Useful formula Absorber plate

Cover
1. Flat Plate Collector Systems

Fig: A typical flat plate collector with 1 covers

➢ Useful Energy Gain by Solar Collector

Qu  Ac  S  U L Tc  Ta   Ac G( )eff  U L Tc  Ta 
where
S  G   eff = the absorbed energy(W/m 2 )
U L  Overall heat loss coefficient
G  solar irradiance (W/m 2 )
Tc  mean absorber temperature ( C )
Ta  ambient temperature( C )
Ac  Collector Area (m 2 )

➢ Top Heat Loss Coefficient with 2 covers

1
UTop 
R1  R2  R3
1
• R3 can be defined as R3 
hcov, pc  hrad , pc

• Considering heat transfer between absorber plate to cover-1, The radiative heat transfer
coefficient, hcov, pc , and convective heat transfer coefficient, hcov, pc , are given as

 Tp  Tc T 2
 Tc2  Nu k
hrad , pc  , and hcov, pc 
p
.
1

1
1 
p c

• The hcov, pc can be found as follows:

  g  gravitational constant
Prandtl number: Pr    volumetric coefficient of expansion
d (of an ideal gas,   1/ T )
g  T 3 g T 3 Pr   Kinematic viscosity
Rayleigh number: Ra   d  thermal diffusivity
 d Tm 2   plate spacing

Nusselt number:
 1708(sin1.8 )1.6   1708   3 Ra cos  
Nu  1  1.44 1   1    1
 Ra cos    Ra cos    5830 
h
Nu 
k

1
• R1 is defined R1  ,
hw  hrad ,ca
 c Tc  Tsky Tc2  Tsky
2
Tc  Tsky 
where hrad ,ca  . The hw , here is wind heat
T c  Ta 
transfer coefficient.

U top Tp  Ta 
• The new temperature for the cover can be express as Tc  Tp 
h cov, p c  hrad , pc 

 W D
tanh  m 
➢ Fin efficiency factor: F   2 
m(W  D )
2

1 UL
➢ Collector efficiency factor: F  
 1 1 1 
W   
U L (W  D ) F  D  cb h fi Di 

➢ Collector Efficiency calculation using hourly data

• Collector heat removal factor is derived as
mC p  
1

FR   1  exp
cR
 ,
AcU L  
mC p
cR 
Ac F  U L
 where
m  flow rate to the collector in kg/s
C p  specific heat capacity of fluid in kJ/(kg.K)
Ac  Area of collector panel in m 2
F   Collector efficiency factor
U L  Overall heat loss coefficient in W/m2.K
FR  Collector heat removal factor

• Hourly useful energy gain per area is calculated as

Shourly  I   eff

 FR  I ( )eff  U L T fi  Ta 

Qu
qu 
Ac
where
I  hourly irradiance in MJ/m2
 eff  Effective transmittance-absorptance coefficient
T fi  hourly fluid inlet temperature in C
Ta  hourly ambient temperature in C

• Efficiency calculation based on hourly solar heat gain is defined as

Qu

I T Ac
 no. of hours
where Qu  

  q    Area of collector field
i 1
u i

➢ Collector Efficiency Formula (experimental model)

T  T 
2
T T
  0  a1 m a  a2 m a
G G
Tin  Tout
Tm 
2