The document discusses different types of solar thermal collectors, focusing on flat plate collectors. It describes the main components and functioning of flat plate collectors. The key components are an absorber plate, tubes to carry the working fluid, insulation, and a transparent cover. The absorber plate absorbs solar radiation and transfers the heat to the working fluid. Insulation minimizes heat loss. The cover, usually glass, reduces convection losses while allowing solar radiation to pass through and be absorbed. Flat plate collectors are widely used and can achieve temperatures up to 100°C, making them suitable for low-temperature applications like residential hot water.
The document discusses different types of solar thermal collectors, focusing on flat plate collectors. It describes the main components and functioning of flat plate collectors. The key components are an absorber plate, tubes to carry the working fluid, insulation, and a transparent cover. The absorber plate absorbs solar radiation and transfers the heat to the working fluid. Insulation minimizes heat loss. The cover, usually glass, reduces convection losses while allowing solar radiation to pass through and be absorbed. Flat plate collectors are widely used and can achieve temperatures up to 100°C, making them suitable for low-temperature applications like residential hot water.
The document discusses different types of solar thermal collectors, focusing on flat plate collectors. It describes the main components and functioning of flat plate collectors. The key components are an absorber plate, tubes to carry the working fluid, insulation, and a transparent cover. The absorber plate absorbs solar radiation and transfers the heat to the working fluid. Insulation minimizes heat loss. The cover, usually glass, reduces convection losses while allowing solar radiation to pass through and be absorbed. Flat plate collectors are widely used and can achieve temperatures up to 100°C, making them suitable for low-temperature applications like residential hot water.
The document discusses different types of solar thermal collectors, focusing on flat plate collectors. It describes the main components and functioning of flat plate collectors. The key components are an absorber plate, tubes to carry the working fluid, insulation, and a transparent cover. The absorber plate absorbs solar radiation and transfers the heat to the working fluid. Insulation minimizes heat loss. The cover, usually glass, reduces convection losses while allowing solar radiation to pass through and be absorbed. Flat plate collectors are widely used and can achieve temperatures up to 100°C, making them suitable for low-temperature applications like residential hot water.
All forms of matter, whether a solid, liquid, or gas, are composed of atoms or molecules in constant motion. Because of this constant motion, all atoms have thermal (heat) energy. Whenever a substance is heated, the atoms move faster and faster. When a substance is cooled, the atoms move slower and slower. The “average motion” of the atoms that we sense is what we call temperature. Temperature and heat ARE NOT technically the same thing. Temperature is the average motion of atoms and molecules. Heat is the energy that flows due to temperature differences. Heat is always transferred from higher to lower temperatures i.e warmer to cooler substances. (When there is no temperature difference, it is called thermal equilibrium, Dr.K.Ravi and no heat isSOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES transferred.) 83 There are three ways to heat the atmosphere (or anything else, for that matter). These ways include conduction, convection, and radiation.
Conduction: This method of heat transfer is most familiar to
people. If you have ever burned yourself on a hot pan because you touched it, you have experienced this first-hand. Conduction is heat transfer through matter.
Metals conduct heat well. Air is not as good a conductor of heat.
This is a direct contact type of heat transfer. The only air heated by the Earth isthe air at the Earth’s surface.
As a means of heat transfer, conduction is the least significant
with regard to heating the Earth’s atmosphere
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 84
Convection: Convection is heat transfer by the movement of mass from one place to another. It can take place only in liquids and gases.
Heat gained by conduction or radiation from the sun
is moved about the planet by convection. The radiation from the sun heats the air of the atmosphere, but the heating of the Earth is not even. This is because the amount of sunlight an area receives depends upon the time of day and the time of year.
In general, regions near the equator have hotter
air. This hot air rises, allowing cooler air to move in underneath the warm air. Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 85 Radiation is the only way heat is transferred that can move through the relative emptiness of space. All other forms of heat transfer require motion of molecules like air or water to move heat.
