Tutorial -3

Definitions:
Declination angle (): The angle between the line extending from the centre of the sun to the centre
of the earth and its projection on earths equatorial plane. It is determined as follows.
Declination angle = 23.45 * sin [2 (N-81) / 365] (Cooper equation)
Solar hour angle (
s
): The angle through which the earth must turn to bring the meridian of a point
directly in line with suns rays. It is determined with reference to solar noon by the following relation:

sr
= cos-1 (-tan . tan )
Length of the day on an arbitrary inclined surface ( having slope s) is given by
T
d
= 2/15 * cos
-1
[- tan ( s) tan ]
Altitude angle (Elevation angle): The vertical angle between the projection of earths rays on the
horizontal plane and the direction of the suns rays passing through the point.
Zenith angle (
z
): The complimentary angle of altitude angle. It is the angle between the suns rays and
the vertical at that point.

z
= /2 -
Solar azimuth angle (
s
) : The angle between the projection of the suns rays on the horizontal and the
direction to the north on the horizontal surface. The angle is positive when measure west wise.
Surface azimuth angle (): The angle of deviation of the normal to the surface from the local meridian,
the zero point being south with east positive.
ALGORITHM FOR AVERAGE SOLAR IRRADIANCE/DAY ON HORIZONTAL
Declination angle = 23.45 * sin [2 (N-80) / 365]
(N = 1 on Jan. 1, N= 365 on Dec. 31)

sr
= cos-1 (-tan . tan )
I
O
= I
SC
[1 + 0.033 cos (360 N/365)] kW/m
2

H
O
= (24 I
O
/) * [cos () cos cos
sr
+
sr
sin () sin ] kWh/m
2
/ day (Outside atmosphere)
Questions:
1) Define Solar constant 2) Why and how does it vary over the year?
3) What are the reasons for variation in solar radiation reaching the earth than received at the
outside of atmosphere? 4) Define the terms with diagrams: (i) Altitude angle, (ii) Zenith angle
(iii) Solar azimuth angle (iv) Latitude angle (v) Declination angle (vi) Solar hour angle.
5) Calculate the angle made by suns rays with the normal to flat plate collector. Given: location
28
o
N, 77
o
E, time 9.00 hour. Date Dec. 1. Tilt angle of the collector 36o to the horizontal.
6) Calculate the sunset hour angle and day length at a latitude 36
o
N on Feb 14.
7) What is the difference between a Pyrheliometer and Pyranometer? Describe the principle.
8) Calculate daily solar irradiance H
o
on a surface on June 22 at latitude 10
o
N. Ignore atmosphere.