SOLAR COLLECTORS
Werner Weiss
AEE - Institute for Sustainable Technologies (AEE INTEC) A-8200 Gleisdorf, Feldgasse 19 AUSTRIA
Conversion of solar radiation energy into other energy forms
Source: ENREL
TYPES OF COLLECTORS
Plastic Absorber
Flat plate collectors
FLAT-PLATE COLLECTOR
Source: IEA SHC Task 33
FLAT-PLATE COLLECTOR
Transparent cover
Insulation Absorber plate
Tubes
Source: Consolar
FLAT-PLATE COLLECTOR
transparent cover connection pipe for absorber insulation
heat transfer medium pipe
framework structure
ABSORBER - TYPES
Meander absorber
Harp absorber
Manufacturing of a Solar Collector
Manufacturing of a Solar Collector
Source:GREENoneTEC / ESTIF
Manufacturing of a Solar Collector
Source:GREENoneTEC / ESTIF
Strip absorber
Strip Absorber
Strip Absorber
Local Production in Uganda
Thermographic Photographs of Various Absorber Types
Source: Treikauskas, Ingolstadt University
Absorber Material
Aluminum or Copper?
37%
63%
Aluminum Copper
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
Ultrasonic or Laser Welding?
Ultrasonic or Laser?
2% 5% 8% 43%
43%
Laser welding Ultrasonic welding Soldering Mechanical Other (Glue, Plasma welding)
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
Full Size or Strip Absorber
Full Size or Strip Absorber
8%
92%
Full Size Absorber Strip
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
Absorber Colors
Blue or black?
5% 10%
85%
Blue Black Chrome Other (AIOx, NiOx, etc.)
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
Snake Type or Register Absorber?
Snake Type or Register?
11% 38%
44% 7%
Snake Double Snake Register Double Register
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
CPC - COLLECTOR
CPC - COLLECTOR
Evacuated Tube Collectors
Evacuated Tube Collectors
Evacuated Tube Collectors
Heatpipe, Vitosol 300 (left) / Direct coupled Sydney Collector (right)
Direct flow U-tube with cylindrical absorber
Detail Sydney collector
Direct flow U-tube with flat absorber
Source: Frei, U.: Kollektoren in solarthermischen Systemen, SPF Solartechnik Prfung Forschung, TriSolar98
Lenz Tube
Source: SWW 08/20006 S.46
Evacuated Tube Collectors
Detail Sydney collector
Evacuated Tube Collectors
Evacuated Tube Collectors Heat Pipe
Evacuated Tube Collectors Heat Pipe
Heat Pipe Principle Wet Connection
Errorindication
V ac uu m p re se n t
Va cuu m fa ul ty
http://www.solardirect.com/
Evacuated Tube Collectors
THERMOSYPHON SYSTEM - China
Evacuated Tube Collectors
Source: Consolar
Concentrating Collectors
Parabolic Trough Collector
Working Principle - PTC
Tracking of the sun
Collector axis oriented north-south
Built Examples
Process Heat Collectors
AEE INTEC and Button Energy
70% 60%
2. Prototyp 22. Prototyp (mit evakuiertemglass Hllrohr) 2nd Prototype nd Prototype (evacuated tube)
Wirkungsgrad
50% 40% 30%
1. Prototyp
20% 10% 0% 0,00
0,05
0,10
0,15
0,20
0,25
0,30
(Tm-Tu)/IDNI in m K/W
Fresnel Process Heat Collector
PSE AG Germany
Aperture area: 88 m Working temperature: max. 200 C
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS - CCSTaR
Universitat de les Illes Ballears
Process Heat Collectors
CPC Collector
1.00 0.90 0.80 0.70 Efficiency n 0.60 0.50 0.40 0.30 0.20 0.10 0.00 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 Air 1 bar Air 0,01 bar Krypton 0,01bar
Concentration: 1,8x
Temperature difference T_Coll_mid - T_Amb [K]
LoCo EvaCo (Low concentrating evacuated flat collector), ZAE Bayern
COLLECTOR MATERIALS
ABSORBER MATERIALS THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
absorber material
thermal conductivity [W/mK]
steel aluminium copper
50 210 380
ABSORBER COATING
Selective coating: Partially selective coating: Non selective coating: 0 < 0.2, > 0.9 0.2 < 0.5, > 0.9 0.5 < 1.0, > 0.9
Plain copper
black paint
galvanic coating
physical vapour deposition or sputtering
ABSORBER COATING
Source:Alanod-Sunselect / ESTIF
TRANSPARENT COVER MATERIALS