The majority of our energy arrives in the form of radiation from
our Sun. Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are good radiators as well.
The atmosphere, which does not absorb certain wavelengths of
solar radiation, will absorb certain wavelengths of radiation. The particles that reach Earth from the Sun are within a wavelength that the Earth’s atmosphere will absorb. When the Sun heats the Earth, the Earth gets warmer in that location and re-radiates heat into the atmosphere, making it doubly warm.
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 86
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 87 Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collectors
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 88
FLAT-PLATE SOLAR COLLECTOR The flat-plate solar collector is the heart of any solar energy collection system designed for operation in the low temperature range or in the medium temperature range. It is used to absorb solar energy, convert it into heat and then to transfer that heat to a stream of liquid or gas It absorbs both the beam and the diffuse radiation and is usually planted on the top of a building or other structures It does not require tracking of the sun and requires little maintenance. Here the collector area and the absorber area are numerically the same, the efficiency is low and temperatures Dr.K.Ravi of the SOLAR THERMAL working COLLECTORS -TYPESfluid can be 89 raised only up to 100°C Flat plate collectors absorb sunlight and transfer the heat to water or a mixture of anti-freeze and water. The hot fluid can be used directly or indirectly for hot water or space heating • Generally for low temperature applications, like residential hot water heating
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 90
It is usually coated black to absorb more heat energy. Tubes, passages or channels are soldered to absorber plate integral with the collector carry water or other working fluid. Diameter of tube1.25 cm The absorber plate is metallic. Insulation should be provided at the back and at the sides to minimize the heat losses. glass thickness 2.5 to 8 cm. Usually glass wool is used as insulation material Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 91 While that of the header pipe which leads water in and out of the collector and distribute it to an absorber tubes., is 2.5cm. A transparent toughened glass sheet of 5 mm thickness is provided as the cover plate. It reduces convection losses between absorber plate and the glass. Radiation losses also reduced as the spectral transmissivity of glass. Glass cover reduces the heat loss coefficient to 10 W/m2 Fibre glass insulation of thickness 2.5 to 8 cm is provided at the bottom and on the sides in order to minimize the heat loss. Finned tubes are used in applications involving the transfer of heat from a hot fluid to a colder fluid through a tube wall. The rate at which such heat transfer can occur depends on three factors: (1) the temperature difference between the two fluids; (2) the heat transfer coefficient between each of the fluids and the tube wall; and (3) the surface area to which each fluid is exposed. Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 92 Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 94 Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 95 The majority of solar collectors that are sold in many countries are of the flat-plate variety. The main components of these are a transparent front cover, collector housing and an absorber. The absorber, inside the flat plate collector housing, converts sunlight to heat and transfers it to water in the absorber tubes. As the collector can reach stagnation temperatures up to 200°C (i.e. when no water flows through), all the materials used must be able to resist such heat. Therefore, the absorber is usually made of metal materials such as copper, steel or aluminium. The collector housing can be made of plastic, metal or wood, and the glass front cover must be sealed so that heat does not escape, and dirt, insects or humidity do not get into the collector itself.
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 96
The collector housing is highly insulated at the back and sides, keeping heat losses low. However, there are still some collector heat losses, mainly due to the temperature difference between the absorber and ambient air, and these are subdivided into convection and radiation losses. A sheet of glass covers the collector as it faces the sun, and this helps to prevent most of the convection losses. However, the glass also reflects a small part of the sunlight, which does not then reach the absorber at all. Figure 1 shows the processes occurring at a flat- plate collector. Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 97 The ideal glazing material for solar collectors would have these properties:
High temperature capability
Transmit light very well
Long life when exposed to UV and high temperatures
Good impact resistant
Light weight and easy to work
Opaque to long IR to reduce heat loss
Low cost No single glazing material exhibits all of these properties, so picking the best material for your application is going to be a trade-off.