Second-Law Analysis of Solar

Collectors With Energy Storage

D. E. Chelghoum
A. Bejan
Department of Mechanical Engineering
and Materials Science,
Duke University,
Durham, N.C. 27706
Capability
This is an analytical and numerical study of the exergy that can be delivered by a
solar collector installation with temporary energy storage capability. In the first
part of the study, the method of variational calculus is used to show that under
conditions of time-dependent inlet and outlet flow rates, the total exergy delivered
by the installation is maximum when the collector temperature is maintained at an
optimum constant level throughout the insolation period. More realistic models of
solar collectors with storage capability are analyzed in the second and third parts of
the study. In each of the models considered, the analysis shows that the relative
timing of the filling and discharge processes has a significant effect on the total
exergy delivered by the installation. The main conclusion of the study is that the
daily regime of operation of the collection/storage installation can be selected by
design in order to maximize the harvesting of solar exergy per unit of collector area.

Introduction
The objective of this study is to illustrate quantitatively the
exergy delivery potential of solar collectors and to show how
this potential can be maximized by design. The second-law
analysis of energy systems (otherwise known as exergy or
availability analysis) has drawn considerable attention during
the past two decades especially in the wake of the oil crisis of
the early 1970s. Tutorial presentations of the method of
second-law analysis and some of its applications are available
in references [1-4].
In the field of solar energy engineering, it was recognized as
maximize the collection of exergy from the insolation stream.
This task is analgous to finding ways to avoid the irreversible
destruction of exergy in the process of collection and delivery
to a potential user. With this objective in mind, Bejan,
Kearney, and Kreith [14] showed that the exergy delivered by
a flat-plate solar collector operating in the steady state is a
INSOLATION

early as 1964 that the discussion of the "efficient" use of solar l"AC
energy must rest on an understanding of the ther-
modynamically maximum work-producing potential
associated with solar thermal radiation [5,6]. In simultaneous
communications, Petela [5] and Spanner [6] presented two
different theoretical arguments whose practical conclusion is
essentially the same, namely, that relative to the ambient
temperature of 300 K the stream of thermal energy received as
solar radiation could be converted up to 93 percent into
available work. The discrepancy between Petela's and
Spanner's analysis and the growing interest in the utilization
of solar energy in the 1970s have stimulated an entire sequence
of studies all aimed at clarifying the issue of the exergy
content of solar radiation [7-12]. A much needed critical
review of these studies has just been published by Gribik and
Osterle [13] who show that although the practical conclusion
that the solar thermal radiation is rich in exergy, the correct
theoretical approach to this conclusion is that of Spanner [6]. Qo
HEAT LOSS
In view of the high exergy content of solar thermal
radiation, an important engineering task is to find ways to
AMBIENT, h

Contributed by the Solar Energy Division for publication in the JOURNAL OF '//////////////////////////A
SOLAR ENERGY ENGINEERING. Manuscript received by the Solar Energy Division, Fig. 1 Schematic of solar collector with fluid thermal energy storage
November, 1984. element

