World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 79 2011

Experimental Investigations on Top Loss Coefficients of Solar Flat Plate Collector at Different Tilt Angle
M. K. Bhatt, S. N. Gaderia, and S. A. Channiwala
AbstractThe flat plate collector is one of the most widely used device for harnessing the solar energy. The measurement of the flat plate collector performance is the collector efficiency. The collector efficiency is the ratio of the useful energy gain to the incident solar energy over a particular period of time. The useful energy gain in turn depends on the energy loss from the top surface of the collector both due to convective & radiative heat transfer processes. The losses from the bottom and from the edges of the collector do exist but their contribution is not as significant as the losses from the top. Hence investigations are carried out to study the losses by changing the collector tilt to determine the top loss coefficient. KeywordsCollector, Tilt angle, Losses, Top loss coefficient Ut UL Th Tp hw hC1-2 Kc hp-c hc-a Fp-c g Qu S Top heat loss co-efficient, W/m2K Over all heat loss co-efficient of collector, W/m2K Temperature of heater plate, K Temperature of absorber plate, K wind induced convective heat transfer co-efficient, W/m2K Convective heat transfer co-efficient between 1st and 2nd cover, W/m2K Thermal conductivity of cover, W/m2K Convective heat transfer co-efficient between absorber plate & cover, W/m2K Convective heat transfer co-efficient between cover & atmosphere, W/m2K Radiation shape factor between plate & cover Emmisivity of glass cover Useful energy gain, W Flux absorbed by collector, W/m2
III. FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR

HE technology of harnessing the solar energy has reached to the state of commercialization on mass scale. The greatest advantage of using solar energy is that it is an inexhaustible and pollution free source of energy. The Lord Sun gives approximately 1.8 x 1011 MW power, which is many thousand times higher than the present consumption rate on earth. This makes it one of the most promising of the unconventional sources of energy.
II. NOMENCLATURE

I. INTRODUCTION

Ap Qs Qb Qt Ein N p c Tb Tc1 Tc2 Tc

Area of absorber plate, m2 Losses of heat from sides, W Losses of heat from bottom, W Losses of heat from top, W Energy input, W Collector tilt angle, degrees No. of covers Stefan Boltzmann constant 5.67 x 10-8 W/m2K-4 Emissivity of plate Emissivity of cover Temperature of bottom cover of collector, K Mean temperature of 1st cover, K Mean temperature of 2nd cover Thickness of cover, m

The flat plate collector shown in Fig. 1 is one of the most widely used device for harnessing solar energy. In any solar collection device, the principle usually followed is to expose a dark surface to solar radiation so that the radiation is absorbed. A part of the absorbed radiation is then transferred to a fluid like air or water. When no optical concentration is done; the device in which the collection is achieved is called the flat plate collector. The flat plate collector is the most important type of solar collector because it is simple in design, has no moving parts and requires little maintenance. It can be used for a variety of applications in which temperature ranging from 40 C to 100 C is required.

M. K. Bhatt is with the S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, Gujarat State, India (Phone: 91-9898082293, Fax: 91-261-2227334, email: mkb@med.svnit.ac.in ) S. N. Gaderia is with the S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, Gujarat State, India (email: sng@med.svnit.ac.in ) S. A. Channiwala is with the S. V. National Institute of Technology, Surat, Gujarat State, India (email: sac@med.svnit.ac.in)

Fig. 1 Solar flat plate collector

IV. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF FLAT PLATE COLLECTOR

An energy balance on the absorber plate yields the

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World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 79 2011

following equation for steady state: (1) qu = Ap S - q1 where, qu = useful heat gain, i.e., the rate of heat transfer to the working fluid; S = incident solar flux absorbed in the absorber plate; Ap = area of the absorber plate and q1= rate of heat loss. In order to determine the flux, S absorbed by the absorber a term called the transmitivity absorptivity product () which is defined as the ratio of the flux absorbed in the absorber plate to the flux incident on the cover system, is evaluated and is given by S. S= Ib Rb ()b + Id Rd ()d+ (Ib + Id) Rr . ()d (2)

2) Temperature across the thickness of the cover is negligible and that the interaction between the incoming solar radiation absorbed by the covers and the outgoing loss may be neglected A schematic diagram of two-cover system is shown in the Fig. 2.

Where = transmitivity of glass cover system. = absorptivity of absorber plate. ()b = transmitivity absorptivity product for the beam radiation falling on the collector. ()d = transmitivity absorptivity product for the diffuse radiation falling on the collector. Now, rate of the heat loss is given by, ql = Ul Ap (Tpm Ta) Where, Ul = overall loss coefficient Ap= area of absorber plate. Tpm= average temperature of the absorber plate, and Ta = temperature of surrounding air. The heat loss from the collector is the sum of the heat loss from the top, the bottom and the sides. Ql = qt + qb + qs Where, Qt = Ut Ap (Tpm Ta) Qb = Ub Ap (Tpm Ta) Qs = Us Ap (Tpm Ta) Ul = Ut + Ub + Us (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (3)

Fig. 2 schematic diagram of two-cover system

In steady state the heat is transferred by convection and radiation between the following: 1) The absorber plate and the first cover. 2) The first cover and the second cover and 3) The second cover and the surrounding must be equal.

q1 / Ap = hpc1 (Tpm Tc1 ) +

= hpc2 (Tc1 Tc2

(1/ +1/ 1) (T T ) )+ (1/ +1/ 1)

p c
4 c1 4 c2 c p

4 (Tpm Tc4 ) 1

(9)

(10) (11)

4 = hw (Tc2 Ta ) + 2 (Tc4 Tsky ) 2

Here, Ut , Ub and Us are the top, the bottom and the side loss co-efficients respectively.
V. TOP LOSS COEFFICIENT

The top loss co-efficient Ut is evaluated by considering the convection and the radiation loss from the absorber plate in the upward direction. For the purpose of calculation, it is assumed that 1) The transparent covers and the absorber plate constitute a system of infinite parallel surface and flow of the heat is one dimensional and steady.

