Unglazed Fiberglass Reinforced Polyester Solar Water Heater with Integrated Storage System

Theoretical and experimental investigations on an unglazed solar hot water heater with integrated storage system were conducted. The system was comprised of a collector and storage tank which was integrated into one unit. All parts of the system have been fabricated from fiberglass reinforced polyester (GFRP). The absorber plate has water tubes of semielliptical shape. The width and length of the absorber plate were 1.4 and 1.8?m, respectively. The absorber plate was fabricated from GFPR using a special resin composition that provides good thermal conductivity and absorptivity. The storage tank has a capacity of 496?L. The storage tank is of sandwich construction with a core material made of polyurethane foam that combines stiffness and lightness of the structure with very good thermal insulation properties. An average tank temperature of 53°C was achieved at an average solar radiation level of 700?W/m2 and ambient temperature of 28°C. The thermal efficiencies of the system were evaluated at 48 and 57% for cloudy and clear days, respectively. Transient performance of the system was predicted by solving the mathematical models consisting of energy balance equations of the system that have been converted to finite difference form and solved by a personal computer. The experimental results were in close agreement as has been found with the theoretical predictions.