SOLAR COLLECTOR

Solar Collector
• Solar thermal energy is the most readily available source of energy.
• The Solar energy is most important kind of non-conventional source of
energy which has been used since ancient times, but in a most primitive
manner.
• The abundant solar energy available is suitable for harnessing for a number
of applications.
• The application of solar thermal energy system ranges from solar cooker of
1 kw to power plant of 200MW.
• These systems are grouped into low temperature (< 1500 C), medium
temperature (150 − 3000 𝐶) applications.
• Solar collectors are used to collect the solar energy and convert the
incident radiations into thermal energy by absorbing them. This heat is
extracted by flowing fluid (air or water or mixture with antifreeze) in the
tube of the collector for further utilization in different applications.

The collectors are classified as;

1. Non concentrating collectors

2. Concentrating (focusing) collectors

Non concentrating Collector
• In these collectors the area of collector to intercept the solar radiation is
equal to the absorber plate and has concentration ratio of 1.

• Flat Plate Collectors (Glaze Type) Flat plate collector is most important part of
any solar thermal energy system. It is simplest in design and both direct and
diffuse radiations are absorbed by collector and converted into useful heat.
These collectors are suitable for heating to temperature below 100oC.

The main advantages of flat plate collectors are:

• It utilizes the both the beam as well as diffuse radiation for heating.
• Requires less maintenance

Disadvantages
• Large heat losses by conduction and radiation because of large area.
• No tracking of sun.
• Low water temperature is achieved.
 Flat Plate Collector
The constructional details of flat plate collector is given below

a. Insulated Box: The rectangular box is made of thin G.I sheet and is insulated
from sides and bottom using glass or mineral wool of thickness 5 to 8 cm to
reduce losses from conduction to back and side wall. The box is tilted at due
south and a tilt angle depends on the latitude of location. The face area of
the collector box is kept between 1 to 2𝑚2 .
b. Transparent Cover: This allows solar energy to pass through and reduces the
convective heat losses from the absorber plate through air space. The
transparent tampered glass cover is placed on top of rectangular box to trap
the solar energy and sealed by rubber gaskets to prevent the leakage of hot
air.
c. Absorber Plate:

• It intercepts and absorbs the solar energy. The absorber plate is made of copper,
aluminum or steel and is in the thickness of 1 to 2 mm.

• It is the most important part of collector along with the tubes products passing the
liquid or air to be heated. The plate absorbs the maximum solar radiation incident
on it through glazing (cover plate) and transfers the heat to the tubes in contact
with minimum heat losses to atmosphere.

• The plate is black painted and provided with selective material coating to increase
its absorption and reduce the emission. The absorber plate has high absorption (80-
95%) and low transmission/reflection.
d. Tubes:
The plate is attached to a series of parallel tubes or one serpentine tube
through which water or other liquid passes.
The tubes are made of copper, aluminum or steel in the diameter 1 to 1.5
cm and are brazed, soldered on top/bottom of the absorber water equally
in all the tubes and collect it back from the other end.
The header pipe is made of same material as tube and of larger diameter.
Now-a-days the tubes are made of plastic but they have low thermal
conductivity and higher coefficient of expansion than metals.
Flat plate collector
• Flat-plate collectors are the most common solar collector for solar water-
heating systems in homes and solar space heating.
• A typical flat-plate collector is an insulated metal box with a glass or plastic
cover (called the glazing) and a dark-colored absorber plate.
• These collectors heat liquid or air at temperatures less than 180°F.Flat-plate
collectors are used for residential water heating and hydronic space-heating
installations
Liquid Flat plate collector
Air flat plate collector
Solar collector with air as the heat transfer fluid
Concentrating Collectors
 Concentrating Collectors
Concentrating collector is a device to collect solar energy with high intensity of solar
radiation on the energy absorbing surface. Such collectors use optical system in the
form of reflectors or refractors.

• Radiation falling on a relatively larger area is focused on to an absorber of

considerably smaller area. It collects solar radiation with a high intensity.
• Due to concentration of solar energy, fluid can be heated up to a temperature of
about 5000 𝐶.
• They collects direct radiation only.
• Concentration ratio (CR) is the ratio of the effective area of the aperture to the
surface area of the absorber.
• The value of CR varies from unity (for flat plate collectors) to a thousand (for
parabolic dish collectors).
Types of concentrating collectors
1. Plane receiver with plane collectors
2. Compound parabolic collector with Plane receiver
3. Cylindrical parabolic collector
4. Collector with a fixed circular concentrator and moving receiver
5. Frensel lens collector
6. Parabolic dish collector
7. Central receiver with heliostat
1. Plane receiver with plane collectors :
It is a simple concentrating collector, having up to four adjustable
reflectors all around, with a single collector.
CR varies from 1 to 4 and operating temperature can go up to 140oC.
2. Compound parabolic collector with Plane receiver

• These collectors are line focusing type.

• Reflectors are curved segments that are
parts of two parabolas.
• These collectors have high concentration
ratio and concentrator is moving to track
the sun.
 3. Cylindrical parabolic collector

• The reflector is in the form of trough

with a parabolic cross section in
which the image is formed on the
focus of the parabola along a line.
• The basic parts are
(i) an absorber tube with a selective
coating located at the focal axis
through which the liquid to be heated
flows
(ii) a parabolic concentrator, and
(iii) a concentric transparent cover
4.Collector with a fixed circular concentrator
and moving receiver
• It consists of an array of long, narrow, flat mirror strips fixed over a
cylindrical surface. The mirror strips create a narrow line image that
follows a circular path as the sun moves across the sky. The CR varies
from 10 to 100
 5. Frensel lens collector

• Frensel lens refraction type focusing

collector is made of an acrylic plastic
sheet, flat on one side, with fine
longitudinal grooves.
• The angles of grooves are designed to
bring radiation to a line focus.
• The CR changes between 10 and 80 with
temperature varying between 150oC and
400oC.
 6. Parabolic dish collector
To achieve high CRs and temperature,
it is required to build a point focusing
collector.

A paraboloid dish collector is of point

focusing type as the receiver is placed
at the focus of the paraboloid reflector.

These collectors have higher efficiency

for converting solar energy to
electricity in the small-power plant.
7. Central receiver with heliostat
• To collect large amounts of heat energy at one point, the central
receiver concept is followed.
• Solar radiation is reflected from a field of heliostats (an array of
mirrors) to a centrally located receiver on a tower.
• Heliostat follow the sun to harness maximum solar heat.
• Water flowing through the receiver absorbs heat to produce steam
which operates a Rankine cycle turbo generator to generate electrical
energy.
Questions
1. With a simple diagram explain solar flat plate collector?
2. Explain the working of Flat Plate Collector used in Solar Water
Heating System using Thermosyphon method with the help of a
neat sketch.
3. How the orientation and Angle of Tilt of the Flat Plate collector is
decided?