Faculty of Engineering

Cairo University

Solar Energy (Postgrad Level)

Data Sheet

n-Day Calculation

Declination Angle:
360
𝛿 = 23.45𝑠𝑖𝑛 ( (𝑛 + 284))
365

Equation of Time:
𝐸 = 229.2(0.000075 + 0.001868 cos 𝐵 − 0.032077 sin 𝐵 − 0.014615 cos 2𝐵 − 0.04089 sin 2𝐵)
360
B = (N − 1) ∗
365
Hour Angle:
𝜔 = 15 ∗ (𝑇𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 − 12)

Solar Altitude Angle:

Sin (αs ) = cos(L) × cos(δ) × cos(ω) + sin(L) × sin (δ)

Solar Azimuth Angle:

sin (αs ) × sin (L) − sin (δ)
cos (γs ) = γs = sign(ω) |cos−1 (γs )|
cos (αs ) × cos (L)
Incidence Angle:
cos 𝜃 = sin 𝛼𝑠 cos 𝛽 + cos 𝛼𝑠 sin 𝛽 cos(|𝛾 − 𝛾𝑠 |)
Sunrise and Sunset:
ωsr/ss
ωsr/ss = ± cos−1 [− tan(L) tan(δ)] Tsr/ss = 12: 00 −
15

Solar Irradiance Models:

𝐺𝑆𝐶 = 1367 𝑊
1
𝐴𝑀 =
sin 𝛼𝑠
𝑇𝐿
(− )
𝐺𝑏𝑛 = 𝐺𝑆𝐶 𝑒 0.9+9.4 sin 𝛼𝑠

Solar radiation on tilt surface:

Itθ = Ibθ + Idθ + Ir Ibθ = Gbn cos θ
1+cos β
Idθ = Gd × Fss Fss =
2

1−cos β
Ir = ItH ρg Fsg Fsg =
2

Shading of tilted surface or vertical wall

X = L sin (β) cot (αs ) cos(|γs − γ|)

Shading of Roof hangs (vertical and horizontal)

tan αs
tan Ω =
cos |γ − γs |

SW = PV | tan|γ − γs || SH = PH tan Ω

𝑞𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 = 𝑞𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑚 𝐴𝑢𝑛𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 + 𝑞𝑑𝑖𝑓𝑓𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝐴𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙

Flat plate collector:
Incident solar radiation:
Q=IxA
Absorbed solar radiation:
𝑄𝑖𝑛 = 𝐼 (𝜏𝛼)𝑒𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝐴
𝑞𝑖𝑛 = 𝐼 𝜂𝑜𝑝𝑡
τα
(τα)effective =
1 − ρ(1 − α)
𝐼𝑡𝜃 (𝜏𝛼)𝜃 = 𝐼𝐷𝑁 cos 𝜃 (𝜏𝛼)𝑏 + 𝐼𝑑𝜃 (𝜏𝛼)𝑑 + 𝐼𝑟 (𝜏𝛼)𝑔
(𝜏𝛼)𝑏 = 0.82, (𝜏𝛼)𝑑 = 0.75, (𝜏𝛼)𝑔 = 0.71
Thermal losses:
𝑄𝐿 = 𝑈𝐿 𝐴 (𝑡𝑝 − 𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
Useful energy:
𝑄𝑢 = 𝑄𝑖𝑛 − 𝑄𝐿 = 𝐴 𝐼𝑡𝜃 (𝜏𝛼 )𝜃 − 𝑈𝐿 𝐴 (𝑡𝑝 − 𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
𝑄𝑢 = 𝑚̇ 𝑐𝑝 (𝑡𝑓𝑜 − 𝑡𝑓𝑖 )
Overall heat loss coefficient:
𝑈𝐿 = 𝑈𝑡 + 𝑈𝑏 + 𝑈𝑒
1 1
𝑈𝑏 = 𝑡𝑏 1 𝑈𝑒 = 𝑡𝑒 1
+ +
𝑘𝑏 ℎ𝑐,𝑏−𝑎 𝑘𝑒 ℎ𝑐,𝑒−𝑎