2 4 4 / V o l . 107, AUGUST 1985 Transactions of the A S M E

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 maximum if the collector temperature is maintained at a inlet temperature T0, and delivers to a user a stream of
certain level chosen optimally between the ambient tem- flowrate moul and temperature Tc. Between inlet and outlet,
perature and the maximum (stagnation) temperature of the the heated collector fluid resides in a storage element of in-
collector. The same conclusion holds also in the case of stantaneous mass M and temperature Tc. The fluid is modeled
collectors operating under time-varying conditions, where, as as an ideal gas at constant pressure or as an incompressible
shown in reference [15], the exergy collected and delivered fluid with constant specific heat C. It is worth noting that
during one day is maximized if the collector temperature relative to the collector models used in earlier second-law
history follows an optimum pattern dictated by the daily analysis [14-17], the present model has an additional degree
variation of insolation. Most recently, Fujiwara [16] took the of freedom due to the time-dependent fluid inventory of the
thermodynamic optimization of solar collectors one step storage unit, M(t), i.e., because, in general the inlet and outlet
further, by taking into account the irreversibility due to fluid flow rates (fnin, mmu) are not equal.
friction in the collector flow passages. The thermodynamic The equations governing the conservation of mass and
limits of converting radiant energy through a combination of energy (the first law) in the rectangular-shaped control
thermal and quantum processes have been established in a volume of Fig. 1 are
1984 paper by Haught [17].
d
Relative to the second-law analysis literature just reviewed, [M(t)]= J^m-Y/m (2)
the present study breaks new ground by focusing on the trade- ~dt
off between immediate exergy delivery and temporary exergy
storage in a solar collector installation with variable thermal C~(MTC) = I"(/)/!,. - UcAc(Te - T0)
inertia. Beginning with the system of Fig. 1, it is assumed that
the variable thermal inertia of the collector is provided by an (3)
energy storage element (a variable size pool of fluid) heated by The object of the analysis presented in this section is the
the collector. It is shown that there exists an optimum regime maximization of the day-long integral of the instantaneous
of operation for maximum daily exergy delivery, that is, there exergy delivery rate
exists an optimum balance between delivery and storage at
any moment in the collector's operation cycle. Ex ={m[h-h0-T0 (s -s0)} j out
-\m[h -h0-T0(s
Exergy Delivery Maximization in Collectors With T,.
Temporary Storage = Cm„,|^r(.-r0-r0/«^J
Consider the unsteady operation of the one-stream solar
thermal collector shown in Fig. 1. The collector receives the T
•T„ T0ln^ c (4)
time-dependent insolation / " [watts/m 2 ] from the sun, over a dt ' o
cross-sectional area Ac[m2]. The overall collector-ambient The total exergy delivered during one day by the collector with
heat transfer coefficient Uc-termed also the heat loss
thermal energy storage can be expressed as
conductance parameter based on Ac-is assumed constant.
The collector-ambient heat loss may be modeled as f'8 i"{t*)-M*{f*)d6/dt*
proportional to the collector-ambient temperature difference NF
Jo
[14]
Q0 = UcAATe-T0). (1) dM*
~dF (6-l-ln6)dt*
-Kn (5)
where it has been assumed that the effect of reradiation is
negligible. The collector receives a stream of flowrate min and with the following dimensionless notation

a = insolation period
Ac = collector cross-sec- * peak = peak insolation (Fig. 2) t = time
tional area k = duration of the to = daily operating cycle
b = time marking the draining phase Tc = collector temperature
b e g i n n i n g of the K0 = dimensionless heat loss T0 = ambient temperature
draining phase parameter TA = parameter, equation
C = specific heat of in- I = duration of the filling (25)
compressible fluid, or phase Uc = overall heat transfer
specific heat at con- m = flow rate coefficient
stant pressure of ideal min = inlet flow rate X = parameter, equation
gas m out = outlet flow rate (24)
Ex = exergy delivery rate, M = fluid inventory
e= dimensionless collector
equation (4) MoMmax = maximum fluid in- temperature
Ex = total exergy delivered ventory ^max = dimensionless stagna-
during one cycle N = number of heat transfer tion temperature,
F = integrand, equations units, equation (24) equation (11)
(6), (7); function, NE = exergy number T = dimensionless time,
equation (38) N
x y
- = number of heat transfer equation (24)
nun
h = specific euthalpy units, equation (45) V I opt = optimum
H = function, equation (41) Q = insolation parameter, ( )o = properties of the dead
i" = dimensionless in- equation (24) state
solation function Go = heat loss rate ( )• = dimensionless notation,
I" = insolation s = specific entropy following equation (5)

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 I(t)

