Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology

Department of Mechanical Engineering

BE(Mechanical Engg.) (Final Year) Solar Energy Engineering (UME853)

Tutorial-4

Q1. Determine the absorber plate surface temperature along the center line between the tubes at a
distance 0.5 m and 1.0 m respectively from the flow inlet end of a flat plate collector. The
specifications of collector are as follows:
Length of absorber plate along flow direction (L) 2m
Thickness of absorber plate (δ) 0.5 mm
Thermal conductivity of absorber plate (copper) 385 W/m°C
Tube spacing (W) 150 mm
Tube outside diameter (D) 15 mm
Overall loss coefficient (UL) 8.0 W/m2°C
Solar radiation absorbed by the absorber plate (S) 700 W/m2
Ambient temperature (Ta) 20°C
Absorber plate temperature above the fluid tubes at a distance 0.5 m and 30°C and 35°C respectively
1.0 m from the flow inlet end (Tb)

Ans: 36.8°C and 41.36°C

Q2. Determine the collector efficiency factor for a flat plate collector having the following
specifications:
Thickness of absorber plate (δ) 0.5 mm
Thermal conductivity of absorber plate (copper) 390 W/m°C
Tube spacing (W) 150 mm
Tube outside diameter (D) 15 mm
Tube inside diameter (Di) 10 mm
Thermal conductivity of tube (SS) 14 W/m°C
Overall loss coefficient (UL) 10 W/m2°C
Heat transfer coefficient inside the tube surface (hfi) 325 W/m2°C

Brazing resistance between the tube and absorber plate may be assumed to be negligible.

Ans: 0.818
Q1: Determine the absorber plate surface temperature along the center line between the tubes at a
distance 0.5 m and 1.0 m respectively from the flow inlet end of a flat plate collector. The specifications
of collector are as follows:
Length of absorber plate along flow direction (L) 2m
Thickness of absorber plate (δ) 0.5 mm
Thermal conductivity of absorber plate (copper) 385 W/m°C
Tube spacing (W) 150 mm
Tube outside diameter (D) 15 mm
Overall loss coefficient (UL) 8.0 W/m2°C
Solar radiation absorbed by the absorber plate (S) 700 W/m2
Ambient temperature (Ta) 20°C
Absorber plate temperature above the fluid tubes at a distance 0.5 m and 30°C and 35°C respectively
1.0 m from the flow inlet end (Tb)

solution

y
Temperature distribution on the plate between the tubes is
given by: x Tb
c
T
𝑇 − 𝑇𝑎 − 𝑆/𝑈𝐿 cosh⁡(𝑚𝑥) Y
e
= ⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡Eq. (1) a b d
𝑇𝑏 − 𝑇𝑎 − 𝑆/𝑈𝐿 cosh[𝑚(𝑊 − 𝐷)/2] y

In above Eq. (1), m is calculated as: X

W
x=0
T T
𝑈𝐿 8 c
𝑚=√ =√ = 6.45 T
𝑘𝛿 385 × 0.5 × 10−3

Absorber plate surface temperature along the center line Tb

(W−D)/2 D
between the tubes at any distance from the flow inlet X a b d e
−X X
end can be obtained by putting x = 0 in Eq. (1) x=0

𝑇 − 20 − 700/8 cosh⁡(6.45 × 0)
= ⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡Eq. (2)
𝑇𝑏 − 20 − 700/8 cosh[6.45 × (0.15 − 0.015)/2]

It is given that at y = 0.5 m, Tb = 30°C

Thus from Eq (2),
𝑇 − 20 − 700/8 cosh⁡(6.45 × 0)
=
30 − 20 − 700/8 cosh[6.45 × (0.15 − 0.015)/2]

∴ T = 36.8 °C⁡⁡⁡⁡at⁡y = 0.5⁡m⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡(𝐀𝐧𝐬)

Similarly, temperature at y = 1.0 m can be calculated by putting Tb = 35°C in Eq. (2)

𝑇 − 20 − 700/8 cosh⁡(6.45 × 0)
=
35 − 20 − 700/8 cosh[6.45 × (0.15 − 0.015)/2]

∴ ⁡⁡T = 41.36 °C⁡⁡⁡⁡at⁡y = 1.0⁡m⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡(𝐀𝐧𝐬)

Q2. Determine the collector efficiency factor for a flat plate collector having the following
specifications:
Thickness of absorber plate (δ) 0.5 mm
Thermal conductivity of absorber plate (copper) 390 W/m°C
Tube spacing (W) 150 mm
Tube outside diameter (D) 15 mm
Tube inside diameter (Di) 10 mm
Thermal conductivity of tube (SS) 14 W/m°C
Overall loss coefficient (UL) 10 W/m2°C
Heat transfer coefficient inside the tube surface (hfi) 325 W/m2°C

Brazing resistance between the tube and absorber plate may be assumed to be negligible.

solution

Collector efficiency factor is calculated as:

1/𝑈𝐿
𝐹1 = ⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡Eq. (1)
1 𝑙𝑛(𝐷/𝐷𝑖 ) 1
𝑊[ + 𝑅𝑏 + +
𝑈𝐿 [𝐷 + (𝑊 − 𝐷)𝐹] 2𝜋𝑘 ℎ𝑓𝑖 𝜋𝐷𝑖 ]

In above Eq. (1), F is fin efficiency factor which is calculated as:

tanh⁡[𝑚(𝑊 − 𝐷)/2] 𝑈𝐿 8
𝐹= ,⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡where⁡𝑚 = √ = √ = 6.45
[𝑚(𝑊 − 𝐷)/2] 𝑘𝛿 385 × 0.5 × 10−3

tanh⁡[6.45(0.15 − 0.015)/2]
∴ 𝐹= = 0.941
[6.45(0.15 − 0.015)/2]

Using Eq. (1) to calculate collector efficiency factor:

1/8
𝐹1 =
0.015
1 𝑙𝑛 ( 0.01 ) 1
0.15 [ +0+ +
8[0.015 + (0.15 − 0.015)0.941] 2 × 𝜋 × 16 300 × 𝜋 × 0.01]

𝐹1 = 0.842⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡⁡(𝐀𝐧𝐬)