scholarly journals MEASUREMENT OF THE EFFICIENCY OF EVACUATED TUBE SOLAR COLLECTORS UNDER VARIOUS OPERATING CONDITIONS

2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 114-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. E. Zubriski ◽  
K. J. Dick
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Operating Efficiency ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Auxiliary Equipment ◽  
Evacuated Tubes ◽  
Evacuated Tube

The operating efficiency of evacuated tubes themselves under varying environmental conditions and installation scenarios, independent of water and space heating auxiliary equipment, are not readily available values. Further, Manitoba specific data has not been established. The purpose of this research program was to measure the efficiency of evacuated tube solar collectors under various operating conditions including: the angle of inclination towards the incident solar radiation, heat transfer fluid flow rate, glazing installation, and number of evacuated tubes. The operating conditions and configurations were chosen to represent realistic or probable installation scenarios and environmental conditions. Furthermore, the research aimed to identify the suitability of evacuated tube solar collectors to each of the scenarios. These design values are of use for appropriate sizing of water or space heating systems, system configuration and optimization, and calculation of return on investment. The scope of the research project was limited to the efficiency of various configurations of a 32-tube panel, not the entire solar domestic hot water or space heating system. Thus, factors such as heat loss in the tubing, solar storage tank, and heat exchanger efficiency were not investigated. The findings indicated that efficiency varied by approximately 5% between the different collector configurations, as observed from the overlay graph of results. When the efficiency of a collector is considered within a system it is proposed that effectiveness may be a better measure of overall performance.

scholarly journals Assessment of the annual performance of solar collectors by means of the utilizability method

2020 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 02007
Author(s):  
Merima Zlateva
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Critical Value ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Different Temperatures ◽  
Evacuated Tube ◽  
Inclined Surface

This report presents some results from a comparative analysis of the long-term efficiency of flat-plate and evacuated tube solar collectors under different operating conditions. The analysis involves calculation of the daily utilizibility factor, which is defined as the fraction of total monthly solar radiation over an inclined surface that exceeds the critical value. The monthly values of the critical radiation and the daily utilizability factor for the solar collectors are determined under different climatic conditions and different temperatures of the heat transfer fluid. The obtained results are used to compare the annual performance of the solar collectors.

scholarly journals Experimental Comparison of Innovative Composite Sorbents for Space Heating and Domestic Hot Water Storage

Crystals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 476
Author(s):  
Vincenza Brancato ◽  
Larisa G. Gordeeva ◽  
Angela Caprì ◽  
Alexandra D. Grekova ◽  
Andrea Frazzica
Keyword(s):  
Silica Gel ◽  
Xrd Analysis ◽  
Complete Characterization ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Experimental Comparison ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Calorimetric Analysis ◽  
Domestic Hot Water ◽  
Composite Sorbents

In this study, the development and comparative characterization of different composite sorbents for thermal energy storage applications is reported. Two different applications were targeted, namely, low-temperature space heating (SH) and domestic hot water (DHW) provision. From a literature analysis, the most promising hygroscopic salts were selected for these conditions, being LiCl for SH and LiBr for DHW. Furthermore, two mesoporous silica gel matrixes and a macroporous vermiculite were acquired to prepare the composites. A complete characterization was performed by investigating the porous structure of the composites before and after impregnation, through N2 physisorption, as well as checking the phase composition of the composites at different temperatures through X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) analysis. Furthermore, sorption equilibrium curves were measured in water vapor atmosphere to evaluate the adsorption capacity of the samples and a detailed calorimetric analysis was carried out to evaluate the reaction evolution under real operating conditions as well as the sorption heat of each sample. The results demonstrated a slower reaction kinetic in the vermiculite-based composites, due to the larger size of salt grains embedded in the pores, while promising volumetric storage densities of 0.7 GJ/m3 and 0.4 GJ/m3 in silica gel-based composites were achieved for SH and DHW applications, respectively.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a High-Performance Solar Home in Loveland, Colorado

2006 ◽  
Vol 129 (2) ◽  
pp. 226-234
Author(s):  
Robert Hendron ◽  
Mark Eastment ◽  
Ed Hancock ◽  
Greg Barker ◽  
Paul Reeves
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Solar Water Heater ◽  
Water Heater ◽  
Solar Water