Fig. 2 Model for the variation of insolation with time

Tc
collector temperature
T0
UCT0
heat loss parameter
1
peak

insolation function
* peak n
In I rh!
out,opt/K0
* " peak-^t- Fig. 3 Optimum collector temperature versus optimum outlet flow-
time
CT0M0 rate

M(t)
M*{t*)=-~^ fluid inventory Let us assume that on a clear day the sun radiates with an
M0
intensity that is approximately a sinusoidal function of time,
EK as shown in Fig. 2,
NE=—^~~ exergy number
M CT 0 0
/"(/*) = sin (10)
Parameter 7" peak and M 0 appearing in the preceding « ) •

definitions represent the peak insolation and the maximum The maximum or stagnation temperature of the collector,
storage capacity of the collector, respectively. 8,„ax> occurs at no-load conditions, i.e., when all the radiation
Considering now the integrand of equation (5), we see that coming from the sun is lost to the ambient,
it depends on two functions of time and their first derivatives,
0(r*), dd/dt*, M(t*), and dMIdt*. To maximize the NE in- .= ! + • (11)
tegral, we rely on the method of variational calculus [18] to K„
determine the optimum collector temperature history Bop, and The optimum history of the inlet and outlet flow rates can
the optimum stored mass history Mnpl. We must solve the two now be derived by combining equations (3) and (4)
Euler equations
out,op! (0OP, + 1)2
-1 (12)
v0pt*'ln{Bop,)-Bop, + \
(6)
' in,opt
J"(t*)/Ko
(13)
v
0 u
opt 1
where the dimensionless flow rates are defined as
(7) CTn
(m* 'UODt \^in,out)o (14)
* peak A,
We conclude that the optimum outlet flow rate is a constant
where/ 7 is the integrand of equation (5), F = F{6, dd/dt*, M*, that depends solely on 6opl and K0, equation (12). As shown in
dM*/dt*, t*). The conditions necessary for achieving Fig. 3, m0 increases monotonically with both 6op, and K0.
maximum exergy output are obtained by solving equations (6) The optimum inlet flow rate, on the other hand, is not a
and (7), constant as indicated by equation (13): minopl varies in step
with the insolation function. The total exergy number NE can
WOPI - 1 " u
opt now be calculated as a function of only 6opl and the heat loss
=0 (8)
"opt\"opl •1) dt* characteristics of the collector. The results displayed
graphically in Fig. 4 have been obtained by substituting into
3 (8opl-l)dM*
i"(t*) Wop, - I) the NE integral (5) the result d = dopn constant, and the op-
(9) timum inventory history M*opl obtained by combining
9oPlln(dopl)~eopl +l Kn dt*
equations (12), (13), and (2). Figure 4 shows that for a given
Equation (8), which depends only on 6opl and ddop,/dt*, collector (i.e., given heat loss characteristics, 6maXilKllk being
shows that the NE integral will be maximum only if the equal to 1 + KQ~l) there exists a "best" d„pl for which NE
collector temperature history is a constant. The analytical reaches a relatively sharp maximum. The exergy number is
form of 8 ,, namely, d,opt constant, is the contribution of zero when d„.„ = 1 (i.e., when Tc = r 0 ) , because in this case the
the variational calculus presented in the foregoing. The best collector is in thermal equilibrium with the environment. At
Bopl constant and the necessary flow rates for maximum NE the other end of the NE(Bopl) curve, where B„pl = 6„mxpeak, the
can be determined once the insolation function i"(t*) is entire insolation is lost to the ambient and, consequently,
known. there is not extraction of exergy.