Eqs. 9 to 11 constitute a set of three nonlinear equations, which can be solved iteratively by assuming Tc1 and Tc2 for which qt/Ap is same by all these equations. There exists few correlations for calculating hp-c, hw, and Ut which have been derived based on different experiments and techniques which may not be representative of real life collector. The present work is an attempt to present the comparative assessment of these correlations, based on systematic experiments, on an experimental research collector which is a representative of real life collector and to study the effect of collector tilt angle on top losses and top loss co-efficient.
VI. EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP & METHODOLOGY

An experimental research collector as shown in Fig. 3 is the representative of real life collector developed during the course of this work. It essentially consists of a cover plate of 5 mm thick glass, powder coated black absorber of copper [p

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World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 79 2011

= 0.9] having size as 1210 mm x 710 mm x 1 mm, two reflective electric heaters of 0.5 kW capacity, kept below the absorber to produce uniform heat flux, and wooden housing filled with cerwool insulation (K=0.03 W/m-k) at the back and glass wool (K = 0.04, W/m-k) at the sides.

Qin Ap(Tp Ta) Qt Ut = Ap(Tp Ta) Ut =

(13)

(14)

Fpc (Tp4 Tc4) Qt hpc = Ap(Tp Tc) Ap(Tp Tc)

Qt c (Tc4 Ta4) hw = hca = Ap(Tc Ta) Ap(Tc Ta)
VIII. INVESTIGATION STAGES

(15)

(16)

Fig. 3 photograph of research collector

The experiments are conducted in a laboratory with black curtains on the windows so as to avoid any infiltration of external radiation. The electricity is supplied to the two heaters by two variacs at a predecided controlled rates varying from 200 to 700 W through double stabilized power sources and the collector is allowed to reach to its steady state which takes nearly 4 to 5 hours for each heat input. The steady state temperature levels are measured by 48 calibrated chromel alumel thermocouples of 26 gauge mounted on the bottom of the glass cover, absorber plate, heater plate, bottom, sides, edges and covers of housing. The wind is created by three adjustable height pedestal fans whose input is also controlled by variacs for creating different speeds. The wind velocity is measured by vane type anemometer over six different points on the collector, Fig. 3 gives the photographic view of experimental set-up.
VII. EXPERIMENTAL DETERMINATION OF VARIOUS PARAMETERS

Effect of Plate Temperature: In this stage, the effect of plate temperature on the wind loss and the top loss coefficient of solar flat plate collector is investigated with different heat inputs, keeping collector in horizontal position under zero wind velocity. For each set of experiments the steady state conditions were obtained and all the temperature and power inputs were recorded, based on which hp-c, hw, Ut and U1 are evaluated. Effect of Collector Tilt Angle: In second stage the effect of tilt angle () is studied keeping the collector at various angles varying from 0 to 90, with respect to horizontal under zero wind velocity. Effect of Wind Velocity: In this stage, the effect of wind velocity at zero degree of yaw angle has been studied with different wind velocities varying from 0 to 5 m/s. For this, three pedestal fans were used to generate necessary wind. Anemometer was used to measure wind velocity at six different points and the average velocity was used in calculation. Effect of Wind Direction: In final stage of this project work, the effect of yaw angle was studied. The readings were taken at various yaw angles like 0, 45, and 90 with respect to the principle axis of solar collector. Further, for each yaw angle observations have been made at different wind velocities ranging from 0 to 5 m/s.
IX. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Once the steady state is achieved the top loss, the overall loss and the convective heat transfer coefficients are evaluated from the energy balance equation as follows: Qin = Qt + Qb + Qs + Qc + Qe + Qsl (12)

Qin is the total energy supplied to the heaters which is same as the heat losses from collector under steady state. The bottom losses, Qb, side losses, Qs, edge losses, Qe, corner losses, Qc are calculated as per the method suggested by Channiwala. Sealing losses are assumed as 1% and hence top losses are calculated by subtracting all these losses from input energy Qin. Once Qt is obtained U1, Ut, hp-c and hw may be evaluated as follows:

The salient features of the results obtained are discussed below: It is apparent from the graphs 1 to 3 that there is an increase in top loss at different tilt angles, which supports the fact that at higher absorber plate temperature levels both radiative & convective losses will increase, resulting in increase in top losses. Both Ut and Ul are found to be increasing due to increased convective & radiative losses. The graphs 4 to 6 shows that there is an increase in % top loss as tilt angle increases.

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Graph. 1

Graph. 4

Graph. 2

Graph. 5

Graph. 3 Graph. 6
X. CONCLUSION

The tilt angle has very marginal effect of wind induced convective heat transfer at a given constant absorber plate temperature. The top loss co-efficient correlations in general over predict the value of Ut by 5-15%. Samdarshi and Mullick, Agrawal and Larson correlation seems to correlate present experimental work by 10%. For any collector, tilt between zero to ninety the top loss coefficient may be evaluated as,

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World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 79 2011

Ut = Uth [1 0.0006] Where Ut = top loss coefficient at angle of degree Uth = top loss coefficient for horizontal collector With the increase in absorber plate temperature, simultaneously the value of Ut and Ul increases at different tilt angle. Thus the value of Ut and Ul are found increasing due to increased convective and radiative losses. REFERENCES
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