ADAMA SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL, CHEMICAL AND

MATERIALSENGINEERING

Program of Thermal and Aerospace Engineering

Project on
“Transient analysis of solar air heater collector”

Prepared by: AMANUEL SHUMETA

ID.No: PGR/22405/13
Academic Year: 2020/21 G.C
Modality: Regular, M.Sc.

Submitted to: Dr. Addisu Bekele

Contents
1. SINGLE GLASS COVER AIR HEATER TRANSIENT ANALYSIS .................................................................. 1
1.1 Absorber plate temperature............................................................................................................. 2
1.2 Outlet airstream temperature ........................................................................................................ 3
1.3 Glass cover temperature ................................................................................................................. 4
1.4 Total radiation incident on the collector. ............................................................................................ 5
1.5 Geometric factor/ beam radiation factor ............................................................................................. 5
1.6 Ambient temperature at any time during sunshine. ............................................................................ 6
2. DOUBLE GLASS COVER AIR HEATER TRANSIENT ANALYSIS ................................................................ 6
2.1 Absorber plate ................................................................................................................................... 7
2.2 Trapped air .................................................................................................................................. 7
3.3 Airstream ........................................................................................................................................... 8
3.4 Glass cover one (upper) .................................................................................................................... 8
3.5 Glass cover two (Lower) ................................................................................................................... 9
3. Given values of different quantities ................................................................................................. 10
4. References .......................................................................................................................................... 11
Transient analysis of solar air heater

1. SINGLE GLASS COVER AIR HEATER TRANSIENT ANALYSIS

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.

From first law of thermodynamics:

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

 Incompressible (constant density)

 Inviscid

With this assumptions equation (1) becomes

.  V   0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3)

In addition, equation (2) becomes

e
 .V  q ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (4)
t
Substituting equation (3) into equation (4), we get
e
 q ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5)
t

Where: e is internal energy and

q Is heat added to the system by the surrounding (the region outside the system).

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 Transient analysis of solar air heater

Figure 1 flat plate collector with a single plate and glass cover

1.1 Absorber plate temperature

Figure 2 Heat energy balance on the absorber plate

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 pp

 (mc p ) p 

 Effective emissivity

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Transient analysis of solar air heater

1
1 1 
  eff    1
  p  g 

 Heat loss coefficient from plate to glass cover

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

 Airstream heat transfer coefficient

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

 Bottom and side loss coefficient

K A K
 U pab  U pae  l
 in Ac  edge
 K- thermal conductivity of insulation
  in - bottom insulation thickness
  edge - edge insulation thickness

 Energy collected by absorber plate

 I c  0.95   IT

1.2 Outlet airstream temperature

Energy balance applied to the airstream flowing in the air heater yields the following equation for
the airstream at outlet:

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 Transient analysis of solar air heater


  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    

Figure 3 all of the conditions in energy balance of airstream

 Mass flowrate of air

0.25
 Gr 
m  1.7 *  *  * L *  

  Pr 2  (Pr  0.9524)  
 
 m - Mass flowrate of air
  - Density of air
  - Dynamic viscosity
 L - Spacing between plate and glass cover
 Pr - Prandtl number
 Gr - Grashof’s number

1.3 Glass cover temperature

Energy balance on the glass cover with forward finite difference discretization yields the following
equation:

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

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Transient analysis of solar air heater

 Heat loss coefficient from the glass cover to the ambient

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

Figure 4 energy balance on the Glass cover

1.4 Total radiation incident on the collector.

 1  cos    1  cos  
IT  ( I  I d ) Rb  I d   I  
 2   2 

1.5 Geometric factor/ beam radiation factor

The geometric factor Rb is the ratio of beam radiation on a tilted surface to that on a horizontal
surface at any time.

cos     cos  cos   sin     sin  cos 

Rb  
cos  cos  cos   sin  sin  cos  z

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1.6 Ambient temperature at any time during sunshine.

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 

 Tmax - mean daily maximum temperature

 Tmin - mean daily minimum temperature
 T (t ) - Temperature at any time, t.

2. DOUBLE GLASS COVER AIR HEATER TRANSIENT ANALYSIS

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.

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 Transient analysis of solar air heater

2.1 Absorber plate

 Energy balance for the absorber plate with forward finite difference discretization gives the
temperature of the absorber plate as:

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 p
p

 (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
respectively.

K
U pg2   0.06  0.017 *  90  *  a *  Gr 
(1/3) 
   eff 
 T p  273  Tg  273
4
2
4

 L  Tp  Tg2

2.2

Trapped air
Figure 6 Energy balance diagram of absorber plate

Figure 7 trapped air energy analysis

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 Transient analysis of solar air heater

 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

3.3 Airstream

Figure 8 Airstream energy analysis

 The temperature of airstream at outlet can be derived using forward finite divided difference
from energy balance equation and yields:


  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 
2
 
3.4 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

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Figure 9 Energy analysis of glass cover one

3.5 Glass cover two (Lower)

Figure 10 Energy analysis of second glass cover

 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.

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Transient analysis of solar air heater

  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 

3. Given values of different quantities

 Area of collector (Ac) =2 m2
 Length of collector=2m
 Width of collector =1 m
 Tilt angle (β) =150(south facing)
 Back insulation thickness= 0.03 m
 Edge insulation thickness= 0.03 m
 Thermal conductivity of insulation =0.045 W/Mk
 Emissivity of absorber plate(∈p)=0.1
 Transmissivity of the glass cover(τg) =0.96
 Emissivity of glass cover(∈p) =0.1
 Distance b/n absorber plate and glass(L)=0.025 m
 The distance b/n glass 1 and glass 2 = 0.025 m
 Distance b/n absorber plate and glass2(L)=0.025 m
 (mCp)p=16500 J/K, (mCp)g=10050 J/K, (mCp)a=18200 J/K
 Wind speed(V)=2.5 m/s
 Ground reflectivity(ρ)=0.2

Assume air property at T=300 K

 K a  0.02566W mK
   2.1745*105 m 2 / s
   1.585*105 m 2 / s
   1.8605*105 kg / ms
   1.174kg / m3

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4. 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.

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