passive solar powered air heating system is presented. The system, which has potential applications in crop drying and poultry egg incubation, consists of a single-glazed flat plate solar collector integrated with a phase change material (PCM) heat storage system. The PCM is prepared in modules, with the modules equispaced across the absorber plate. The spaces between the module pairs serve as the air heating channels, the channels being connected to common air inlet and discharge headers. The system was tested experimentally under daytime no-load conditions at Nsukka, Nigeria, over the ambient temperature range of 19–41 °C, and a daily global irradiation range of 4.9–19.9 MJ m⁻². Peak temperature rise of the heated air was about 15 K, while the maximum airflow rate and peak cumulative useful efficiency were about 0.058 kg s⁻¹ and 22%, respectively. These results show that the system can be operated successfully for crop drying applications. With suitable valves to control the working chamber temperature, it can also operate as a poultry egg incubator.     

Thermal modeling of integrated roof air heater for passive solar space heating of a non-air-conditioned building

This communication presents the periodic heat transfer analysis for solar space heating of an unconditioned building with an integrated roof air heater. The system consists of an air duct within the roof such that the air is continuously or intermittently forced to circulate the cooler room air through the inlet of the air duct. Time dependence of the air flow is represented by a step function of time for daily operation and, hence, has been expressed as a Fourier series in time. The analysis takes into account air ventilation, ground heat conduction and furnishings. The effects of depth of the air duct from the outer surface of the roof and the magnitude and duration of air flow rate on indoor air temperature have been studied for a typical cold winter day in Delhi. It is seen that a time dependent air flow through the duct is desirable from the point of view of increasing the indoor air temperature in the case of a bare roof. However, in the case of a blackened and glazed roof, continuous air flow is needed for increasing the room air temperature. The results are desirable from the point of view of efficient space heating of solar passive buildings.     

Thermal behaviour of integrated solar collector/storage unit with 65 °C phase change material

A transient finite volume model was used to predict collection and retention of heat for rectangular cross section solar collector/storage systems when filled with water and various concentrations of phase change material (PCM) slurries with a 65 °C phase change temperature. It was found that the PCM slurry systems collected heat marginally less effectively than water filled stores. Retention of heat at higher temperatures in the PCM slurry systems may allow higher solar savings fractions to be realised depending on heat demand patterns.     

Thermal response of a series- and parallel-connected solar energy storage to multi-day charge sequences

The thermal response of a multi-tank thermal storage was studied under variable charge conditions. Tests were conducted on an experimental apparatus that simulated the thermal charging of the storage system by a solar collector over predetermined (prescribed) daylong periods. The storage was assembled from three standard 270 L hot-water storage tanks each charged through coupled, side-arm, natural convection heat exchangers which were connected in either a series- or parallel-flow configuration. Both energy storage rates and tank temperature profiles were experimentally measured during charge periods representative of two consecutive clear days or combinations of a clear and overcast day. During this time, no draw-offs were conducted. Of particular interest was the effect of rising and falling charge-loop temperatures and collector-loop flow rate on storage tank stratification levels. Results of this study show that the series-connected thermal storage reached high levels of temperature stratification in the storage tanks during periods of rising charge temperatures and also limited destratification during periods of falling charge temperature. This feature is a consequence of the series-connected configuration that allowed sequential stratification to occur in the component tanks and energy to be distributed according to temperature level. This effect was not observed in the parallel charge configuration. A further aspect of the study investigated the effect of increasing charge-loop flow rate on the temperature distribution within the series-connected storage and showed that, at high flow rates, the temperature distributions were found to be similar to those obtained during parallel charging. A disadvantage of both the high-flow series-connected and parallel-connected multi-tank storage is that falling charge-loop temperatures, which normally occur in the afternoon, tend to mix and destratify the storage tanks.     

An experimental study on the thermal performance of a solar chimney without and with PCM

The thermal performance of a solar chimney without and with phase change material (PCM) has been experimentally studied in this paper. For the case of solar chimney with PCM, three different modes (closed-fully charging mode, open-partly charging mode and open-fully charging mode) were developed. The closed mode was designed to maximize the use of the solar energy when the heating is not required. Whilst the open mode was designed for delivering the heated air to the living space during charging period. The results showed that the inclusion of PCM to a solar chimney would reduce the air flow during charging period but increase it during discharging period compared with the solar chimney without PCM. For the open-partly mode, the mean air flow rate during phase change period was only 0.036 kg/s, which was lower than that for closed-fully charging mode (0.041 kg/s). Regarding the open-fully charging mode, the melting time of the PCM was almost 11 h, which was 57% longer than that for closed mode. The mean air flow rate during phase change period was 0.04 kg/s, which was higher than that for open-partly mode but lower than that for closed mode.     

