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The transient thermal performance of the solar collector is evaluated by applying energy balance
on its components. The components are absorber plate, air stream and glass cover.
Conservation of mass:𝑚̇
. V 0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1)
t
Conservation of energy:
V 2 V2
e . e V q . pV . f .V Wviscous Qviscous ------- (2)
t 2 2
Assumptions
. V 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3)
Figure 1 flat plate collector with a single plate and glass cover
Energy balance on absorber plate with forward finite difference discretization yields:
Ac I c t U pg Ac U a Ac U pb Ac U pe Al U pg Ac t U A t U a Ac 2 U pb Ac U pe Al
TP1 1 t Tpo Tgo a c T fo 0 tT fi 0
(mc p ) p (mc p ) p
mc p p
2 mc pp
(mc p ) p
Effective emissivity
1
1 1
eff 1
p g
K
U pg 0.06 0.017* 90 * a * Gr
(1/3)
eff
T 273 T 273
p
4
g
4
L Tp Tg
- collector tilt angle, K a - thermal conductivity of air
eff - effective emissivity , L - spacing between plate and glass cover
k Pr* Gr *cos
0.25 2 g (Tp Tg ) L3
U a 0.664 a Gr
L Pr 0.9524
T fi T fo
Ka- thermal conductivity of air at given temperature
Pr- Prandtl number
Gr-grashofs’ number
T fi and T fo - temperature of air at inlet or outlet
mc p U A mc p U A U A t U A t
T fo1 1 a c t T fo0 a c tT fi 0 a c Tpo a c Tg 0
(mc p )a (mc p )a
(mc p )a (mc p )a
mc p
a
mc p
a
Tg1
1 g Ac IT t 1 U pg Ac U ga Ac U a Ac t T U pg Ac t U ga Ac U a Ac 2 U A
g0 T po tT fi 0 a c tT fo0
(mc p ) g
(mc p ) g
mc p g
(mc p ) g
2(mc p ) g
U ga (2.8 3V ) g
Tg 273 Tsky 273
4 4
Tg Tsky
V- wind velocity
σ- Stefan Boltzmann constant
ϵg- Emissivity of glass cover
1 cos 1 cos
IT ( I I d ) Rb I d I
2 2
Transient analysis need hourly ambient temperature; However in Ethiopia it is difficult to get
hourly data for most cities. Therefore, it is good to assume sinusoidal variation of the ambient
temperature through the day.
Tmax Tmin t 9
T (t ) Tmax 1 sin( )
2 12
Figure 5 solar air heater with double glass and single plate
Energy balanced on the absorber plate, the air stream and the glass cover are performed
based on the thermal circuit indicated in figure 5.
Ac I c g t U pg2 Ac U a Ac U pb Ac U pe Al U pg2 Ac t U A t U a Ac 2 U pb Ac U pe Al
TP1 1 t Tp 0 Tg 0 a c T fo 0 tT fi 0
(mc p ) p
(mc p ) p
mc p
p
2
2 mc pp
(mc p ) p
I c -energy collected by absorber plate, g - transmissivity of glass cover, U pg2 - heat loss coefficient
from plate to the lower glass cover, U pb - heat loss coefficient between plate and the bottom, U pe
- heat loss coefficient between plate and edge, T fo0 and T fi 0 - air temperature at the outlet and inlet
K
U pg2 0.06 0.017 * 90 * a * Gr
(1/3)
eff
T p 273 Tg 273
4
2
4
L Tp Tg2
The temperature of trapped air can be derived using forward finite divided difference from
energy balance equation and yields:
2U A AeU at
Tta1 1 at c
mc p ta 0
mc p
t T AcU at t T T
g1 0 g2 0
AeU at t
mc p
Tamb
a a a
U at - trapped air heat transfer coefficient, Ae - edge insulation area, Tg1 0 - temperature of
first glass, Tg 2 0 - temperature of second glass
2.3 Airstream
The temperature of airstream at outlet can be derived using forward finite divided difference
from energy balance equation and yields:
mc p U a Ac mc p U A U A t U A t
T fo1 1 t T fo0 a c tT fi 0 a c Tpo a c Tg 0
(mc p )a (mc p )a
(mc p )a (mc p )a
mc pa
mc p
a
2
2.4 Glass cover one (upper)
Energy balance on the first glass with the application of finite difference discretization yields:
Ac IT 1 g t AcU g1g 2 AcU at AcU g1a t T AcU g1g 2 t T AcU at t T AcU g1a t T
Tg11 1
mc p g
mc p g
g1 0
mc p
g
g2 0
mc p
g
ta
mc p
g
amb
Energy balance on the second glass cover with forward finite difference discretization yields
the temperature equation as:
Tg2 1
Ac IT 1 g g t AU AU AU AU
1
A U t A U t T T fo 0 AcU g1g 2 t
t Tg 0 c pg2 Tp 0 c g at Tat 0 AcU a t fi 0
c pg2 c a c g at c g1g 2
Tg1 0
mc p g
mc p
g
2
mc p
g
mc p
g
mc p
g
2 mc p
g
New terms:
U g1g 2 - Heat loss coefficient between glass cover one and two.