cover Standard glass *) Standard glass, tempered Iron free glass, tempered Antireflective coated glass PMMA, ducted plate PMMA, double ducted plate
thickness [mm] 4 4 4 4 16 16
weight [kg/m] 10 10 10 10 5.0 5.6
solar transmittance 0.84 0.84 0.91 0.95 0.77 0.72
*) danger of breaking determined by high collector temperatures
Collector test
TRANSPARENT COVER MATERIALS
4% Reflection
4% Reflection Standard Solar Glass
(42)
Standard Solar Glass
TRANSPARENT COVER MATERIALS
Solar glass
Solar glass with antireflective coating
TRANSPARENT COVER MATERIALS
Solar transmission
AR coated
Uncoated
Incident angle (42)
Market Share of Clear and Structured Glass
9% 33%
59%
clear glass structured glass AR-glass
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
Glass Thickness
30%
70%
3,2 mm 4 mm
Source: Sonne, Wind und Wrme, 2009
INSULATING MATERIALS
max. allowable temperature [ ]
insulating material
Mineral wool
density [kg/m]
conductivity [W/mK] at 20C
> 200 > 200 > 200 < 130 < 80
60 - 200 30 - 100 130 - 150 30 - 80 30 - 50
0.040 0.040 0.048 0.030 0.034
Glass wool
Glass wool Polyurethane foam Polystyrol foam
Absorber Manufacturing Processes
Production Process Spot Welding
su ubstance-tosubstance connections co
-
Deficiencies not possible with all metals, susceptible to corrosion, ... low processing temperature (stagnation!!!), - emission of flux residues, no continuous substance-to-substance connection, - very high processing temperature, - micro-cracks in welding spots
-
Soft-Soldering Ultrasonic Welding Laser Welding Plasma Welding
very high processing temperature,
non substancetosubstance connections
Splicing Clamping (various designs)
low processing temperature (stagnation!!!), - low heat conductivity of adhesive, low heat conductivity of clamping (non uniform contact pressure, ..), ..
FLAT-PLATE COLLECTOR Simple Design
Modul Collector
Roof Integrated Collector
FLAT-PLATE COLLECTOR Advanced Design
Module Collector
Roof Integrated Collector
Physical Processes inside a Flat-Plate Collector
heat loss through the pane of glass reflection on absorber reflection on the pane of glass
occurrence of solar radiation
heat loss through the rear and side walls
Losses of a basic Flat-plate Collector
Source: Source: Wagner & Co.
Characteristic Values of Flat-plate and Evacuated Tube Collectors
Qcoll is the energy collected per unit collector area per unit time FR is the collectors heat removal factor
is the transmittance of the cover is the shortwave absorptivity of the absorber
G is the global incident solar radiation on the collector UL is the overall heat loss coefficient of the collector T is the temperature differential between the heat transfer fluid entering the collector and the ambient temperature outside the collector.
Collector Efficiency Curve
(tm ta)/G [Km/W]
Collector Efficiency
Nutzenergi useful energy e eingesetzt eEnergie solar energy
(t m t a ) (t m t a ) = 0 a1 a2 G G
Collector Efficiency
s. T-Sol Collector data
Collector efficiency curve
Optical Losses
0,8 0,7 0,6 0,5
Thermal Losses
eta
0,4 0,3 0,2 0,1
Useful Energy
Stagnation Point
0 0 0,04 0,08 0,12 0,16
(TKm-TA) / GT [Km/W]
Efficiency of different collector types (calc)
Evacuated Tube Collector
Selective Flat-plate Collector
Uncovered Absorber Simple Flat-plate Collector
(tm ta)/G [Km/W]
Area Definitions
Apertur area
Possible Improvements of FPC
0.9 efficiency (based on aperture area) 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5
1 AR
Hermetically sealed collectors with inert gas fillings; operating temperature 80 to 120C Double covered flat-plate collectors; Vacuum flat-plate collectors; and combinations of the above mentioned
2 AR
0.4 0.3
3 AR
0.2 0.1 0 0
standard flat-plate collector
0.05 (T m-T a)/G in Km /W
0.1
0.15
Source: IEA SHC Task 33
Flat plate collectors
Register-Type Absorber
1100
11 pipes (d= 10 mm)
28
1700 0 1630 0
Flat plate collectors
12 m
Hydraulic connection of collectors
