Solar Thermal
Solar Thermal
Solar Thermal
Presented by
Dr Mark Gillott
HISTORY
• The first solar hot water heater was
patented in 1909 by William J. Bailey in
California
• Low cost
• Low temperature
• Rugged
• Lightweight
• Seasonal pool heating
• Poor performance in cold
or windy weather
• Simple construction
• Insulation and glazing prevent heat loss
• high temperature operation
• Selective surface improves performance
• Moderate cost: £180/m2
• Heavy and bulky
Lower efficiency due to the two layers of glass solar energy has to pass through,
however the tubes are generally more durable
Vacuum pipes can be turned south on buildings even with unfavourable roof orientation
I. Type of solar collectors II. Performance III. type of DHWS VI. Other Solar thermal systems
Large Scale Solar Thermal Installation for the Olympic Village in Beijing
Provide Access
SOLAR THERMAL INSTALLATION
Fix to Roof
SOLAR THERMAL INSTALLATION
Install Tubes
I. Type of solar collectors II. Performance III. type of DHWS VI. Other Solar thermal systems
Design
Preferably you will need 2-4m2 of southeast to southwest facing roof receiving direct sunlight for
the main part of the day. You'll also need space to locate an additional water cylinder if required.
Performance
Provides 50-65% of annual domestic hot water in UK – Saving 1700kWh per annum
Performance comparison
Efficiency (%)
Orientation
• Shade
• orientation of the surface
• angle of tilt of the surface.
DSWH
Passive Active
Batch heaters
Batch Heaters are the simplest solar hot water systems. Their simple design consists of
a tank of water within a glass-covered insulated enclosure carefully aimed at the sun.
Thermosyphon systems
Active systems
Active systems use electric pumps, valves, and controllers to circulate water or
other heat-transfer fluids through the collectors
.
Direct systems:
(also known as open loop)
Active systems
Active systems use electric pumps, valves, and controllers to circulate water or
other heat-transfer fluids through the collectors
.
Direct systems ( Drawback system) – NO ANTIFREEZE (Glycol)
Active systems
Active systems use electric pumps, valves, and controllers to circulate water or
other heat-transfer fluids through the collectors
Indirect systems
• The energy density of flat plate and evacuated tube systems limits the
temperature rise to ~ 150 °C
• Design considerations:
• Concentration ratio
• Acceptance angle
• Pattern/area of resulting beam: point, line, etc..
• small/narrow acceptance angle means that tracking
the sun is needed
Parabolic concentrator
• Parabolic troughs
• Central-receiver systems
Application include
• Process steam
School of the Built Environment
I. Type of solar collectors II. Performance III. type of DSWH VI. Other Solar thermal systems
Example of a SEGS
• 30 MWp plants
• Higher temperature operation
• Tracking in one dimension
•Evacuated tube collector with black
chrome and ceramic/metallic selective
surface
• suitable
for direct steam generation,
combined cycle generation, thermal
storage.
Example of a SEGS
• 10 MW power output
•Generated superheated steam at 510°C
•thermal storage
•Sophisticated controls over a large
number of heliostats
The PS-10 solar tower plant sits at Sanlucar la Mayor outside Seville, Spain.
It's Europe's first commercial solar thermal power plant
11-megawatt electric power plant and it's providing electricity for a population
of about 6,000 houses
By 2013 - 300 megawatts, electricity for about 180,000 houses. That is about
the same as the population of a city like Seville.
The prototype that successfully generated 50kW of 32 x 6.25MW Turbines – 200MW - 200,000 Homes
electricity for 15,000 hours over 7 years had a collector 1km high structure covering 20 square kilometres,
roof 240m in diameter and a tower 197m high. The world’s tallest and largest engineered structure.
I. Type of solar collectors II. Performance III. type of DSWH VI. Other Solar thermal systems
Conventional
Shading Advanced
Devices Windows
Thermal Mass
TROMBE
Transpired-air collectors
• need large usable surface area
• need air ducts and distribution air systems
• reduction of fuel costs by 50 to 70%
• low maintenance cost
• simple in operation with minimum efforts
• low investment costs - simple structure with the
design of the solar panels as part of the building
envelope
• short response time
Non transpired air collectors
School of the Built Environment
I. Type of solar collectors II. Performance III. type of DSWH VI. Other Solar thermal systems
Residential/commercial application
Practical consideration
Up to 60% hot
water provided
www.notingham.ac.uk/sbe iSET
Institute of Sustainable Energy Technology
I. Type of solar collectors II. Performance III. type of DSWH VI. Other Solar thermal systems
Solar Ponds
Heat Absorbing Bottom
Temperature inversion due to density of salt water (the dense heated salt water cannot rise)
Space Heating
The surface-to-volume ratio of a central storage tank is much better than that for distributed
storage systems, so the storage losses are much lower, and even permit seasonal heat storage.
Solar district heating is also an option if room heating is to be covered by solar energy. There
are higher piping losses with a central tank, but some solar district heating demonstration
systems have already been successfully tested.
Solar District Heating System: constructed 2002 on the roof of the Skating Hall
1407 sq.m of collectors supply 560 – 600 MWh (800KWp system) into the district
heating system via a heat exchanger. 250,000 kg of CO2 are saved annually
Flat plate collectors are also used with micro-heat pipe technology
Beacon Energy
- Loughborough
- UK
Unique system
with no moving
parts
Evacuated Solar
Heat Pipe
Collector Array
Natural refrigerant
water
Solar Thermal Air-conditioning
ADJUSTABLE LOUVRES
HEAT-PIPES
SOLAR GRILL
SOLAR THERMAL SYSTEM DESIGN
Definition
• A solar collector :
Any object exposed to the sun and has the ability to
absorb and/or concentrate solar radiation could be
considered as a solar collector
collector.
Definition
• A solar collector :
Any object exposed to the sun and has the ability to
absorb and/or concentrate solar radiation could be
considered as a solar collector
collector.
Absorbed radiation
Air channels
Limitation
• T ~ 30-40 C
o
o (low temperature) - swimming pools)
Heat transfer
fluid inlet
Ti
• Supporting frame
• Thermal insulation on the back and sides
• Absorber
• Transparent cover (glazing) Transparent cover
(e.g., glass pane)
absorber
Thermal insulation
Radiation intensity
Solar radiation
GLASS
85%
Transmittance
INSIDE
Radiation intensity
0.3 m
1.2 emitted IR radiation
0.6
2.5
5
Wavelength
20
Heat loss
Radiation, convection)
Reflection on
The absorber
Reflection on
Solar radiation The cover
(short wave)
• Supporting frame
• Thermal insulation on the back and sides
• Absorber
• Transparent cover (glazing)
absorber
Transparent cover
Assuming that on average a person would require 50 litres of hot water daily at a temperature
of 60oC. A solar thermal collector with average efficiency of 60%, and operating conditions as
given in Table 1 was chosen to supply the hot water.
Calculate the solar collector area required to supply all hot water requirements for a
family of four people living in Nottingham.
Qu=37800 kJ/day = 37.8 MJ/day = 10.5 kWh/day (÷ 3.6, because 1W=1J/s, 3600secs = 1hr)
Collector efficiency
= Qu/(Ac * I)
With I, total solar energy received in one day in Nottingham is:
I=2100 kWh/(m2 year)/365 = 5.7534 kWh/ (m2/day)
Hence,
Ac=Qu/(I)=10.5/(0.6*5.7534)= 3.04 m2