Course Work. Electrical Year 3 2017.

Hand in before 4pm 0n 16th/09/2017 on email

jjhwasajja@yahoo.com

a) Briefly explain the different types of solar water heaters available on market. Illustration your explanation
with pictures and diagrams.
b) Explain how the flat solar collector works, back your explanation with scientific equations.

c) The daily hot water demand in a household is summarised as follows: 120 litres at 550C; 80 litres at 750C;
and 20 litres at 950C. The average cold water is at ambient temperature of 230C. The household owner intends
to use a solar water heater. The solar insolation data as availed to the expert is given in table Q2 and the
efficiency characteristics curve of the type of solar water heaters to be used is given in the graph. The average
irradiance value used to design the solar water heater is 550W/m2. To cater for losses and other leakage
factors the expert considered a safety factor of 1.2 in the design process. Assume the Specific heat capacity
of water is 4.185 kJ/kg0C Use the given information to answer questions through.

i) Assume linear characteristics of solar water heater collector, estimate the linear heat coefficient UL of
the collector (support your answer with the fundamental equation of the efficiency of a flat plate
collector and give the units of UL and give your answer to 2dps).

ii) Determine the size (in m2) of the solar water heater required to meet the daily hot water demand of
the household (give your answer to the nearest whole number).
 Table: Q2
Average insolation – Average insolation – on
Month on horizontal surface tilted at 250 facing North
kWh/m²/d kWh/m²/d
January 7.60 6.75
February 7.25 6.85
March 6.42 6.58
April 5.43 6.15
May 4.60 5.64
June 4.18 5.43
July 4.28 5.44
August 5.20 6.15
September 6.34 6.78
October 7.09 6.88
November 7.65 6.90
December 8.01 6.96
Annual average 6.16 6.37