1.

Write a note on Selective paints [2 Marks]

a. http://www.iitj.ac.in/CSP/material/19dec/selective.pdf
i. In solar thermal applications, materials are used to absorb solar energy.
ii. They get hot, and so re-emit some of the energy as thermal radiation.
iii. What are the relevant spectral ranges for these two processes?
1. for absorption, the solar spectrum [0,38um to 4,00um]
2. for re-radiation the thermal spectrum at T [1um to 100um…...]
iv. The solar spectrum lies at very different wavelengths from the thermal emission spectra
for temperatures up to over 700°C. So materials that have high absorptance in the solar
range but low thermal emittance, so called selective surfaces, are very useful, since they
maximise solar absorption and can suppress thermal re-radiation.
v. Spray and plasma-spray deposited particles in a binder have been successfully used as
SS for higher temperatures. These paints often contain transition metal oxides in a
silicone suspension and require curing. They are mostly used in air and at high
temperatures where they maintain high solar absorptance. However they also display
very high emittances at these temperatures. The metal oxide particles are ternary
transition metal oxides or spinel materials prepared in powder form by various ways.
These have not received sufficient attention even though the main example, Pyromark®,
is the only one used in higher Temperature CSP applications.
b. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-94-009-5480-9_13
c. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0927024806003473
i. Red, green and blue paints were prepared for use as thickness insensitive spectrally
selective (TISS) paint coatings for solar façade absorbers. The paints were composed of
a polyurethane resin binder in which various pigments were incorporated in such a way
that they formed stable paint dispersions, satisfying stability criteria for façade coatings.
A low emittance of the paints was achieved by using low-emittance aluminium flake
pigments combined with iron oxide (red coloured paints). Black pigment was added to
adjust solar absorptance. Blue and green paints were made by the addition of coloured
aluminium flake pigment and the solar absorptance was also adjusted by the addition of
black pigment.
ii. The results confirmed that blue and green paints and to minor extent red ones,
combined selectivity with colour. The morphology of the paints was assessed, revealing
that the colours originated from the deposition of finely dispersed colour and/or black
pigment on the surface of the aluminium flakes during paint preparation.
2. Solar cooling system [2 Marks]
a. https://www.intechopen.com/books/energy-conversion-current-technologies-and-future-trends/s
olar-cooling-technologies
i.
b. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/solar-cooling
i. Solar cooling is a technology for converting heat collected from the sun into useful
cooling into refrigeration and air-conditioning applications. Solar thermal energy is
collected and used by a thermally driven cooling process, which in turn is normally used
to generate chilled water or conditioned air for use in the building. A typical solar cooling
scheme essentially includes three components. These include the solar collector for
harnessing solar energy by converting it into heat or mechanical work, a refrigeration or
air-conditioning plant for producing cooling and a heat sink for heat rejection.
c. https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/solar-cooling
i. Solar cooling is primarily intended for two main purposes: refrigerating food storage and
space cooling, or air conditioning. Solar cooling can be seen in vehicles like RVs and
campers which use the system for refrigeration. Vapour absorption refrigeration systems,
which are used in industries where extremely low process temperatures are required as
well as large thermal capabilities, also display the use of solar cooling.
ii. Perhaps the most beneficial application of solar cooling is its ability to provide cooling
systems to countries that otherwise would not be able to handle the total electric and
energy cost and burden required by conventional cooling systems. Solar cooling greatly
reduces the amount of energy required to refrigerate necessities such as vaccines and
agricultural products, which, in turn, creates cost savings and benefits the environment
by using renewable energy and reducing the use of ozone-depleting materials.
d. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-3-662-49120-1_33
3. Solar thermal system for electrical energy generation [4 marks]
a. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/solar/solar-thermal-power-plants.php
i. Solar thermal power/electric generation systems collect and concentrate sunlight to
produce the high-temperature heat needed to generate electricity. All solar thermal
power systems have solar energy collectors with two main components: reflectors
(mirrors) that capture and focus sunlight onto a receiver. In most types of systems, a
heat-transfer fluid is heated and circulated in the receiver and used to produce steam.
