66

4.6 COLLECTOR PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS

Following figure representing the dimensions of collector, this can be used for to find out
the instantaneous efficiency of solar point thermal energy collection system.

Fig.4.6.1 Dimensions of collector arrangement

From the above dimensions, it can be easy to calculate the thermal performance of solar point
collector as well as solar point thermal energy collection system. As the similar way of using
these dimensions, efficiency can also be calculated.

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Fig.4.6.2 Fin type absorber and tube arrangement

Evaluating Overall loss coefficient (U L) & Instantaneous Efficiency( ni )
Factor

Specification

Length of Collector

= 0.4m

Width of Collector

= 0.4m

Length of the Absorber plate,L 1

= 0.25m

Width of Absorber plate,L2

= 0.35m

Collector size

= 0.4 x 0.4m

No. of glass,N

= 1

Thermal conductivity of
the plate material(Cu) i

= 401 W / mC

Glass Plate thickness

= 10 mm

Plate to Cover Spacing

= 10 cm

Location of Collector

Date

= March 19

Coimbatore (1100' N,
7659' E)

68
21c (varying)

Collector tilt

Solar radiation Beam HB

= 750 W/m2

Solar radiation Diffuse H D

= 350 W/m2

Transmittance absorptance product for Beam

radiation (.)b

= 0.699

Transmittance absorptance product for diffuse

radiation (.)d

= 0.641

Outer diameter of the tube, Do

= 10 mm

Inner diameter of the tube Di

= 8 mm

Tube centre to centre distance,W

= 5 cm

Glass cover absorptivity,

= 0.88

Fluid to tube heat transfer coefficient , hf

= 205 W / m 2 C

Water flow rate, m

= 2.83 kg/hr

Water inlet temperature, Tfi

= 32 C

Back insulation Thickness, b

= 5 cm

Insulation thermal Conductivity, i

= 0.08 W / mC

Over all loss coefficient (UL)

= 5.42 W / m 2 K

6.2 Calculation UL
Sky Temperature
Tsky = Ta - 6
Tsky = 305 - 6 =299 K

Calculation of hp- c1

69
Mean temperature of air between plate and first cover
=

336 310
323K
2

At this Temperature*
0.0283W / m K
17.95 10 6 m 2 / s
Pr 0.698
RaL cos 9.81

1 (326 320) 0.02 3

0..698 cos 21 = 2951.04
323 17.95 2 10 12

0.252
2.239
therefore, N uL 0.299(2951)

h p c1

2.239 0.0283
0.8W / m 2 K
0.03

Calculation of hw
Mean temperature of air between second cover and ambient

304 306
305 K
2

At this temperature*
1.162kg / m 3

C P 1.002kJ / kg K

16.05 10 6 m 2 / s
Pr 0.7

* Properties of air and water are given in Appendix 2

Characteristic dimension

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L* =

4 Ac 4 (0.4 0.05)(0.4 0.05)

= 0.45 m
Cc
2(0.4 0.05 0.4 0.05)0

ReL =

10 0.45
0.2804 10 6
16.05 10 6

j = 0.86(ReL*)-1/2 0.86 (0.2804 10 6 ) 1 / 2 = 0.0016

3
2 / 3
therefore hw 0.0016 1.162 1.002 0.5 10 (0.7)
= 1.284 W/m2-K

After substituting these Value into Equation below,

qt
(T 4 pm Tc1
h p c1 (T pm Tc1 )
Ap
1

p c
4

- Equation 1.0

qt
5.67 10 8 (338 4 319 4
0.8 (338 319)
1
Ap
1

0.92 0.88

qt
141.0
Ap

qt
4
hw Tc1 Ta c (Tc42 Tsky
)
Ap

- Equation 2.0

qt
7.6 319 305 4.99 10 8 (319 4 299 4 )
Ap
qt
141.23
Ap

To obtain the Value of Tc1 which satisfy the equations. The calculation is shown in Table

71

Tc1(K)

(qt/Ap) from
Eq.1.0

Eq.2.0

315

167

110

316

160.4

117

318

147.2

133.2

319

140.2

140.5

The values of (qt/Ap) in the last line of the table are reasonably close to each to other.
Therefore the average value of 140.5 W/m2 is acceptable.
Therefore,

Top Loss coefficient

Ut

140.5
3.469W / m 2 K
(345.5 305)

Bottom loss coefficient

Ub

i
b

Ub

0.03
0.06W / m 2 K
0.05

Side Loss coefficient

Us

( L1 L2 ) L3 i
L1 L2 s

Us

(0.25 0.35) 0.1 0.03

0.25 0.35 0.02

=1.0286W/m2-K

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Overall loss Coefficient
Ut = Ut + Ub + Us
Ut =3.469+0.06+1.0286
= 4.56 W/m2-K

Calculation Instantaneous i
Solar declination

= 2.345 sin 360

284 n

365

(n = 80 for march 21)

= 2.345 sin 360

284 80
= 1.8
365

Local Solar Time (L.S.T)

= 10h 09
(10h 09 means 111 minutes (1 hr 51) prior to solar noon).

hour angle

111
15 27.75
60

Angle of incidence of Beam radiation

cos cos( s ) cos cos sin( s ) sin
cos(11 21) cos 1.8 cos 27.75 sin(11 21) sin 1.8

= 0.8803
28.32

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Solar Flux Incident on the Collector
cos( s ) cos cos sin( s ) sin
cos cos cos sin sin
Rb =

cos11 21 cos 1.8 cos 27.75 sin 11 21 sin 1.8

cos11 cos 1.8 cos 27.75 sin 11 sin 1.8
=

= 0.9896
HT = HbRb + Hd

1 cos s
1 cos s
+(Hb +Hd)
2
2

= 750 0.9896 350

1 cos 11
1 cos 11
1100
0.2
2
2

= 1091 W/m2
Incident flux absorbed by the absorber Plate
S = HT .
( . )

= HbRb

( . )

+ HdRd

1 cos s
( . )
2
d+ Hb+Hd
d

= 750 0.9896 0.699 350 0.991 0.641 1100 0.0018 0.641

= 872.458 W/m2

Rd

1 cos s 1 cos11

0.991
2
2

Heat removal factor FR.

m2

UL
4.56

401 1.3 10 3

m = 2.5 (m-1)

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The half length Between the Tube

W Do 0.11 0.010

0.05 m
2
2

m(W Do)
2.5 0.05 0.125
2

Fin efficiency

W Do

W Do
m

tanh m

tanh 0.125
0.9952
0.125

Collector efficiency factor

F'

1 / 4.56

1
1
0.1

4
.
56
(
0
.
01

(
0
.
9952

0
.
95
))
3
.
14

0
.
08

350

FR

mCp
AcU L

125.61
0.7296

1 exp

1 exp

U L F ' Ac

mCp

= 0.765

0.558

125 .61

=1.0352

Useful gain
Qu = Ac FR

S U

( f fi t a )

0.16 1.0352 (1100 * 0.699) 4.56(26 32) 131.86W .

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Instantaneous efficiency
i

Qu
131.86

=75.54%
AcHr 0.16 1091

The amount of energy absorbed or converted by a solar collector (over a 15-minute

period) is called Instantaneous efficiency. In this solar point thermal energy collection
system absorbing capacity is very high compared to that of solar flat plate collector. This
novel solar point collector restrain the efficiency of 75% and it can be obtain up to 90%
by achieving the improved fabrication methodologies and materials.