−1
1 1
𝑈𝑡 = ( + )
ℎ𝑐,𝑝−𝑐 +ℎ𝑟,𝑝−𝑐 ℎ𝑤 +ℎ𝑟,𝑐−𝑎
𝜎 (𝑇𝑝2 + 𝑇𝑐2 )(𝑇𝑝 +𝑇𝑐 ) 2
ℎ𝑟,𝑝−𝑐 = 1 1 ℎ𝑟,𝑐−𝑎 = 𝜀𝑐 𝜎 (𝑇𝑐2 + 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )(𝑇𝑐 + 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
+ −1
𝜀𝑝 𝜀𝑐

To get 𝒉𝒄,𝒑−𝒄 :
𝑔 𝛽 ′ Δ𝑇 𝐿3 ℎ𝐿
𝑅𝑎 = Nu=
𝜈𝛼 𝑘

To get 𝒉𝒘 (used for wind velocity less than 5 m/s):

4𝐴
𝑁𝑢 = 0.86 𝑅𝑒 1/2 𝑃𝑟1/3 𝐿∗ =
𝑃
 𝑈𝐿 tanh(𝑚𝑤)
𝑚2 = Fin efficiency: 𝐹 =
𝑘 ×𝑡 𝑚𝑤
𝑞𝑢′ = (𝐷 + 2𝑤𝐹 ) [𝐼𝑡𝜃 (𝜏𝛼 )𝜃 − 𝑈𝐿 (𝑡𝑏 − 𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑏 )]
𝑇𝑏 − 𝑇𝑓,𝑚
𝑞𝑢′ =
1 1
+
𝜋 𝐷𝑖 ℎ𝑓,𝑖 𝐶𝑏
𝑞𝑢′ = 𝑛(𝐷 + 2𝑤) 𝐹 ′ [𝐼𝑡𝜃 (𝜏𝛼 )𝜃 − 𝑈𝐿 (𝑡𝑓,𝑚 − 𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑏 )]
1/𝑈𝐿 1/𝑈𝐿
Collector efficiency factor: 𝐹 ′ = =
1 1 1/𝑈𝑜
(2𝑤+𝐷𝑜 )( + )
𝑈𝐿 (𝐷𝑜 +2𝑤𝐹) 𝜋 𝐷𝑖 ℎ𝑓,𝑖

To get 𝒉𝒇,𝒊 :
𝑓
( )(𝑅𝑒−1000) 𝑃𝑟 𝜇 𝑛
8
𝑁𝑢 = 2 (𝜇 ) 𝑓 = (0.79 ln(𝑅𝑒) − 1.64)−2
1.07+12.7 √𝑓/8 (𝑃𝑟 3 −1) 𝑤

where n=0.11 for heating and 0.25 for cooling

Heat removal factor:
𝑚̇ 𝐶𝑝 (𝑇𝑓,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑓,𝑖 )
𝐹𝑅 =
𝐴𝑐 [ 𝐼𝑡𝜃 (𝜏𝛼)𝜃 − 𝑈𝐿 (𝑡𝑓.𝑖 −𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑏 )]
𝑚̇ 𝐶𝑝 𝐴𝑐 𝑈𝐿 𝐹 ′
𝐹𝑅 = [1 − exp (− ̇ )]
𝐴𝑐 𝑈𝐿 𝑚 𝐶𝑝
𝑄𝑢 = 𝐹𝑅 𝐴𝑐 [𝐼𝑡𝜃 (𝜏𝛼 )𝜃 − 𝑈𝐿 (𝑡𝑓,𝑖 − 𝑡𝑎𝑚𝑏 )]
Collector flow factor:
′′ 𝐹𝑅 𝑚̇ 𝐶𝑝 𝐴𝑐 𝑈𝐿 𝐹′
𝐹 = = [1 − exp (− ̇ )]
𝐹′ 𝐹′ 𝐴𝑐 𝑈𝐿 𝑚 𝐶𝑝

