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Solar Collector and Measuring Devices

The document discusses different types of solar collectors. It begins by defining a solar collector as a device that collects solar radiation and transfers the absorbed energy to a fluid. It then describes two main types: flat plate collectors, which are the most widely used, and concentrating collectors, which obtain higher temperatures. It provides details on the components and workings of flat plate collectors. The document also discusses different focusing collector designs like parabolic troughs, dishes, and central towers. In closing, it briefly overview solar radiation measurement devices like pyranometers and pyrheliometers.

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Nisha Jagdish
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234 views39 pages

Solar Collector and Measuring Devices

The document discusses different types of solar collectors. It begins by defining a solar collector as a device that collects solar radiation and transfers the absorbed energy to a fluid. It then describes two main types: flat plate collectors, which are the most widely used, and concentrating collectors, which obtain higher temperatures. It provides details on the components and workings of flat plate collectors. The document also discusses different focusing collector designs like parabolic troughs, dishes, and central towers. In closing, it briefly overview solar radiation measurement devices like pyranometers and pyrheliometers.

Uploaded by

Nisha Jagdish
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Solar Collector - Classification

Solar collector
• Device for collecting solar radiation and the
transferring the absorbed energy to a fluid
passing through it.
• Solar collector absorbs solar energy in the
form of heat and simultaneously transfer this
heat to a fluid so that the heat can be
transported by the fluid.
• The transported fluid takes this transferred heat
from the collector and delivers it to a thermal
storage tank, boiler or heat exchanger so that it
can be utilised in a solar thermal system.
• It forms the first basic unit in a solar thermal
system.
Important features of solar collector are,
• Collector efficiency
• Concentrating ratio
• Temperature range
Flat plate collector:
• Flat-plate collectors are the most widely used
kind of collectors in the world for domestic
water-heating systems and solar space
heating/cooling. The first accurate model of
flat plate solar collectors was developed by
Hottel and Whillier in the 1950's.
Components of flat plate collector:
• Absorber plate.
• Transparent cover
• Fluid tubes or channel
• Thermal insulation
• Tight container or box
• The absorber is usually a sheet of high-thermal
conductivity metal such as copper or aluminum,
with tubes either integral or attached. Its surface
is coated to maximize radiant energy absorption
and to minimize radiant emission.
• The insulated box reduces heat loss from the back
or the sides of the collector.
• The cover sheets, called glazing, allow sunlight
to pass through the absorber but also insulate the
space above the absorber to prevent cool air to
flow into this space.
• The collector or radiation receptor’s area is
same as that of absorber’s area.
• Let the absorption, reflection and transmission
coefficient denoted as α,ρ and τ then
α+ρ +τ =1.
• ie. If incident radiation on the body is unity,
then radiation can be absorbed, reflected and
transmitted.
Characteristics:
• It absorbs both direct and diffuse solar
radiation.
• It does not need any sun tracking system.
Hence it is mechanically stronger than other
collector which require tracking system.
• It has simple construction and require little
maintenance.
Modified FPC
Concentrating type:
• Here, the interceptor’s area is many times
more than that of absorber’s area.
• By increasing the concentration of radiation
energy, much higher temperature can be
obtained in the collector’s fluid for
transportation.
• It is used to generate steam of medium
temperature and pressure.
• It use different arrangement of mirror and
lens to concentrate solar radiation for
effective generation of steam in the boilers
and other devices.
• It has better efficiency than flat plate.
Compound Parabolic Concentrator
Types of focus type collector:
Parabolic trough collector:
• The device that are shaped like the letter “U”.
• The trough concentrate sunlight onto the
receiver tube that is positioned along the focal
line of the trough. Sometimes the transparent
glass tube envelope the receiver tube to
reduce heat loss.
• It use mirrored parabolic trough to focus the
sun energy to a fluid- carrying receiver tube
located at the focal point of the parabolically
curved trough reflector.
• Temperature at the receiver can reach 400 C
and produce steam for generating electricity.
Parabolic dish collector
• It is similar in appearance like large satellite
dish, but has mirror like reflectors and an
absorber at the focal point.
• It uses dual axis sun tracker. It uses computer
to track the sun and concentrate the sun rays
onto the receiver located at the focal point
infront of the dish.
Cylindrical Parabolic Concentrator
• It can reach 1000 C at the receiver and achieve
the highest efficiency for converting the solar
energy into electricity.
• Each dish can produce 5 to 50 kW of
electricity.
Central tower receiver
• A heliostat uses field of dual axis sun trackers
that direct solar energy to a large absorber
located on the tower.
• The only application for the heliostat collector
is power generation in a system called power
tower.
• A power tower has a field of large mirror that
follow the sun’s path across the sky. The
mirror concentrate sun light onto the receiver
on top of a high tower.
• A computer keeps the mirror alligned so that
the reflected rays of the sun are always aimed
at the receiver.
• High pressure steam is generated to produce
electricity.
Solar radiation measurement/Devices
Pyranometer

• A pyranometer is a type of actinometerused for measuring solar


irradiance on a planar surface and it is designed to measure the solar
radiation flux density(W/m2) from the hemisphere above within a
wavelength range 0.3 μm to 3 μm. The name pyranometer stems from the
Greek words πῦρ (pyr), meaning "fire", and ἄνω(ano), meaning "above,
sky". – Measurig Fire from above
• A typical pyranometer does not require any power to operate. However,
recent technical development includes use of electronics in pyranometers,
which do require (low) external power.
• Thermopile – its sensitive surface forms Hot junction( Black).
• Its surface is Blackened circular in shape and exposed to radiation – similar to
blackbody which response to all wave length.
• Temp of Hot junction (Black) increases with amount of incident radiation energy
• Cold junction – completely shaded to prevent the radiation reaching ( White)
• Sensing element is covered by two concentric hemispherical glass dome to shield
from WIND and RAIN.
• To reduce / prevent heat inflow to the detector by convection heat transfer from
Air.
• Inside the instrument, a tube containg Silica Gel – to keep the interior of instrument
DRY without the adverse effect of moisture.
PYRANOMETER (DIRECT, DIFFUSE)
Principle:
Temperature difference between Hot ad Cold Junction is the function of Radiation
falling on the sensitive surface (Black)
- Measures radiation in Linear manner ( radiation increases…. Temperature increases
in hot junction)
- Voltage output approx. 9µV/(W/mv)
- Reading are recorded on a Chart paper on Daily – Hour basis & Phranogram gives
Graphical value of radiation incidence vs hours.
Phrheliometer ( Direct radiation)
• Narrow long tube – Collimator tube ensures that a beam radiation
having field of view limited to a solid angle of 5.5°.
• Inside blackened, provides with diaphrgm along the length of the tube to
absorb any radiation entering the tube.
• Silica gel
• Tracking for continuously facing the direct sun rays
3- types of measurement
The Angstrom compensation pyrheliometer - the Abbot silver disc –
pyrheliometer - Eppey pyrheliometer
• Shaded strip – same material as detector and not receiving radiation -
• Electrically heated and attain the same temperature as such detector and make Galvano
meter to be ZERO.
• Thermopile detector exposed to sun light
• Null Deflection by testing the presence of equality to temperature at both strips.
Hbeam = k t2
T- heating current in Amps & K- instrument constant ( R- Resistance, W- Width and α -
absorption co-efficient : K = R/W α

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