Thermal and economical analysis of a central solar heating system with underground seasonal storage in Turkey

Thermal performance and economic feasibility of two types of central solar heating system with seasonal storage under four climatically different Turkey locations are investigated. The effects of storage volume and collector area on the thermal performance and cost are studied for three load sizes. The simulation model of the system consisting of flat plate solar collectors, a heat pump, under ground storage tank and heating load based on a finite element analysis and finite element code ANSYS™ is chosen as a convenient tool. In this study, the lowest solar fraction value for Trabzon (41°N) and the highest solar fraction value for Adana (37°N) are obtained. Based on the economic analysis, the payback period of system is found to be about 25–35 years for Turkey.     

Review on solar air heating system with and without thermal energy storage system

In order to produce process heat for drying of agricultural, textile, marine products, heating of buildings and re-generating dehumidify agent, solar energy is one of the promising heat sources for meeting energy demand without putting adverse impact of environment. Hence it plays a key role for sustainable development. Solar energy is intermittent in nature and time dependent energy source. Owing to this nature, PCMs based thermal energy storage system can achieve the more popularity for solar energy based heating systems. The recent researches focused on the phase change materials (PCMs), as latent heat storage is more efficient than sensible heat storage. In this paper an attempt has been made to present holistic view of available solar air heater for different applications and their performance.     

High performance storage composite for the enhancement of solar domestic hot water systems: Part 1: Storage material investigation

This work aims to evaluate the performance of a solar domestic hot water (SDHW) system including a latent storage material. The originality of our approach consists to place a composite made of compressed expanded natural graphite (CENG) and phase change material (PCM) directly inside a flat plate solar collector in order to replace the traditional copper-based solar absorber. According to this target, the study is composed of two steps: the composites preparation and characterization; and the analysis of the system to achieve optimal integration of the material in the process.The present paper is focused on the selection of the most promising composite to implement in the solar collector. In order to reach this objective, several composites based on CENG and various storage materials (paraffin, stearic acid, sodium acetate trihydrate and pentaglycerin) have been elaborated and characterized. The synthesis of all these measurements allowed us to select three composites whose characteristics match their integration into a solar thermal collector.     

Thermal energy storage in building integrated thermal systems: A review. Part 1. active storage systems

Energy consumed by heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems (HVAC) in buildings represents an important part of the global energy consumed in Europe. Thermal energy storage is considered as a promising technology to improve the energy efficiency of these systems, and if incorporated in the building envelope the energy demand can be reduced. Many studies are on applications of thermal energy storage in buildings, but few consider their integration in the building. The inclusion of thermal storage in a functional and constructive way could promote these systems in the commercial and residential building sector, as well as providing user-friendly tools to architects and engineers to help implementation at the design stage. The aim of this paper is to review and identify thermal storage building integrated systems and to classify them depending on the location of the thermal storage system.     

A method to determine stratification efficiency of thermal energy storage processes independently from storage heat losses

A new method for the calculation of a stratification efficiency of thermal energy storages based on the second law of thermodynamics is presented. The biasing influence of heat losses is studied theoretically and experimentally. Theoretically, it does not make a difference if the stratification efficiency is calculated based on entropy balances or based on exergy balances. In practice, however, exergy balances are less affected by measurement uncertainties, whereas entropy balances can not be recommended if measurement uncertainties are not corrected in a way that the energy balance of the storage process is in agreement with the first law of thermodynamics. A comparison of the stratification efficiencies obtained from experimental results of charging, standby, and discharging processes gives meaningful insights into the different mixing behaviors of a storage tank that is charged and discharged directly, and a tank-in-tank system whose outer tank is charged and the inner tank is discharged thereafter. The new method has a great potential for the comparison of the stratification efficiencies of thermal energy storages and storage components such as stratifying devices.     