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 Regime I (Fig.7,0<f<0 In conclusion, the daily exergy harvest increases if the
M=mint (32) draining of the collector is started earlier and if the draining
process is executed faster. This conclusion also helps to an-
I" A, swer the question of whether a collector with storage
T T (33)
'' '" UL.A'+minC capability is thermodynamicaliy better than one without
storage capability. If the exergy intercepted from the sun can
Regime II (Fig. l,l<t<a) be used immediately (i.e., if users are available if needed,
M=mjnl (34) reference [14]), then storing the exergy is a bad idea because
delaying its delivery increases the entropy generation
I"A,. ( m,„C associated with the collector-ambient heat leak. However, as
U..A \UcAc + minC ) is usually the case, the user and its appetite are relatively rigid
entities: it is in this case that the thermodynamicaliy optimized
I"Ae collector with storage capability will outperform the collector
(35)
Lw„,cV // UCAC without storage capability. This last statement can form the
subject of another study in which one can evaluate the exergy
Regime III (Fig. l,a<t<b) loss associated with the mismatch between a time-varying
(36) supply of raw solar exergy and a rigid exergy demand placed
M—mml
by a certain user. The performance of a collector-user system
ucALr (37) plagued by this mismatch can then be compared with the
Tc-T0=Fexp{- m„,Cl' second-law performance of systems of the type addressed in
this study (i.e., systems in which the mismatch is erased
with F a s shorthand notation for through temporary storage).
I" m,„C
F= 1-
UcAi. + mi„C
exp
m,„C (-:)]) Concluding Remarks
•exp I . -I (38) This paper summarized an analytical and numerical study
V w,„C/ / of the exergy delivery potential'of solar collectors with energy
storage capability. The chief objective of the study was to
Regime IV (Fig. 7, b<t<b + k) show how the daily regime of collector operation (filling and
m draining) influences the exergy delivery capability and how
M = minl — moui(b —1)\ also-r- (39) this regime can be adjusted to minimize the destruction of
exergy.
U,A,k The study was conducted in three parts. The main con-
b + k-t clusion of the variational calculus reported in the second
Tn=H (40)
section of this report is that under conditions of time-
where H is given by the expression dependent inlet and outlet flow rates the exergy delivered by a
collector with variable thermal inertia is maximum when the
collector temperature is maintained at an optimum constant
H=F**(-M±\ (41) level throughout the isolation period.
V minCl /
Increasingly more realistic models of collectors with storage
The exergy delivery integral can now be evaluated and
capability were analyzed in the third and fourth sections of
yields
this report. In each of the models considered, the analysis
showed that the relative timing of the filling and discharge
^£— = ° ( i i : _ i _ / w l £ ) c/r (42) processes has a profound effect on the total exergy harvested
M,
during one day. Specific conclusions regarding the sensitivity
where Mmix is maximum amount of fluid held in the pool, of the exergy integral to the degrees of freedom of the solar
Mnwx = thinl = mmilk (43) collection/storage process are discussed in conjunction with
Figs. 6, and 8-10. Overall, the main conclusion of this study is
The collector temperature function Tc appearing in equation that the daily regime of operation of a solar collection/storage
(42) is the function corresponding to regime IV, equations installation can be selected by design to maximize the delivery
(40, 41). The dimensionless exergy group Ex/(MmaxCT0) of solar exergy to the user.
emerges as a function of five parameters
Finally, it is worth keeping in mind that the design of solar
collectors based on entropy generation minimization (or
-,-,-,Q,/V„,„, (44)
exergy delivery maximization) makes sense as long as the
a a a collector is intended to function as a supplier of work. The
where Q is defined via equations (24) and work delivered by the collector can be used in a variety of
applications, including the heating of a building. In this last
N • =• UcAca (45) application, however, the thermodynamicaliy optimized
""" M rC
collector should not be placed in thermal contact with the
Parameter Nmi„ plays essentially the same role as the heat loss building directly, because this decision would defeat the
parameter N used earlier, noting that this time Mimx/a purpose of thermodynamic optimization. Instead, the work
replaces the mass flow rate used in the preceding section. delivered by the collector should be used to drive an efficient
The effect of each of the time ratios b/a, k/a, and l/a is heat pump between ambient and the building that requires
illustrated in Figs. 8-10. In particular, the effect of b/a heating.
revealed by Fig. 8 is similar to the trend encountered earlier in
Fig. 6 (note the semilog coordinates employed in Fig. 8). The
effect of increasing the draining period (k/a, Fig. 9) and of Acknowledgment
increasing the time interval allocated to filling the storage The present report was written during Adrian Bejan's
pool (l/a, Fig. 10) is to decrease the total energy delivered by sabbatical leave from Duke University and his term as F.
the end of the cycle. Comparatively, the effect of increasing Mosey Visiting Scholar to the Faculty of Engineering,
k/a is much more prounced than that of increasing l/a. University of Western Australia. The support received from