The steam is converted into mechanical energy in a turbine, which powers a generator to
produce electricity. Solar thermal power systems have tracking systems that keep
sunlight focused onto the receiver throughout the day as the sun changes position in the
sky.
ii. There are three main types of concentrating solar thermal power systems:
1. Linear concentrating systems, which include parabolic troughs and linear Fresnel
reflectors
2. Solar power towers
3. Solar dish/engine systems
b. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_thermal_energy
i. Heat storage allows a solar thermal plant to produce electricity at night and on overcast
days. This allows the use of solar power for baseload generation as well as peak power
generation, with the potential of displacing both coal- and natural gas-fired power plants.
Additionally, the utilization of the generator is higher which reduces cost. Even short term
storage can help by smoothing out the "duck curve" of rapid change in generation
requirements at sunset when a grid includes large amounts of solar capacity.
c. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/solar-thermal-electricity
i. Solar thermal electricity in a CSP plant is generated in two stages. In the first stage,
solar energy is captured in the collectors and is used to heat a working fluid which may
be water or molten salt. The second stage deals with the energy transformation in which
electricity is generated by allowing steam to run a turbine or an engine. It is generally
realized by a conventional steam turbine based on the Rankine cycle which is based on
a thermodynamic model to predict the performance of a heat engine that converts heat
into mechanical work. In standalone CSP systems, a heat transfer fluid is heated as it
circulates through the receiver in the collectors. The heated fluid runs through a heat
exchanger to generate high-pressure steam which is fed to a separate circle to drive a
conventional steam turbine. The consumed steam from the turbine is condensed into
liquid ready to be heated again in the steam generator to complete the circle
d. http://theconversation.com/explainer-what-is-solar-thermal-electricity-51210
i. Currently, the main advantage of a solar thermal electricity system is the ability to store
heat which can be used later to generate electricity. This allows the system, at least in
part, to disconnect electricity generation from solar energy collection for periods in time.
4. Solar air collector [2 Marks]
a. https://www.hindawi.com/journals/isrn/2012/282538/
i. Applying solar collectors is a popular tool for harnessing solar energy. In this work, a flat
plate solar air collector was investigated under direct solar radiation in an endeavor to
enhance the thermal efficiency of solar air collector with a slatted glass cover, perforated
absorber aluminum sheets (porosity 0.0177, 0.0314 and absorber thickness of 1.25,
2.5 mm) which is the most suitable for a solar dryer. The effects of porosity and
thickness on absorber performance of collector were evaluated. Six levels of air mass
flow rates (0.0056 to 0.0385 kg m−2 s−1) were adopted. The tests were conducted in
three replications on very clear sky days in September and October. The experimental
results showed that thermal efficiency of collector was increased by an increase in the
porosity of the absorber. The absorber with lower porosity showed a better thermal
efficiency at lower air mass flux. In the minimum air flow rate, absorber efficiency with
porosity 0.0177 and 0.0314 was 0.31 and 0.29, respectively, whereas at the maximum
flow, efficiency showed an enormous change of 0.83 and 0.88, respectively. This solar
air heater can be used for drying agricultural products, heating the space of greenhouse,
and so forth.
b. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780081011287000058
i. Solar air collectors (SACs) are a type of solar thermal collectors that use solar radiation
to actively deliver warm air into buildings. Typically deployed onto surfaces of a building
with a southerly aspect, the technology has a proven record and great potential as an
available and cost-effective means of space heating. This chapter presents an economic
study of both unglazed transpired solar air collector (UTSAC) and back-pass solar air
collector (BPSAC) systems, taking into account the internal rate of return and installation
cost, based on large-scale test setups and measured performance data. Measurements
of temperature, wind velocity, and solar irradiance were taken at multiple air-mass flow
rates for both systems. The payback period of the UTSAC and BPSAC are found to be
3.85 and 3.12 years respectively for the case studied. While the UTSAC is shown to be
around 28% more efficient, the capital investment cost for the BPSAC is around 41%
lower.
c. https://solartribune.com/solar-hot-air-panels/
i. Solar hot air collectors are mounted on south-facing vertical walls or roofs. Solar
radiation reaching the collector heats the absorber plate. Air passing through the
collector picks up heat from the absorber plate.
ii. Freezing, overheating and leaks are less troublesome for solar air collectors than for
liquid collectors. But since liquid is a better heat conductor, solar collectors using water
or a heat transfer fluid are more suited to hot water heating for the home. A solar hot air
collector is most often used for space heating. There are two types of air collectors:
glazed and unglazed.