Basic Knowledge on Solar Hot water

Systems

Tri Ratna Bajracharya

Institute of Engineering
Tribhuvan University
Email: triratna@ioe.edu.np
 heat storage
with insulation
connection to
heat hot water tap
transport
system
air release thermostat

check
valve
valve
(blockable) backup heater
heat
p exchanger
or p um
t
l lec
co
cold water supply
pressure
release power
valve
(8 atm) supply
control unit
expansion
vessel
Forced-flow versus natural circulation
forced flow SHW systems
+ better performance
+ can be installed in large systems
+ allows independent location of collector and hot water tank
– requires more components
– needs electrical energy for pumping and control
– is more expensive

natural circulation (thermosiphon)

+ simple and require less components
+ work without active control equipment
+ cheaper
– not suitable for large systems
– less efficient
– storage tank must be located above the collect
Flat-plate collectors
 SWH System Locally Made
Storage tank

Collector
Locally made SWH
 Open- versus closed-loop SHW
Closed loop systems
+ better performance – avoids air bubbles
+ Prevents siltation of the collectors
+ allows use of antifreeze
– Some temperature loss
– needs significantly more components
– more expensive
– more difficult to manufacture

Open loop
+ simple and require less components
+ Requires less tecnical skill
+ Cheaper and less sensitive to flaws
– not suitable for frost area
– not suitable for poor quality water
Energy flow in the collector from the radiation to the
hot water:
Collector Area sizing Thumb Rule

collectorarea reservoir size

4.5 m² (3 panels) 250 l

reservoir
7.5 m² (5 panels) 400 l
reservoir
10.5 m² (7 panels) 600 l
reservoir
High efficiency collectors for process heat applications
The evacuated tube collector - examples
Evacuated tube collectors - examples
Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) combined with
evacuated tube
Conclusions

Characteristics of a good collector:

Øselective absorber coating

Ølow heat capacity, high heat transfer coefficients
Øiron-free glass cover
Østiff and light casing
Øsufficient insulation of the back side
Øno thermal bridges at the connecting pipes

Two options available:

Øflat-plate collectors
Øevacuated tube collectors
Application of Solar
Thermal Energy
What do we understand by solar thermal technologies?

Solar thermal collectors

Thermal storage and storage materials
Solar assisted space heating
Solar building / solar architecture
Windows and facades
Solar air conditioning
Material research
Complex thermal network systems
Solar thermal power generation
Use of solar thermal Energy -
Technologies
Large size collectors - ‘Solar roofs’
‘Solar roofs’
Solar space heating

Private house,
Kathmandu
Solar space heating
Zero-energy house,
Freiburg, Germany

Bruchhagen, Germany
Solar district heating

solar field,
Denmark solar roofs
boilerhouse
Göttingen,
Germany
seasonal
solar
storage

industrial
pre-heating
passive solar
heating
transparent
insulation

passive solar
heating - scheme

Heliotrop
Freiburg,
Germany
air
collector
Solar thermal electricity

parabolic
trough
parabolic
dish

Heliostat
Solar desalination &
purification