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 I"AC Q
X=
T0(mC+ULAc) l
N

I"
(24)
mC

Ex
maCT 0 and where TA is the dimensionless form of the collector
temperature history in regime ///, equation (21),
T,. ,yVN
/T-\-b/a\
TA=^-=l+x(- (25)
1
o x -b/a
The analysis of collectors operating according to the
scenario sketched in Fig. 5(6), b > a, yields the following
results for the sequence of three regimes:
Regime I (Fig. 5(6)), 0<t<a): M(t) and Tc.(t) are given
by equations (16) and (17), respectively.

Time (b/a) Regime II (Fig. 5(b)),a<t<b)

Fig. 6 The effect of draining/filling timing on the total exergy output of M=ma (26)
the system of Fig. 5
Tc I'Ar U,A,.
~TQ =1 + (mC+UcAc)Tff exp L mC 0-i)] (27)

Regime III (Fig. 5(b)), b<t<a + b)

Regime I (Fig. 5(a), 0<t<b)
M=m(a + b-t) (28)
M=mt (16)
I"A,
T.. - T0 (17) T0
mC+UcAc
Regime II (Fig. 5(a),
M=mb
b<t<a)
(18)
1+
I"A
T0(mC+UcAc)
exp ^ i'-bM~)
I"A,. (29)
T,. -T0 = (19) The total amount of exergy delivered by the system of Fig.
mC+U.A,
5(b) during one daily cycle is
Regime III (Fig. 5(a), a<t<a + b) ! + b/a /
M=m(a + b-t) (20) _L -\-in Is )C!T (30)
maCT, ! bla V Tn Tn
I"AC
Tc~T0 = (21) where Tc/T0 is the temperature variation corresponding to
mC+ U..A, PIT) the delivery phase (regime ///, equation (24)), which in the
language of equations (24) can be written as
Regime 77/ of the exergy-extraction phase ends when TL.
T,.
= 1 +Xe 4N(1--a)](i+ba~;)N-
reaches T0, i.e., at T = a + b according to equation (21). The
total exergy delivered by the system is found by integrating W
equation (4) over the time interval 0 < t < a + b; substituting
The results of the second-law analysis summarized in the
into this integral the different collector temperature ex-
foregoing are contained in equation (23) for b < a and
pressions listed in the foregoing, we obtain
equation (30) for b > a. The dimensionless exergy delivery,
Ex/(rhaCTn), depends on three parameters, the relative
timing of the discharge phase (b/a), the heat loss effect (/V),
Ex = thC Tc-T0- Tain which is a parameter similar to the number of heat transfer
units employed in heat exchanger design [20], and the in-
a+b

1 a-

a
mC T T
'- >-T>"-(T„)
dt (22)
solation level (Q). A birdseye view of the effect of b/a and N
on the exergy harvest is presented in Fig. 6. In a given
collector with N and Q fixed, the total exergy delivered by the
The total exergy output of a collector that is drained before collector decreases sharply as the start of the withdrawal
the end of the filling phase (b < a, Fig. 5(a)) may be sum- phase is delayed (i.e., as b/a increases on the abscissa of Fig.
marized in the following dimensionless notation: 6). This effect is present in relatively lossy collectors, where N
is of order one or greater. If the collector is well insulated (N
small), the total exergy delivered to the external user becomes
(l-^jlX-lnO+X)] insensitive to b/a as the system becomes a good storage
maCTa
h element for exergy. The trends revealed by Fig. 6 for Q = 1
p1+ - are present also at Q values greater and smaller than one, as
+ 1 * [TA - I - ln(TA)]dr (23) shown in reference [19]: in the interest of brevity, only Fig. 6
is exhibited in this report.
where Physically, varying N and holding Q constant (Fig. 6)