U g at - Heat loss coefficient between second glass and trapped air.
mc
p g- Mass specific heat of glass cover.
U g1g2 gl g2 Tg1 273 Tg2 273 Tg1 273 Tg 2 273 KL
2 2
a
1
1 1
g1g2 1
g1 g2
K a 0.02566W mK
2.1745*105 m 2 / s
1.585*105 m 2 / s
1.8605*105 kg / ms
1.174kg / m3
4. Results
4.1Single glass cover air heater transient analysis results
In single glass cover air heater transient analysis, we are supposed to determine the absorber plate
temperature, Glass cover temperature, and outlet airstream temperature by discretizing the
energy equation of the variables. After discretizing the energy equation, we get a forward
difference temperature equation for each variables with which we make our iteration with solar
time being our input time step. A time step of ∆t=36secs (0.01hours) is used over the representative
days for the iteration. For purpose of simplicity and avoiding repetition, some selected graphs and
tables for the representative days of January, February, March, July, and December are shown.
The overall results of the air heater throughout the year 2003 of Adama are included on excel file
attached together with this one.
A. January (n=17)
3.33
4.16
4.99
5.82
6.65
7.48
8.31
9.14
9.97
10.8
12.46
19.1
20.76
11.63
13.29
14.12
14.95
15.78
16.61
17.44
18.27
19.93
21.59
22.42
23.25
2.5
Figure 11(a) Air heater component temperatures versus hours of the day
Figure 11(a) shows the plot of the absorber plate, glass cover, and outlet airstream temperature
with respect to the solar time set at an interval of 36secs for the 24hours. Even though discrete-
graphing style is used, excel software displays continuous data because of the many points
considered (2399 iterations).
150.000
100.000
50.000
0.000
10.93
10.15
11.71
12.49
13.27
14.05
14.83
15.61
16.39
17.17
17.95
18.73
19.51
20.29
21.07
21.85
22.63
23.41
0.01
0.79
1.57
2.35
3.13
3.91
4.69
5.47
6.25
7.03
7.81
8.59
9.37
Figure 11(b) Air heater component temperatures with mean airstream temperature versus
hours of the day
Figure 11(b) differs from the Figure 11(a) only because it includes the mean temperature of
airstream (yellow) which is below the absorber plate temperature (blue) and the outlet
temperature of the airstream (gray). The results obtained from the iteration show that, this is
true for all of the months of the year in which almost all of the outlet airstream temperature is
greater than the plate temperature during the sunshine hours, whereas the mean airstream
temperature has to be below the plate temperature.
