RENEWABLE ENERGY RESOURCES

(KOE 074)

Dr Ajay Pratap Singh

Mechanical Engineering Dept
Renewable Energy Resources (KOE 074)

 Solar Thermal Energy:

Solar radiation, flat plate collectors and their materials,
applications and performance, focusing of collectors and their materials,
 Applications and performance;
solar thermal power plants, thermal energy
storage for solar heating and cooling, limitations.
 Unit-2
Solar Thermal Energy

 Solar radiation

 Flat plate collectors and their materials, applications and performance

 Focusing of collectors and their materials, applications and performance

 Solar thermal power plants

 Thermal energy

 Storage for solar heating and cooling, limitations.

Solar Radiation
Solar Radiation
Solar Radiation
Solar Radiation
Solar Radiation
Solar Radiation
 Solar Radiation
• Sun is the most easily source of energy. This energy spread over a long
span n a small fraction is on incident on earth.
• Its outer visible layer is called photosphere having a temperature of
6000°C. Above the photosphere there is a transparent layer of gas known
as chromospheres.
• Solar radiation is radiant energy emitted by the sun from a nuclear fusion
reaction that creates electromagnetic energy.
• The spectrum of solar radiation is close to that of a black body with a
temperature of about 5800 K. About half of the radiation is in the visible
short-wave part of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• Solar radiation includes visible light, ultraviolet light, infrared, radio
waves, X-rays, and gamma rays. Radiation is one way to transfer heat.
Solar Radiation- Overview
• SOLAR POSITION WITH RESPECT TO EARTH: Sun is the most easily source of energy. This
energy spread over a long span n a small fraction is on incident on earth. Its outer visible layer
is called photosphere having a temperature of 6000°C.
• Above the photosphere there is a transparent layer of gas known as chromospheres.
Sun Statistics Sun Statistics
Mass (Kg) 1.98 * 1030 Carbon 0.03%
Equatorial radius (km) 695000
Neon 0.0076%
Mean Density (gm/cm ) 3
1.41
Iron 0.0037%
Mean surface temperature 60000C
Hydrogen 92.1% Silicon 0.0031%
Oxygen 0.061% Magnesium 0.0024%
Helium 7.8%
Sulphur 0.0015%
Nitrogen 0.0084%
All others 0.0015%

• Solar energy passes through this region on its way out from the center of the sun.
Solar Radiation
• Solar radiation is the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun. this
radiation can be converted into useful forms of energy, such as heat and
electricity by the different types of technologies.
• The electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun shows a wide range of
wavelengths. It can be divided into major regions (i) ionizing radiation (x-rays
and gamma rays) and non-ionizing radiation (UVR, Visible and infrared
radiations).
• The highly injurious radiation does not penetrate the earth’s atmosphere.
INVISIBLE RANGE VISIBLE RANGE INVISIBLE RANGE
ULTRAVIOL

ORANGE

INFARED
YELLOW
VIOLET

GREEN
BLUE

RED
ET

Wavelength
100 400 425 490 575 585 650 700 14000
(nm)
 Solar Radiation – Basic Definitions
• Irradiance: It is the amount of electromagnetic energy incident on the
surface per unit time per unit area.
• Solar Constant: The rate at which solar radiation strikes earth’s upper
atmosphere is expressed as the “solar constant”. This is the average
amount of energy received in a unit of time on a unit of area
perpendicular to the sun’s direction the mean distance of the earth from
the sun.
• Insolation: The rate at which direct solar radiation is incident upon a unit
horizontal surface at any point on or above the surface of earth.
• Radiosity: The rate at which radiant energy leaves a surface per unit
area, by combined emission, reflection and transmission.
Sun - Earth Angles
• Latitude: The latitude ϕ of a location is the angle made by the radial line joining the location to the
center of earth with the projection of line on the equatorial plane. It can be vary between -90° to
+90°. For northern hemisphere, latitude is positive.
• Hour Angle (ω): It is the angle through which the earth must be rotated to bring the meridian of the
plane directly under sun. The hour angle is zero a solar noon, negative in the morning and positive in
the afternoon for northern hemisphere (INDIA) and vice-versa for southern hemisphere (Australia).