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a b b+k t
Fig. 7 Four-regime model for the operation of a solar collector with
energy storage capability
Time (b/a)
Fig. 8 The effect of the timing of draining on the total exergy output of
the system of Fig. 7 (Q = 1,fc/a = 1,//a = 0.5)
means one of the following scenarios: (/) the collector area/I c
varies while / " and Uc are held fixed, or (/"/) the product UCAL.
varies while the ratio I"/Uc is held fixed. Note that m is
assumed fixed and is used in nondimensionalizing the exergy
total Ex. The most likely physical interpretation of Fig. 6 is
scenario (/).
Four-Regime Model of Collector With Temporary
Storage
In this section we focus on the exergy-delivery potential of a
more general model of a solar collector with temporary fluid
storage capability. As shown in Fig. 7, the earlier assumption
that the filling and discharge phases last as long as the in-
solation is dropped. In the present model the filling phase
occupies a time interval of length /, the draining of the pool
occupies a time interval of length k, and the insolation time
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O
Time k/a
Fig. 9 The effect of the duration of the draining phase on the total
exergy output of the system of Fig. 7(Q = 1,b/a = 1.5, l/a = 0.5).
N=0.1
JM.O
N=10.0
a-i.o
00.00
1.00
0.01
I I 1
0. 00 0.25 0.50 0.75
Time ( I n )
Fig. 10 The effect of the duration of the filling phase on the total
exergy output of the system of Fig. 7(Q = 1,b/a = 1.5, k/a = 1)
(a) is in general different than both / and k. We are focusing
on the more practical situation where the filling of the pool
happens quickly in the beginning of the sunlight period (b <
a), and where the draining is delayed until times following the
end of the sunlihgt period (b > a). When finite, the insolation
flux and the inlet and outlet flow rates are constant in time.
The operation of the present collector is a sequence of four
distinct regimes, as indicated in the lower drawing of Fig. 7.
The M(r) and Tc(t) functions that characterize each of these
regimes can easily be derived by applying the mass and energy
conservation statements (2, 3) and by properly accounting for
the continuity of M and Tt. from one regime to the next. The
main results of the analysis are listed in the following.
AUGUST 1985, Vol. 107/249
 Regime I (Fig.7,0<f<0 In conclusion, the daily exergy harvest increases if the
M=mint (32) draining of the collector is started earlier and if the draining
process is executed faster. This conclusion also helps to an-
I" A, swer the question of whether a collector with storage
T T (33)
'' '" UL.A'+minC capability is thermodynamicaliy better than one without
storage capability. If the exergy intercepted from the sun can
Regime II (Fig. l,l<t<a) be used immediately (i.e., if users are available if needed,
M=mjnl (34) reference [14]), then storing the exergy is a bad idea because
delaying its delivery increases the entropy generation
I"A,. ( m,„C associated with the collector-ambient heat leak. However, as
U..A \UcAc + minC ) is usually the case, the user and its appetite are relatively rigid
entities: it is in this case that the thermodynamicaliy optimized
I"Ae collector with storage capability will outperform the collector
(35)
Lw„,cV // UCAC without storage capability. This last statement can form the
subject of another study in which one can evaluate the exergy
Regime III (Fig. l,a<t<b) loss associated with the mismatch between a time-varying
(36) supply of raw solar exergy and a rigid exergy demand placed
M—mml
by a certain user. The performance of a collector-user system
ucALr (37) plagued by this mismatch can then be compared with the
Tc-T0=Fexp{- m„,Cl' second-law performance of systems of the type addressed in
this study (i.e., systems in which the mismatch is erased
with F a s shorthand notation for through temporary storage).
I" m,„C
F= 1-
UcAi. + mi„C
exp
m,„C (-:)]) Concluding Remarks
•exp I . -I (38) This paper summarized an analytical and numerical study