Table 1 Extracted Values of the Plate, Glass cover, and Fluid temperatures for January
B. February (n=47)
For February, also we plot the temperatures on hourly bases as follows:
180.000
160.000
140.000
120.000
100.000
80.000
60.000
40.000
20.000
0.000
3.01
15.01
0.01
0.76
1.51
2.26
3.76
4.51
5.26
6.01
6.76
7.51
8.26
9.01
9.76
10.51
11.26
12.01
12.76
13.51
14.26
15.76
16.51
17.26
18.01
18.76
19.51
20.26
21.01
21.76
22.51
23.26
HOURS OF THE DAY
C. March (n=75)
180.000
160.000
140.000
120.000
100.000
80.000
60.000
40.000
20.000
0.000
9.24
19.89
0.01
0.72
1.43
2.14
2.85
3.56
4.27
4.98
5.69
6.4
7.11
7.82
8.53
9.95
10.66
11.37
12.08
12.79
13.5
14.21
14.92
15.63
16.34
17.05
17.76
18.47
19.18
20.6
21.31
22.02
22.73
23.44
D. July (n=198)
140.000
120.000
100.000
80.000
60.000
40.000
20.000
0.000
4.7
13.41
22.12
0.01
0.68
1.35
2.02
2.69
3.36
4.03
5.37
6.04
6.71
7.38
8.05
8.72
9.39
10.06
10.73
11.4
12.07
12.74
14.08
14.75
15.42
16.09
16.76
17.43
18.1
18.77
19.44
20.11
20.78
21.45
22.79
23.46
hours of the day
Absorber plate temperature Glass cover temperature
Outlet airstream temperature
Table 2 Extracted Values of the Plate, Glass cover, and Fluid temperature for July
E. December
temperature vs. hours of the day
collector temperatures, ℃
10.55
16.75
0.01
0.63
1.25
1.87
2.49
3.11
3.73
4.35
4.97
5.59
6.21
6.83
7.45
8.07
8.69
9.31
9.93
11.17
11.79
12.41
13.03
13.65
14.27
14.89
15.51
16.13
17.37
17.99
18.61
19.23
19.85
20.47
21.09
21.71
22.33
22.95
23.57
hours of the day
Table 3 Extracted Values of the Plate, Glass cover, and Fluid temperature for December
I. January (n=17)
300.000
250.000
200.000
150.000
100.000
50.000
0.000
13.41
0.68
0.01
1.35
2.02
2.69
3.36
4.03
5.37
6.04
6.71
7.38
8.05
8.72
9.39
10.06
10.73
11.4
12.07
12.74
14.08
14.75
15.42
16.09
16.76
17.43
18.1
18.77
19.44
20.11
20.78
21.45
22.12
22.79
23.46
4.7
Table 4 Extracted double cover Values of the Plate, Glass cover 1&2, trapped air and Fluid
temperatures at various hours for January.
Absorber plate temperature Upper glass cover temperature Lower glass cover Temperature
Trapped air temperature Outlet airstream temperature
250.000
200.000
150.000
100.000
50.000
0.000
4.56
16.26
0.01
0.66
1.31
1.96
2.61
3.26
3.91
5.21
5.86
6.51
7.16
7.81
8.46
9.11
9.76
10.41
11.06
11.71
12.36
13.01
13.66
14.31
14.96
15.61
16.91
17.56
18.21
18.86
19.51
20.16
20.81
21.46
22.11
22.76
23.41
HOURS OF THE DAY
Table 5 Extracted Values of the Plate, Glass cover 1&2, trapped air and Fluid
temperatures at various hours for July.
250.000
200.000
150.000
100.000
50.000
0.000
1.96
13.66
14.31
0.01
0.66
1.31
2.61
3.26
3.91
4.56
5.21
5.86
6.51
7.16
7.81
8.46
9.11
9.76
10.41
11.06
11.71
12.36
13.01
14.96
15.61
16.26
16.91
17.56
18.21
18.86
19.51
20.16
20.81
21.46
22.11
22.76
23.41
5. References
I. Habtamu tkubet, simulation of solar cereal dryer using trnsys, 2007.
II. G.N. Tiwari, Handbook of Solar Energy.
III. Dagim Kebede, Design and Analysis of Solar Thermal System for Hot Water Supply to
Minilik II Hospital New Building.
IV. Duffie, Beckman, Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, second edition, 1991.