Dr.K.

Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 82

 All forms of matter, whether a solid, liquid, or gas,
are composed of atoms or molecules in constant
motion. Because of this constant motion, all atoms
have thermal (heat) energy.
 Whenever a substance is heated, the atoms move
faster and faster. When a substance is cooled, the
atoms move slower and slower. The “average motion”
of the atoms that we sense is what we call
temperature.
 Temperature and heat ARE NOT technically the same
thing. Temperature is the average motion of atoms
and molecules. Heat is the energy that flows due
to temperature differences. Heat is always
transferred from higher to lower temperatures i.e
warmer to cooler substances. (When there is no
temperature difference, it is called thermal equilibrium,
Dr.K.Ravi
and no heat isSOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES
transferred.) 83
 There are three ways to heat the atmosphere (or anything else,
for that matter). These ways include conduction, convection, and
radiation.

 Conduction: This method of heat transfer is most familiar to

people. If you have ever burned yourself on a hot pan because
you touched it, you have experienced this first-hand.
Conduction is heat transfer through matter.

 Metals conduct heat well. Air is not as good a conductor of heat.

This is a direct contact type of heat transfer. The only air heated
by the Earth isthe air at the Earth’s surface.

 As a means of heat transfer, conduction is the least significant

with regard to heating the Earth’s atmosphere

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 84

 Convection: Convection is heat transfer by the
movement of mass from one place to another.
 It can take place only in liquids and gases.

 Heat gained by conduction or radiation from the sun

is moved about the planet by convection. The
radiation from the sun heats the air of the
atmosphere, but the heating of the Earth is not
even. This is because the amount of sunlight an
area receives depends upon the time of day and
the time of year.

 In general, regions near the equator have hotter

air. This hot air rises, allowing cooler air to move in
underneath the warm air.
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 85
 Radiation is the only way heat is transferred that can move
through the relative emptiness of space. All other forms of
heat transfer require motion of molecules like air or water to
move heat.

 The majority of our energy arrives in the form of radiation from

our Sun. Objects that are good absorbers of radiation are good
radiators as well.

 The atmosphere, which does not absorb certain wavelengths of

solar radiation, will absorb certain wavelengths of radiation. The
particles that reach Earth from the Sun are within a wavelength
that the Earth’s atmosphere will absorb. When the Sun heats
the Earth, the Earth gets warmer in that location and re-radiates
heat into the atmosphere, making it doubly warm.

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 86

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 87
 Flat Plate Solar
Thermal Collectors

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 88

 FLAT-PLATE SOLAR COLLECTOR
 The flat-plate solar collector is the heart of any
solar energy collection system designed for
operation in the low temperature range or in the
medium temperature range.
 It is used to absorb solar energy, convert it into
heat and then to transfer that heat to a stream of
liquid or gas
 It absorbs both the beam and the diffuse
radiation and is usually planted on the top of a
building or other structures
 It does not require tracking of the sun and
requires little maintenance.
 Here the collector area and the absorber area
are numerically the same, the efficiency is low
and temperatures
Dr.K.Ravi of the
SOLAR THERMAL working
COLLECTORS -TYPESfluid can be 89
raised only up to 100°C
 Flat plate collectors absorb sunlight and
transfer the heat to water or a mixture of
anti-freeze and water. The hot fluid can be
used directly or indirectly for hot water or
space heating
 • Generally for low temperature applications,
like residential hot water heating

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 90

 It is usually coated black
to absorb more heat
energy.
 Tubes, passages or
channels are soldered to
absorber plate integral
with the collector carry
water or other working
fluid. Diameter of
tube1.25 cm
 The absorber plate is
metallic.
 Insulation should be
provided at the back and
at the sides to minimize
the heat losses. glass
thickness 2.5 to 8 cm.
 Usually glass wool is
used as insulation
material
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 91
 While that of the header pipe which leads water in and
out of the collector and distribute it to an absorber tubes.,
is 2.5cm.
 A transparent toughened glass sheet of 5 mm thickness is
provided as the cover plate. It reduces convection losses
between absorber plate and the glass. Radiation losses
also reduced as the spectral transmissivity of glass.
 Glass cover reduces the heat loss coefficient to 10 W/m2
 Fibre glass insulation of thickness 2.5 to 8 cm is provided
at the bottom and on the sides in order to minimize the
heat loss.
 Finned tubes are used in applications involving the transfer of heat from a hot
fluid to a colder fluid through a tube wall.
 The rate at which such heat transfer can occur depends on three factors: (1)
the temperature difference between the two fluids; (2) the heat transfer
coefficient between each of the fluids and the tube wall; and (3) the surface
area to which each fluid is exposed.
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Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 94
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 95
 The majority of solar collectors that are sold in many countries are of
the flat-plate variety.
 The main components of these are a transparent front cover,
collector housing and an absorber.
 The absorber, inside the flat plate collector housing, converts sunlight
to heat and transfers it to water in the absorber tubes.
 As the collector can reach stagnation temperatures up to 200°C (i.e.
when no water flows through), all the materials used must be able to
resist such heat. Therefore, the absorber is usually made of metal
materials such as copper, steel or aluminium.
 The collector housing can be made of plastic, metal or wood, and the
glass front cover must be sealed so that heat does not escape, and
dirt, insects or humidity do not get into the collector itself.

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 96

 The collector housing is highly insulated at the
back and sides, keeping heat losses low.
 However, there are still some collector heat losses,
mainly due to the temperature difference between
the absorber and ambient air, and these are
subdivided into convection and radiation losses.
 A sheet of glass covers the collector as it faces the
sun, and this helps to prevent most of the
convection losses.
 However, the glass also reflects a small part of the
sunlight, which does not then reach the absorber at
all. Figure 1 shows the processes occurring at a flat-
plate collector.
Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 97
The ideal glazing material for solar collectors would have
these properties:

 High temperature capability

 Transmit light very well

 Long life when exposed to UV and high temperatures

 Good impact resistant

 Light weight and easy to work

 Opaque to long IR to reduce heat loss

 Low cost
 No single glazing material exhibits all of these properties, so picking
the best material for your application is going to be a trade-off.

Dr.K.Ravi SOLAR THERMAL COLLECTORS -TYPES 98