V w,„C/ / of the exergy delivery potential'of solar collectors with energy
storage capability. The chief objective of the study was to
Regime IV (Fig. 7, b<t<b + k) show how the daily regime of collector operation (filling and
m draining) influences the exergy delivery capability and how
M = minl — moui(b —1)\ also-r- (39) this regime can be adjusted to minimize the destruction of
exergy.
U,A,k The study was conducted in three parts. The main con-
b + k-t clusion of the variational calculus reported in the second
Tn=H (40)
section of this report is that under conditions of time-
where H is given by the expression dependent inlet and outlet flow rates the exergy delivered by a
collector with variable thermal inertia is maximum when the
collector temperature is maintained at an optimum constant
H=F**(-M±\ (41) level throughout the isolation period.
V minCl /
Increasingly more realistic models of collectors with storage
The exergy delivery integral can now be evaluated and
capability were analyzed in the third and fourth sections of
yields
this report. In each of the models considered, the analysis
showed that the relative timing of the filling and discharge
^£— = ° ( i i : _ i _ / w l £ ) c/r (42) processes has a profound effect on the total exergy harvested
M,
during one day. Specific conclusions regarding the sensitivity
where Mmix is maximum amount of fluid held in the pool, of the exergy integral to the degrees of freedom of the solar
Mnwx = thinl = mmilk (43) collection/storage process are discussed in conjunction with
Figs. 6, and 8-10. Overall, the main conclusion of this study is
The collector temperature function Tc appearing in equation that the daily regime of operation of a solar collection/storage
(42) is the function corresponding to regime IV, equations installation can be selected by design to maximize the delivery
(40, 41). The dimensionless exergy group Ex/(MmaxCT0) of solar exergy to the user.
emerges as a function of five parameters
Finally, it is worth keeping in mind that the design of solar
collectors based on entropy generation minimization (or
-,-,-,Q,/V„,„, (44)
exergy delivery maximization) makes sense as long as the
a a a collector is intended to function as a supplier of work. The
where Q is defined via equations (24) and work delivered by the collector can be used in a variety of
applications, including the heating of a building. In this last
N • =• UcAca (45) application, however, the thermodynamicaliy optimized
""" M rC
collector should not be placed in thermal contact with the
Parameter Nmi„ plays essentially the same role as the heat loss building directly, because this decision would defeat the
parameter N used earlier, noting that this time Mimx/a purpose of thermodynamic optimization. Instead, the work
replaces the mass flow rate used in the preceding section. delivered by the collector should be used to drive an efficient
The effect of each of the time ratios b/a, k/a, and l/a is heat pump between ambient and the building that requires
illustrated in Figs. 8-10. In particular, the effect of b/a heating.
revealed by Fig. 8 is similar to the trend encountered earlier in
Fig. 6 (note the semilog coordinates employed in Fig. 8). The
effect of increasing the draining period (k/a, Fig. 9) and of Acknowledgment
increasing the time interval allocated to filling the storage The present report was written during Adrian Bejan's
pool (l/a, Fig. 10) is to decrease the total energy delivered by sabbatical leave from Duke University and his term as F.
the end of the cycle. Comparatively, the effect of increasing Mosey Visiting Scholar to the Faculty of Engineering,
k/a is much more prounced than that of increasing l/a. University of Western Australia. The support received from

250/Vol. 107, AUGUST 1985 Transactions of the ASME

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 Duke University and the University of Western Australia is
gratefully acknowledged.
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