Performance analysis of a latent heat storage system with phase change material for new designed solar collectors in greenhouse heating

The continuous increase in the level of greenhouse gas emissions and the rise in fuel prices are the main driving forces behind the efforts for more effectively utilize various sources of renewable energy. In many parts of the world, direct solar radiation is considered to be one of the most prospective sources of energy. In this study, the thermal performance of a phase change thermal storage unit is analyzed and discussed. The storage unit is a component of ten pieced solar air collectors heating system being developed for space heating of a greenhouse and charging of PCM. CaCl₂6H₂O was used as PCM in thermal energy storage with a melting temperature of 29 °C. Hot air delivered by ten pieced solar air collector is passed through the PCM to charge the storage unit. The stored heat is utilized to heat ambient air before being admitted to a greenhouse. This study is based on experimental results of the PCM employed to analyze the transient thermal behavior of the storage unit during the charge and discharge periods. The proposed size of collectors integrated PCM provided about 18–23% of total daily thermal energy requirements of the greenhouse for 3–4 h, in comparison with the conventional heating device.     

Thermal modelling of a few novel solar collector-cum-storage units for passive heating

Analytical models have been put forward to predict the thermal performance of passive heating systems, which have previously been suggested. The systems consist of a water vessel for heat storage and a structure positioned on its outside wall, which act as a solar collector and a thermal insulation for the storage, respectively. Four different variations of structures have been considered and numerical calculations performed corresponding to the physical parameters of an earlier reported experimental study. The analysis is able to predict the experimental results fairly satisfactorily.     

Improving the thermal performance of a roof pond system

A roof pond is an effective passive technique for the year-round heating and cooling of buildings. Data obtained from an experimental roof pond building show that the summer performance of such a building can be further improved by allowing vapours to escape from the pond into the atmosphere. Escape of vapours during winter operation can, however, cause deterioration in the performance. It is, therefore, suggeested that a control mechanism be used to allow the vapours to escape only when it is desirable     

Energy management in solar thermal power plants with double thermal storage system and subdivided solar field

In the paper, two systems for solar thermal power plants (STPPs) are devised for improving the overall performance of the plant. Each one attempts to reduce losses coming from two respective sources. The systems are simulated and compared to a reference STPP.     

On the coupling of PCM stores to active solar systems

This paper investigates the problems arising in the combination of active solar systems with PCM storage matrices. A new heat exchanger design is used, based on the rolling cylinder principle. The store is managed by a dedicated microcomputer which interacts with the system control computer. The store computer configures the store in real time to operate it in near optimal conditions, according to the current system operating point.     

Polyurethane/graphite nano-platelet composites for thermal energy storage

In this work new polyurethane-based phase change materials containing segments of poly(ethylene glycol) with average molar mass of 8000 g/mol with and without chain extender and modified with graphite nano-platelets have been fabricated and characterized. Structure, morphology and phase behaviour of these solid-solid phase change materials were investigated, as well as the thermal stability and conductivity. The heat of phase transition was in the range of 118.0–164.5 J/g for polyurethane without chain extender and 128.0–148.5 J/g for polyurethane with chain extender. The highest heat of phase transition and crystallinity were found for system modified with 0.3% of graphite nano-platelets in polyurethane without chain extender. Modulated differential scanning calorimetry results showed some changes in the phase transition behaviour and the crystallinity of the polyurethane matrix due to graphite nano-platelets confinement effect. Enhancements in the thermal stability in polyurethane modified with graphite nano-platelets, attributed to the barrier effect, were found based on thermogravimetric analysis data. The thermal conductivity increased with an increase of graphite nano-platelets content for both polyurethane systems, with and without chain extender, which is important for modern thermal energy storage applications.     

Methods to determine stratification efficiency of thermal energy storage processes - Review and theoretical comparison

This paper reviews different methods that have been proposed to characterize thermal stratification in energy storages from a theoretical point of view. Specifically, this paper focuses on the methods that can be used to determine the ability of a storage to promote and maintain stratification during charging, storing and discharging, and represent this ability with a single numerical value in terms of a stratification efficiency for a given experiment or under given boundary conditions. Existing methods for calculating stratification efficiencies have been applied to hypothetical storage processes of charging, discharging and storing, and compared with the rate of entropy production caused by mixing calculated for the same experiments. The results depict that only one of the applied methods is in qualitative agreement with the rate of entropy production, however, none of the applied methods is in agreement with the rate of entropy production and also able to distinguish between the entropy production caused by mixing and the entropy changes due to heat losses.