• Declination (δ): It is the angle made by the line joining the centers of the sun and
the earth with its projection on the equatorial plane. The decline angle varies from
a maximum value of +23.5° on june 21 to minimum value of -23.5° on Dec. 21

• Altitude angle (α): It is a vertical angle between the projection of the sun’s
rays on the horizontal plane and the direction of the sun rays.
Measurement of Solar Radiation

• Instruments for measuring solar radiation are of two basic types:

 Pyrheliometer
 Pyranometer
 Sunshine recorders
• Pyrheliometer: An instrument for measuring solar radiation from the sun
and from a small portion of the sky around the sun (beam radiation) at
normal incidence.
• Pyranometer: An instrument for measuring total hemisphere solar
(beam+diffuse) radiation, usually on a horizontal surface.
• Sunshine recorders: Sunshine recorder is used to measure hours of
bright sunshine. The hours of bright sunshine that is the time in which
solar disc is visible is of use in estimating the long term average of solar
Solar Collector
 A solar Collector is a device for collecting solar radiation and transfers the energy to
a fluid passing in contact with it.
The surface of a solar collector is designed for high absorption and low emission.
 There are two types of collectors.
 Non concentrating or flat plate type solar collector
 Concentrating (focusing) type solar
 Paraboloidal reflector type
 Parabolic through concentrator
 Fresnel lens concentrator
 Parabolic dish concentrator
 Distributed heliostat point focusing reflector
 Compound parabolic concentrator
Principle: Most of the energy we receive from the sun comes in the form of light, a
short wave radiation, not all of which is visible to the human eye. When this radiation
strikes a solid or liquid, it is absorbed and transformed into heat; the material
becomes warm and stores the heat, conducts it to surrounding material (air, water or
 Flat Plate Solar Collector

 The flat-plate solar collectors are

probably the most fundamental and
most studied technology for solar-
powered domestic hot water systems.

 The overall idea behind this technology

is pretty simple. The Sun heats a dark
flat surface, which collect as much
energy as possible, and then the energy
is transferred to water, air, or other fluid
for further use.
 Flat Plate Solar Collector

 The flat-plate solar collectors are

probably the most fundamental and
most studied technology for solar-
powered domestic hot water systems.

 The overall idea behind this technology

is pretty simple. The Sun heats a dark
flat surface, which collect as much
energy as possible, and then the energy
is transferred to water, air, or other fluid
for further use.
 Flat Plate Solar Collector

These are the main components of a typical flat-plate solar

collector:

 Black surface: absorbent of the incident solar energy

 Glazing cover: a transparent layer that transmits
radiation to the absorber, but prevents radiative and
convective heat loss from the surface
 Tubes containing heating fluid to transfer the heat from
the collector
 Support structure to protect the components and hold
them in place
 covering Insulation sides and bottom of the collector to
reduce heat losses
 Flat Plate Solar Collector
Flat-plate collectors are basically divided into two categories according to their use,
(i) Water or liquid heaters and (ii) Air heaters.

These collectors meant for these uses are sub-divided as follows:

Flat Plate Solar Collector
 Flat Plate Solar Collector
Flat-plate collectors are basically divided into three categories according to temperature

 Low Temperature Collectors: Low temperature solar collectors are typically unglazed flat plate collectors,
intended to operate at temperatures only 5 to 30 degrees above ambient temperature. Low temperature liquid
collectors are used for swimming pool heating. With light glazing and enclosure, they are used as air collectors for
agricultural low-temperature applications such as crop drying.

 Medium Temperature Collectors: Medium temperature collectors typically are flat-plate collectors, enclosed in an
insulated case, with one or two glazing. The intended temperature range of operation is from about 15 to 200
degrees F above ambient temperature. For the lower end of this range, single-glazed collectors with non-selective
absorber plates are most cost effective. In the middle and high end of the range, selective collectors with one or
two glazing become more cost effective. Typical applications include water heating, space heating and some
medium temperature industrial heating uses.

 High Temperature Collectors: High temperature collectors include some overlap from flat plate collectors in the
medium temperature range, with selective absorber plates and heavy insulation, and may have temperature
capabilities enhanced in installation by being mounted in a sun-tracking system
 Solar Cell

Flat plate collector have the following advantage over other types of solar energy collectors:

 Absorb direct, diffuse and reflected components o solar radiation

 Fixed in tilt and orientation and thus, there is no needed of tracking the Sun

 Easy to make and are low in cost

 Comparatively low maintenance cost and Long lie

 Operate at comparatively high efficiency.

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