Solar Thermal Design, Analysis and Testing

Solar Angles and Numerical Examples

By Ahmad and Sherif

MEEN 616
FALL 2022
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Outline

Recap Frames of reference Solar Angles Visualization Competition

Numerical Examples
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Recap

 Earth
 Approximated as a sphere.
 Diameter 12800 Km.
 The orbit of revolution is elliptic. [ Sun lies on the Foci of the ellipse].
 The orbit eccentricity is 1.7%.
 The axis of the earth is tilted with an angle of 23.5 degrees.

 Sun
 Diameter of the sun = 110 times Diameter of the earth.
 Distance between the Earth and Sun is equivalent to 11 Suns.
 Sun also rotates, but its rotation does not affect the solar radiation.
 Approximated as a Black Body.
Why !
Figure 1. Solar Radiation Spectrum
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Recap
 Solar Constant:
 The radiation intensity of solar radiation outside the earth’s atmosphere at the mean sun-earth distance
received on a unit surface area normal to the sun. [Measured as Isc = 1367 w/m2 approximately].

(1)

o : Outside the atmosphere

n: Received on a Normal plane

Why !

Figure 2. Extraterrestrial radiation

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Recap
 Solar Constant:
 The radiation intensity of solar radiation outside the earth’s atmosphere at the mean sun-earth distance
received on a unit surface area normal to the sun. [Measured as Isc = 1367 w/m2 approximately].

Figure 3. Seasonal Earth location

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Frames of reference
 We have three main interrelated parts:
1. Earth 2. Sun 3. Observer

Reference frames are needed to generalize the correlations which describes the relation between those parts.
Table 1: Reference Frames
RELATION Reference Point Notes
Observer and Sun Observer location Observer lies on the surface
of the Earth.
Observer and Earth Center of the Earth Observer position with
respect to the center of the
Earth.
Sun and Earth Center of the Earth Sun rays orientation with
respect to the center of the
Earth
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Solar Angles Visulaization

1. Observer and Sun

Symbol Plane Definition

Vertical Plane Altitude Angle: It is vertical angle between the sun’s ray headed to the
observer and its projection on the horizontal plane

( Horizontal Plane Solar Azimuth Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the
sun’s ray headed to the observer and the southern direction. Figure 4. Observer and Sun subtended angles

Vertical Plane Zenith Angle: it is a vertical angle between the normal to the horizon and the
sun’s ray headed to the observer.
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Solar Angles Visulaization

2. Observer and Earth

∅ =?

Symbol Plane Definition

Figure 5. Observer and Earth subtended angles
Vertical Plane Latitude Angle: It is vertical angle between the line connecting the location on
the surface of the earth with the center of the earth and its projection on the
equatorial plane.
Horizontal Plane Longitude Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the line
connecting the location on the surface of the earth with the center of the earth
and the line connecting the center of the earth with the intersection point of
prime meridian and the equator.
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Solar Angles Visulaization

3. Sun and Earth

Which angle is this ?

Symbol Plane Definition

Figure 6. Earth and Sun subtended angles
Vertical Plane Declination Angle: It is vertical angle between the sun’s ray headed to the
center of the earth and its projection on the equatorial plane
Horizontal Plane Hour Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the sun’s ray
headed to the center of the earth and the projection of the line connecting the
observer and the center of the Earth.
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Solar Angles Visulaization

 Up to this point, we implicitly assumed that the observer is a
point but, it is a surface.

Figure 7. Tilt and Surface Azimuth angle

Symbol Plane Definition

Vertical Plane Tilt Angle: It is vertical angle between surface plane and the observer
horizontal plane.
Horizontal Plane Surface Azimuth Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the
normal to the surface on the horizontal plane and the southern direction.
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Solar Angles Visulaization

Symbol Plane Table 2: Angles Summary
Definition
Vertical Plane Altitude Angle: It is vertical angle between the sun’s ray headed to the observer and its projection on the horizontal plane

( Horizontal Plane Solar Azimuth Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the sun’s ray headed to the observer and the southern direction.

Vertical Plane Zenith Angle: it is a vertical angle between the normal to the horizon and the sun’s ray headed to the observer.

Vertical Plane Latitude Angle: It is vertical angle between the line connecting the location on the surface of the earth with the center of the earth and its
projection on the equatorial plane.

Horizontal Plane Longitude Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the line connecting the location on the surface of the earth with the
center of the earth and the line connecting the center of the earth with the intersection point of prime meridian and the equator.

Vertical Plane Declination Angle: It is vertical angle between the sun’s ray headed to the center of the earth and its projection on the equatorial plane

Horizontal Plane Hour Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the sun’s ray headed to the center of the earth and the projection of the
line connecting the observer and the center of the Earth.

Vertical Plane Latitude Angle: It is vertical angle between the line connecting the location on the surface of the earth with the center of the earth and its
projection on the equatorial plane.

Horizontal Plane Longitude Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the line connecting the location on the surface of the earth with the
center of the earth and the line connecting the center of the earth with the intersection point of prime meridian and the equator.

Vertical Plane Tilt Angle: It is vertical angle between surface plane and the observer horizontal plane.

Horizontal Plane Surface Azimuth Angle: It is a horizontal angle between the projection of the normal to the surface on the horizontal plane and the
southern direction.
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Competition
 The objective is to get the incidence angle of a solar beam on a certain plane in a specific location
at a defined time in terms of all the angles mentioned before. [Spherical Triangle Correlations]
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Terminology
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Correlations
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Correlations
Sunrise and Sunset Time

For a Tilt Angle =

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Correlations
Day Length
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Correlations
Estimating solar radiation empirically: Global radiation
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Correlations
Values of constants a and b
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Declination
angle

Hour angle
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Since we are calculating

hourly not daily
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References
1. Maleki, S. A. M., Hizam, H., & Gomes, C. (2017). Estimation of hourly, daily and monthly global solar radiation
on inclined surfaces: Models re-visited. Energies, 10(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/en10010134.
2. J.Bhattacharya, Indian insititute of technology Kanpur. (25) noc21-me34 - lec07 – YouTube.
3. Wong, L. T., & Chow, W. K. (2001). Solar radiation model. Applied Energy, 69(3), 191–224.
https://doi.org/10.1016/S0306-2619(01)00012-5
4. International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC), Enschede.
Geometric aspects of mapping: coordinate systems (itc.nl).
5. Solar Energy Engineering, Processes and Systems, Second Edition 2014.
6. Yang, K., & Koike, T. (2005). A general model to estimate hourly and daily solar radiation for hydrological
studies. Water Resources Research, 41(10), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1029/2005WR003976 .
7. Solar (inforse.org).
8. Liif, G. O. G., Duffle, J. A., & S, C. O. (1965). World Distribution of Solar Radiation.
Thank You
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