Subject

Renewable and Emerging

Energy technologies

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SOLAR ENERGY COLLECTORS

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Solar Energy collectors
 A solar collector is a device for collecting solar
radiation and transfer the energy to a fluid
passing in contact with it.

 Utilization of solar energy requires solar collectors.

 The solar energy collector, with its associated

absorber, is the essential component of any
systems for the conversion of solar energy into
usable form (e.g. heat or electricity).
Solar Energy collectors
 Non Concentrating or Flat plate type solar collector
(collectors area = absorber area)

 Concentrating (focusing) type solar collector

collectors area>absorber area;
higher temperature can be obtained;
use many different arrangements of mirrors and
lenses to concentrate the sun’s rays on the boiler;
shows better efficiency.
Types of solar collectors

Indicative
Absorber Concentration
Motion Collector type temperature
type ratio
range (°C)
Flat plate collector (FPC) Flat 1 30-80
Stationary Evacuated tube collector (ETC) Flat 1 50-200
1-5 60-240
Compound parabolic collector (CPC) Tubular
5-15 60-300
Single-axis Linear Fresnel reflector (LFR) Tubular 10-40 60-250
tracking Parabolic trough collector (PTC) Tubular 15-45 60-300
Cylindrical trough collector (CTC) Tubular 10-50 60-300
Two-axes Parabolic dish reflector (PDR) Point 100-1000 100-500
tracking Heliostat field collector (HFC) Point 100-1500 150-2000
Note: Concentration ratio is defined as the aperture area divided by the receiver/absorber area of the collector.
Flat-plate and Concentrating collectors

 Flat-plate collectors may be used for water

heating and most space-heating applications.
 Concentrating collectors uses mirrored surfaces
or lenses to focus the collected solar energy on
smaller areas to obtain higher working
temperatures.
 High-performance flat-plate or concentrating
collectors are generally required for cooling
applications since higher temperatures are
needed to drive chiller or absorption-type cooling
units.
Fixed Vs Tracking collectors

Tracking collectors are controlled to follow the sun throughout the

day.

A tracking system is rather complicated and generally only used

for special high-temperature applications.

Fixed collectors are much simpler - their position or orientation,

however, may be adjusted on a seasonal basis. They remain
fixed over a day’s time.

Fixed collector are less efficient than tracking collectors;

nevertheless they are generally preferred as they are less costly to
buy and maintain.
What is a flat plate collector?

 Flat-plate collectors were the first generation of

collectors for domestic hot water heating.

 They consisted of an insulated, weatherproof

metal box with a glass or plastic cover and dark
absorber plate with pipes to convey the heat
transfer circulating fluid.

 The transparent cover reduces the amount of

heat that can escape, but of course, a vacuum
would be better.
Flat Plate Solar Collector

Incident Solar Radiation ( G t )

Outer Glass
Cover

Inner Glass
Cover

Insulation Fluid Flow Absorber

Tubes Plate

Flat Plate Collector

Flat plate collector consists of an absorber plate, cover

glass, insulation and housing.
Characteristics of Flat Plate Collector

• Used for moderate temperature up to 100°C

• Uses both direct and diffuse radiation
• Normally do not need tracking of sun
• Relatively simple to construct and erect.
• Use: water heating, building heating and air-
conditioning, industrial process heating.
• Advantage: Mechanically simple
Flat Plate Solar Collector
• On the top of the collector, a
transparent cover is used which
may be one or more sheets of
glass or radiation transmitting
plastic film or sheet.

• However, glass is generally used

for the transparent covers. It is
Incident Solar Radiation ( G t )

transparent to incoming solar Outer Glass

radiation and opaque to the infra Cover
-red re-radiation from the
absorber.
•
Inner Glass
The glass covers act as a Cover
convection shield to reduce the
losses from the absorber plate be
neath. Insulation Fluid Flow Absorber
Tubes Plate

• The main purpose of the

transparent cover is to decrease Flat Plate Collector
heat loss without significantly
reducing the incoming solar
radiation.
Flat Plate Solar Collector
• The absorber plate is usually made of
copper and coated (black) to
increase the absorption of solar
radiation.
• Tubes, fins, passages, or channels are Incident Solar Radiation ( G t )
integral with the collector absorber
plate or connected to it, which carry
the water, air or other fluid. Outer Glass

• The working fluid (water, ethylene gly Cover

col, air etc.) is circulated through the Inner Glass

absorber plate to carry the solar Cover
energy to its point of use.
• Insulation is used on the back edges Insulation Fluid Flow Absorber
of the absorber plate to reduce Tubes Plate
conduction heat losses. Standard
insulating materials such as fiber glass
or styro-foam are used for this Flat Plate Collector
purpose.
• The casing/housing which encloses
the other components and protects
them from the weather.
Flat Plate Solar Collector

When solar radiation passes through a transparent cover and impinges

on the blackened absorber surface of high absorptivity, a large portion
of this energy is absorbed by the plate and then transferred to the
transport medium in the fluid tubes to be carried away for storage or
use.

Incident Solar Radiation ( G t )

Outer Glass
Cover

Inner Glass
Cover

Insulation Fluid Flow Absorber

Tubes Plate

Flat Plate Collector

Flat Plate Solar Collector
 Sun rays

Flat plate collector

Flat reflector
Types of flat-plate collectors

Water systems

Glazing Glazing
Riser C Riser
A Absorbing plate
Absorbing plate

Insulation
Insulation

Glazing Glazing
B Riser Riser
Absorbing plate D Absorbing plate

Insulation
Insulation
 Glazing
Air passage
E

Glazing
Corrugated sheet
G

Insulation

Glazing
F Air flow
Metal matrix
Insulation

Insulation
Evacuated tube collector

 Evacuated tube collectors consist of rows of

parallel transparent glass tubes, each containing
an absorber tube.

 Newer-technology evacuated tube collectors

used to be more expensive than flat-plate
collectors but costs have recently dropped as
production increased.
Advantages of evacuated tube collector

 Evacuated tubes are fragile, but they have a

number of significant advantages:
 The collector efficiency remains high in cloudy
conditions and in low temperatures.
 The circular tube means that the sun is shining directly
on the absorber for most of the day.
 Evacuated-tube collectors have the ability to heat
water to higher temperatures than flat plate collectors.
 Evacuated-tubes can be added or removed as
hot-water needs change.
Concentrating Solar Collector

Classification of CSP technologies

Concentrating Solar Collector
Classification of CSP technologies
Concentrating Solar Collector
Classification of CSP technologies
Concentrating Solar Collector

Comparison of CSP technologies

Concentrating Solar Collector
Concentrating Solar Collector
Solar Power Tower
Concentrating Solar Collector

Linear Fresnel reflects

Concentrating Solar Collector
Parabolic Dish
The End