Developing a Flat-Plate Plastic Bottle Solar Collector Nizamuddin Patel – P15219444

Results
Objectives
• To determine which materials will be suitable for the low cost solar
thermal heater 35
Without cling film reflector With cling film reflector
60

• Compare and choose which type of solar collector piping is best for Bottle Wall Bottle Wall

its purpose
Bottle air Bottle air

30
Pipe
50
Pipe
Only 58% of
• To optimise the design of the solar collector to ensure it is easy to Inlet Inlet
outlet Nigeria’s
Surface
outlet

manufacture. Reflector
40
cling film
population have
Thermal
• To characterise the performance of the solar collector access to safe
25
Resistance
water
20 30

Abuja, Nigeria
Thermal
20
15 Resistance

10
10 15:40 15:45 15:50 15:55 16:00 16:05
16:30 16:35 16:40 16:45 16:50 16:55
Figure 5: Relationship between Nu, Re and mass flow rate
Figure 3: Temperature of solar collector at different points using thermocouples
Figure 1: Location of Abuja, Nigeria
Temperature of reflector 766 million
Item people globally
Experiment Without (℃) With (℃) Difference (+/-) are in extreme
The material and design were selected poverty
CAD and simulations were conducted to ensure the design is fit for Collector surface 33.5 33.5 -
purpose Bottle wall 29 32.5 12.06%
The design prototype was created and tested for the following:
• Heat coefficient of fluid (h) Bottle air 32 47 46.88%
• Heat transferred (Q) 12.5%
Pipe exterior 20 22.5
• Overall heat loss coefficient (UL)
• Heat removal factor (FR) Water temperature change 1.01 1.168 15.64% Figure 6: Experimental calculations showing mass flow rate, Qwater, temperature
• Collector efficiency (F’) change, heat transfer coefficient and Nusselt number
• Flow factor (F’’) Less than1% of
F’ vs h the water on
Conclusion earth can be
used as drinking
water
• A plastic bottle solar collector with a reflector increases the temperature
change difference by at least 15%
• When a reflector is added Fr, F’ and F’’ increase by at least 40%
• By decreasing the volumetric flow rate from 4L/m to 2L/m, the
temperature change increases by at least 165%
• The total material cost of the collector is maximum 404 ₦ ≈ £0.83
• The time it takes for the collector to be manufactured is 40 minutes
Nearly a billion
F’’ vs h people
Figure 2: Pictures of the Plastic Bottle Flat-Plate solar collector worldwide have
Future work limited access to
clean water
Differences between Theoretical and Experimental results • Replacing bottle air with water
• Heat coefficient of fluid (h): 0.08% error • Measure performance of solar collector during the night
• Heat transferred (Q): 25.96% error • Rotate the collector 90º anti-clockwise and re-run tests
• Analysing if the cling film can replace the plastic bottle
• Experimenting with a thinner hosepipe

Figure 4: F’, F’’ vs heat coefficient of fluid