Concentrating Solar Collectors

𝐴𝑎 1
𝐶= =
𝐴𝑟 sin 𝜃𝑠
For uncovered absorbing tube:
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 4
= ℎ𝑤 (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 ) + 𝜀 𝜎 (𝑇𝑟4 − 𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 ) + 𝑈𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
𝐴𝑟
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠
= (ℎ𝑤 + ℎ𝑟 + 𝑈𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑑 ) (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
𝐴𝑟
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠
= 𝑈𝐿 (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
𝐴𝑟
4
𝜀 𝜎 (𝑇𝑟4 − 𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 )
ℎ𝑟 =
𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑎
For covered absorbing tube:
4
2𝜋𝑘𝑒𝑓𝑓 𝐿 𝜋 𝐷𝑟 𝐿 𝜎 (𝑇𝑟4 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 )
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑖 ) +
𝐷 1 1 − 𝜀𝑐 𝐷𝑟
ln ( 𝑐,𝑖 ) 𝜀𝑟
+
𝜀𝑐
( )
𝐷𝑐,𝑖
𝐷𝑟
2𝜋𝑘𝑐 𝐿
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = (𝑇𝑐,𝑖 − 𝑇𝑐,𝑜 )
𝐷𝑐,𝑜
ln ( )
𝐷𝑐,𝑖
4 4
𝑄𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑠 = 𝜋 𝐷𝑐,𝑜 𝐿 ℎ𝑤 (𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 ) + 𝜀𝑐 𝜋 𝐷𝑐,𝑜 𝐿 𝜎 (𝑇𝑐,𝑜 − 𝑇𝑠𝑘𝑦 )
𝐷𝑜 −1
1 𝐷𝑜 𝐷𝑜 ln ( )
𝐷𝑖
𝑈𝑜 = ( + + )
𝑈𝐿 ℎ𝑓,𝑖 𝐷𝑖 2𝑘

𝐴𝑎 𝑆 𝐴𝑟 𝑈𝐿
𝑞𝑢′ = − (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )
𝐿 𝐿

𝐴
( 𝑟 ) (𝑇𝑟 − 𝑇𝑓,𝑚 )
𝑞𝑢′ = 𝐿
𝐷𝑜 𝐷 𝐷
+ ( 𝑜 ln ( 𝑜 ))
ℎ𝑓,𝑖 𝐷𝑖 2𝑘 𝐷𝑖

𝐴𝑎 𝐴𝑟
𝑞𝑢′ = 𝐹 ′ [𝑆− 𝑈 (𝑇 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )]
𝐿 𝐴𝑎 𝐿 𝑓,𝑚
Collector efficiency factor:
1/𝑈𝐿 1/𝑈𝐿
𝐹′ = =
1 𝐷𝑜 𝐷 𝐷 1/𝑈𝑜
+ + ( 𝑜 ln 𝑜 )
𝑈𝐿 ℎ𝑓,𝑖 𝐷𝑖 2𝑘 𝐷𝑖
𝐴𝑟
𝑄𝑢 = 𝐹𝑅 𝐴𝑎 [ 𝑆 − 𝑈 (𝑇 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 )]
𝐴𝑎 𝐿 𝑓,𝑖
Collector flow factor:
′
′′
𝐹𝑅 𝑚̇ 𝐶𝑝 𝐴𝑟 𝑈𝐿 𝐹
𝐹 = ′= [1 − exp (− )]
𝐹 𝐴𝑟 𝑈𝐿 𝐹′ 𝑚̇ 𝐶𝑝
Photovoltaics Solar Systems:

Collecting Efficiency
𝜂𝐶 = 𝜂𝑃𝑉,𝑆𝑇𝐶 (1 − 𝛽𝑇𝑃𝑉 (𝑇𝑃𝑉 − 𝑇𝑃𝑉,𝑆𝑇𝐶 ))
PV cell temperature
𝐼𝑃𝑉
𝑇𝑃𝑉 = 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏 + (𝑁𝑂𝐶𝑇 − 𝑇𝑎𝑚𝑏,𝑁𝑂𝐶𝑇 ) ∙
𝐼𝑃𝑉,𝑁𝑂𝐶𝑇
For Sizing MPPT Controller:
𝐴𝑑𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑉 = 𝑉𝑜𝑐 𝑥 #𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑥 𝑡𝑒𝑚𝑝 𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒

To Calculate Minimum String Size

To Calculate Maximum String Size