Building America (BA) partner McStain Neighborhoods built the Discovery House in Loveland, CO, with an extensive package of energy-efficient features, including a high-performance envelope, efficient mechanical systems, a solar water heater integrated with the space-heating system, a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV), and ENERGY STAR appliances. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Building Science Consortium conducted short-term field-testing and building energy simulations to evaluate the performance of the house. These evaluations are utilized by BA to improve future prototype designs and to identify critical research needs. The Discovery House building envelope and ducts were very tight under normal operating conditions. The HRV provided fresh air at a rate of about 35L∕s(75cfm), consistent with the recommendations of ASHRAE Standard 62.2. The solar hot water system is expected to meet the bulk of the domestic hot water (DHW) load (>83%), but only about 12% of the space-heating load. DOE-2.2 simulations predict whole-house source energy savings of 54% compared to the BA Benchmark (Hendron, R., 2005 NREL Report No. 37529, NREL, Golden, CO). The largest contributors to energy savings beyond McStain’s standard practice are the solar water heater, HRV, improved air distribution, high-efficiency boiler, and compact fluorescent lighting package.

Evacuated Tube Heat Pipe Solar Collectors Applied to Recirculation Loop in a Federal Building: SSA Philadelphia

Solar Energy ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Walker ◽  
Fariborz Mahjouri ◽  
Robert Stiteler
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Heat Pipe ◽  
Heat Loss ◽  
Heating System ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Solar Array ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Water Heating ◽  
Evacuated Tube ◽  
Recirculation Loop

This paper describes design, simulation, construction and measured initial performance of a solar water heating system (360 Evacuated Heat-Pipe Collector tubes, 54 m2 gross area, 36 m2 net absorber area) installed at the top of the hot water recirculation loop in the Social Security Mid-Atlantic Center in Philadelphia. Water returning to the hot water storage tank is heated by the solar array when solar energy is available. This new approach, as opposed to the more conventional approach of preheating incoming water, is made possible by the thermal diode effect of heat pipes and low heat loss from evacuated tube solar collectors. The simplicity of this approach and its low installation costs makes the deployment of solar energy in existing commercial buildings more attractive, especially where the roof is far removed from the water heating system, which is often in the basement. Initial observed performance of the system is reported. Hourly simulation estimates annual energy delivery of 111 GJ/year of solar heat and that the annual efficiency (based on the 54 m2 gross area) of the solar collectors is 41%, and that of the entire system including parasitic pump power, heat loss due to freeze protection, and heat loss from connecting piping is 34%. Annual average collector efficiency based on a net aperture area of 36 m2 is 61.5% according to the hourly simulation.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a High-Performance Solar Home in Loveland, Colorado

Solar Energy ◽  
2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Hendron ◽  
Mark Eastment ◽  
Ed Hancock ◽  
Greg Barker ◽  
Paul Reeves
Keyword(s):  
High Performance ◽  
Energy Savings ◽  
High Efficiency ◽  
Building Envelope ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Solar Water Heater ◽  
Water Heater ◽  
Solar Water

Building America (BA) partner McStain Neighborhoods built the Discovery House in Loveland, Colorado, with an extensive package of energy-efficient features, including a high-performance envelope, efficient mechanical systems, a solar water heater integrated with the space-heating system, a heat-recovery ventilator (HRV), and ENERGY STAR™ appliances. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Building Science Consortium (BSC) conducted short-term field-testing and building energy simulations to evaluate the performance of the house. These evaluations are utilized by BA to improve future prototype designs and to identify critical research needs. The Discovery House building envelope and ducts were very tight under normal operating conditions. The HRV provided fresh air at a rate of about 75 cfm (35 l/s), consistent with the recommendations of ASHRAE Standard 62.2. The solar hot water system is expected to meet the bulk of the domestic hot water (DHW) load (>83%), but only about 12% of the space-heating load. DOE-2.2 simulations predict whole-house source energy savings of 54% compared to the BA Benchmark [1]. The largest contributors to energy savings beyond McStain’s standard practice are the solar water heater, HRV, improved air distribution, high-efficiency boiler, and compact fluorescent lighting package.

