Chapter (3) Introduction to Solar Thermal
Applications
Contents:
❑ Types of Solar Collectors
❑ Collector designs
❑ Installation of solar collectors
❑ Components of solar collectors
❑ Applications of solar collectors
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4 Energy Systems Lecture
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Solar Thermal Energy
Working fluid
Solar Radiation Solar Thermal Energy
Solar collector
Solar collector
convertsolar tat >
- solar
mal energy
t
↓
need solar
we
collector to convert/ used for heating generating
,
the
th depending motion
on electricity
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CPC
Types of Solar Collectors
-
FPC
ETC
= /
⑤
1- Collector design and working fluid temperature
es
ifela
e &
-D maini ·
- increasinag t
Tamil
low temp range
-
LFR
-S
↓
>
-
fixed
z
solar
-
creduce the
losses
doesa C
collector)
>
- different =>
-To
output
according to absorber temprange
concent medium
type ,
reatio
>
PTC
On sorber
PDR
S reduce Area of Absorber
reduction in losses
#
HFC
choose which result in
-
depend on Collector type ,
we can one
high output
results in
Suitable for our applications
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·
⑮ >
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space ⑳
Solar Thermal Energy Systems
water
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(5) Fall 2024-2025
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Solar thermal energy applications
• Low temperature installations T< 100 ºC heating purpose
>
-
➢ Swimming pool heating (T ~25°C)
➢ Domestic hot water, DHW, (dwellings, gyms, schools, hotels...) T = 45-602
45-60°C
➢ Space heating (radiant floor T = 30-35°C, radiators T =70°C)
for industrial heating
more applicable purpose
• Medium temperature installations T< 400 ºC (T > 90°C till T = 250°C)
-
➢ Industrial processes, desalination, sterilization, etc.
➢ Adsorption/Absorption cooling systems
• High temperature installations T > 400 º C
➢ (CSP),desalination,..... thermoelectric generation
of colectors Applications -
due to temp output
Type
->
Radiant floor heating
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Types of Solar Collectors A. Passive systems in term of fluid circulation
-
the not water
2- Classification by type of circulation B. Active systems when water is heated by the Sun , will
go up
due to different in sensity
Are natural circulation systems, due to buoyancy forces allowing water or
A. Passive systems: heat-transfer fluid to move through the system without pumps.
Advantages Disadvantages
No electric components Require careful planning to
(dont have
very easy to maintainecost optimize performance
a pump) ,
low a Certain design required , heating tank
used should be apove the heating collector
can be
More reliable for long
there is a poor control of over-
due natural circulation
to pumping (no
time heating. heat Can't controlled be
Easier to maintain For a better circulation, the
hot water storage tank must
be located above the collector
Tha
level to the collector certain
put in a
place
Possibly longer-lasting
limited applications
than active systems.
-
- less controlled
-
less cost
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Types of Solar Collectors A. Passive systems
2- Classification by type of circulation B. Active systems
Installations with forced circulation, pumps are required for circulation of
B. Active systems:
-
the Heat transfer fluid HTF through the collectors.
> including
- the pump in the collector (forced circulation (
Advantages Disadvantages
Integral Pumps or fan
protection are requires
against tono
&
-
between
electricity and
the working
freezing, fluid
and water
must be
overheat used
controlled.
control
I can control the
overheating by controlling
Heat is pump the
Are more
delivered complex
from the systems and in
collector at general more
What is the difference
optimal rate. expensive.
- I don't have any limitations of
the location of collector between fan and pump ??
I can put it any where
-using pump will
require an
electricity make
complex because of the control system and
pumpl electricity more controlled high cost
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collector
Other Classifications of solar
3- Depending on the level of concentration / efficiency: 4- Relative position respect to the sun
➢low-to-medium temperature, non-concentrating, 30-50% ➢Fixed surfaces
➢One-axis tracking
-
➢medium and high temperature, concentrating, 50-75%
➢Two-axis tracking
5- Depending on the loop type
6- Depending on the number of covers
-
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Collector designs
transparent
insulation
materials
(TIM)
Components of solar collectors
Installation of solar collectors
• Installation direction
• For northern hemisphere → Facing south
• For southern hemisphere → Facing north
• Tilted angle roughly equal to Local Latitude
Applications of Low-to-medium temperature systems small family
DHW resibitional heating water
, ,
no need for pump
Natural circulation systems. Thermosyphons sys need to use
pump
passive no
,
- ,
- d
used in small
family ,
small area
Area make
saving for electricity consume
❑Usually 2-3 m2
flat plate collector area and a 150 litre store are
-
used for a family of four. The coverage of the house DHW load
is about 50 %. Saving for electrical heater at 50 %
Estorage tank
❑There is no need for circulations pumps, self-regulating system
❑They are compact, low maintenance, easy assembly
&
❑Low mass flow rate system, depending on the solar radiation
>
-
output : How much water I want
area of solar collector rested
-
s
>
-
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Solar thermal DHW systems for single an multi-family homes
Active pump
using pump/
➢ They are suitable for both new-build and retrofit.
➢ The collector is installed on the roof and the hot
water store is usually situated in the basement.
➢ The solar heated transfer fluid circulates through the
hydraulic solar circuit with the help of a pump.
store. more area
2
➢ About 4-6 m2 at plate collector area and a 300 litre
th
medic
reating
D
water
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Large solar thermal systems for large DHW consumers design depend on
Id
num of waliable
ared
is needed
per Im >
- give so/ts letters
❖ In multi-family buildings, hotels, hospitals, residential
homes, Swimming pool, Industrial process heating, etc.
with a high DHW demand
❖ These systems are usually forced circulation systems with
the collector area on the roof and a central hot water store
in the basement.
-
❖ A typical size is 0.5 to 1 m2 collector area per occupant
-
and 50 litre hot water volume per m2 collector area.
❖ The larger the system the higher the hot water demand
satisfied by the solar system
O how
many occupant we have
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Installations with forced circulation. Heating + DHW (combisystems)
Solar heating systems for combined
domestic hot water preparation and space
heating
➢ These are mainly used in central
Europe, especially in Germany,
Austria, Switzerland and France
➢ 15 to 30 m2 at plate collector and a 1-
3 m3 hot water store
➢ Combisystem can contribute as much
as 20-30% of the combined DHW
and space heating requirement
Solar combisystems generally consist five elements: a solar collector loop; a storage subsystem; a control
subsystem; an auxiliary subsystem; and a heat distribution subsystem
17
The solar collector area supplying a combisystems will be typically 3times the area supplying a DHW systems alone
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Solar power Tower
High temperature applications
• The most common application is for electricity production Large collector fields,
concentrate beam radiation to obtain a high temperature fluid in order to produce
electricity
• Different technologies are currently being used e.g. PTC, solar tower, linear
Fresnel, parabolic dishes
Parabolic Dish.
The systems that concentrate the solar rays use mirrors or lenses to focus the light into a specific zone to produce high temperatures,
this allow the system to be very efficient energy conversion, such as Parabolic Trough, solar tower, parabolic dish.
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