Evaluating CFD Modeling of a Thermal Storage Unit

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica F. Bonadies ◽  
Son H. Ho ◽  
J. S. Kapat
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Energy ◽  
Photovoltaic Cells ◽  
Thermal Storage ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Paraffin Wax ◽  
Heat Transfer Fluid ◽  
Cfd Modeling ◽  
Storage Unit ◽  
Evacuated Tube Collectors ◽  
Evacuated Tube

When collecting the energy of the sun for domestic use, there are several options, which include photovoltaic cells and evacuated tube collectors. Arrays of evacuated tube collectors are used to heat water for domestic applications, supplementing the use of a typical hot water heater, while photovoltaic cells transform the sun’s radiation into electricity. The benefit of the tube collectors is that they supplement an appliance that uses a fairly large amount of electricity when compared to others in an average home. However, the collectors cannot operate during the night time and produce more hot water than needed at their peak operation point. A thermal storage unit can be used to even out the conversion of energy throughout the day to solve this problem. This study proposes a system using paraffin wax to store thermal energy collected during the day by melting the wax. The system makes use of a finned heat exchanger, with paraffin wax on the shell side, and glycol on the tube side as the heat transfer fluid. It also includes a separate loop for water to flow through and receive thermal energy from the melted wax. Although the wax used in the study is quite effective at storing thermal energy, it has the problem of low conductivity. So, fins are added to the storage and extraction loops to increase the wax’s thermal conductivity. The fins not only help to melt the wax more quickly but also act as nucleation sites when the wax freezes. Once all the wax is melted, energy can be exchanged from it to heat water. When creating such a unit, it is useful to have simulation tools to guide its design. One such tool is FLUENT, which will be used in this study to create a simulation of part of the unit. The simulation will be compared to experimental data from a prototype unit and evaluated based upon its strengths and weaknesses.

Architecture Design of Building Integrated Solar Collector

2014 ◽  
Vol 889-890 ◽  
pp. 1333-1336
Author(s):  
Yu Fu ◽  
Kai Chen ◽  
Fei Ying Fu ◽  
Xin Bin Wang
Keyword(s):  
Water Supply ◽  
Solar Collector ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Radiation Energy ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Space Heating ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Domestic Hot Water ◽  
Heating And Cooling ◽  
Hot Water Supply

Solar thermal collector converts solar radiation energy into useful thermal energy and transfers to a transport fluid flowing through the system. The collected energy can be used either direct to space or water heating equipment, or to a thermal storage for later use. Along with fast development, not only domestic hot water supply is needed, but also space heating and cooling are required. Also, limited roof space is another key barrier that should be considered. Furthermore, most of the building integration with solar collectors are mounted on the roof top by flat or tilt angle at present. It is considered to be a failure of low level architectural quality because the collector is used only for application and seems as an independent technical element of the building. With the consideration of the above, novel type of solar collector has been proposed to realize the utilization and offset the barriers. This novel solar collectors is especially suitable to supply domestic hot water, and combines with ASHP for multi-function, space heating and cooling as well as domestic hot water supply. Additionally, it is well integrated with high-rise residential buildings, which is good for aesthetic.

Experimental Daily Energy Performance of Flat Plate and Evacuated Tube Solar Collectors

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Zambolin ◽  
Davide Del Col ◽  
Andrea Padovan
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Flat Plate ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Solar Collectors ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Evacuated Tube Collector ◽  
Daily Energy ◽  
Radiation Test ◽  
Evacuated Tube

New comparative tests on different types of solar collectors are presented in this paper. Tests have been performed at the solar energy conversion laboratory of the University of Padova. Two standard glazed flat plate collectors and one evacuated tube collector are installed in parallel; the evacuated collector is a direct flow through type with external CPC (compound parabolic concentrator) reflectors. The present test rig allows to make measurements on the flat plate, on the evacuated collector or on both simultaneously, by simply acting on the valves to modify the circuit. In this paper measurements of the performance of the evacuated tube collector and flat plate collectors working at the same conditions are reported. Efficiency in stationary conditions is measured following the standard EN 12975-2 [1] and it is compared with the input/output curves measured for an entire day. The main purpose of the present work is to characterize and to compare the daily energy performance of the two types of collectors. An effective mean for describing and analyzing the daily performance is the so called input/output diagram, in which the collected solar energy is plotted against the daily incident solar radiation. Test runs have been performed in several conditions to reproduce different conventional uses (hot water, space heating, solar cooling).

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