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EN 671 Solar Energy Conversion and Technology: Lecture - 4: Solar Radiation Geometry

This document discusses solar radiation measurement and geometry. It describes different types of solar radiation instruments like pyranometers and pyrheliometers used to measure global, diffuse and beam radiation. A sunshine recorder is used to measure duration of sunshine. Factors influencing solar radiation levels are earth-sun distance, tilt and time of day. Radiation values are reported as irradiance in W/m2 or irradiation in kWh/m2-day depending on if integrated over time. Accurate radiation data is important for solar equipment design.

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70 views19 pages

EN 671 Solar Energy Conversion and Technology: Lecture - 4: Solar Radiation Geometry

This document discusses solar radiation measurement and geometry. It describes different types of solar radiation instruments like pyranometers and pyrheliometers used to measure global, diffuse and beam radiation. A sunshine recorder is used to measure duration of sunshine. Factors influencing solar radiation levels are earth-sun distance, tilt and time of day. Radiation values are reported as irradiance in W/m2 or irradiation in kWh/m2-day depending on if integrated over time. Accurate radiation data is important for solar equipment design.

Uploaded by

Faltu Ka jhamlq
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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EN 671 Solar Energy Conversion and Technology

Lecture -4: Solar Radiation Geometry

Dr. Pankaj Kalita


Associate Professor, School of Energy Science and Engineering
Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati

1
Summary of the last lecture
• Propagation of solar radiation from the
surface of the Sun to the earth’s surface.
• Atmospheric absorption and scattering.
• Sun-earth relationship.
• Different types of radiation .
• Air mass (AM0, AM1, AM2, AM1.5).

2
Monthly variation of solar radiation flux in the
extra-terrestrial region
I ext  I sc 1.0  0.033 cos360 n 365 

3
 Solar Radiation and sunshine Measuring Instruments

4
Concern of Solar Energy Conversion

• Make measurements over a period of time.


• Use the available data for some other
location having reasonably similar climatic
condition.
• Use empirical predictive equations.
Atmosphere at earth’s surface
• An atmosphere without clouds (Cloud less)
• An atmosphere with clouds (partially or fully covered by cloud)

6
Solar Radiation received on a Clear Sky

7
Solar Irradiance and Irradiation
Solar Radiation received on a partially cloudy sky

Time of day
Types of solar radiation
1. Direct radiation (beam radiation or direct beam
radiation): Describes solar radiation traveling on a
straight line from the sun down to the surface of the
earth.
2. Diffuse radiation: Describes the sunlight that has
been scattered by molecules and particles in the
atmosphere but that has still made it down to the
surface of the earth.
3. Reflected radiation: Describes sunlight that has
been reflected off of non-atmospheric things such as
the ground. Asphalt reflects about 4% of the light
that strikes it and a lawn about 25%.
SOLAR INSTRUMENTS

 PYRANOMETERS
 PYRHELIOMETERS
 SUNSHINE RECORDER
PYRANOMETERS

Used to measure global and diffuse solar radiation

Application
• Material testing research, and assessment of the
efficiency of solar collectors and photovoltaic
devices.
PYRHELIOMETER
• Used to measure beam solar irradiance.
• Sunlight enters the instrument through a window and is
directed on thermopile which converts heat to an
electrical signal that can be recorded. The signal voltage is
converted via a formula to measure watts per square
meter.
• It is used with a solar tracking system to keep the
instrument aimed at the sun.

Components: Protection cap, Sensor, Thermopile

Application
• Meteorology, material testing research, and
assessment of the efficiency of solar
collectors and photovoltaic devices.
SUNSHINE RECORDER

 A device that records the amount of


sunshine duration at a given location
 The most commonly used is
CAMPBELL-STOKES recorder
 A burnt trace whose length is
proportional to the duration of
sunshine is obtained on the strip
Solar radiation data
• Solar radiation flux is sometimes represented
in langleys per hour or per day (1 langley = 1
cal/cm2=1.163 x 10-2 kWh/m2)
• Samuel Langley who made the first
measurement of the spectral distribution of
the Sun.
• Annual average global radiation received =
450 langleys per day (peak – 600 langleys per
day on Rajasthan and Gujarat) - in Winter and
monsoon: 300-400 langleys per day.
• Annual average diffuse radiation received =
175 langleys per day, maximum: 300 in July
and 75-100 langleys per day in Nov and Dec 15
Solar radiation data

• Instantaneous Global and Diffuse flux (W/m2)


• Hourly values of Global and Diffuse flux (kWh/m2-h
or kJ/m2-h)
• For daily global and diffuse flux incident over a
whole day (in kWh/m2-day or kJ/m2-day)

16
What Influences the  Earth-Sun Distance
solar radiation?  Relative tilt
 Time of the day

Irradiance (W/m2): The rate at which radiant energy is incident on a


surface per unit area of surface.

Irradiation (J/m2): The incident energy per unit area on a surface found
by integration of irradiance over a specified time, usually an hour or a
day.

Insolation: Apply specifically to solar energy irradiation.


Summary
• Concerns of solar equipment designer
• Different instruments used for radiation measurement
• Units of radiation
• Radiation data

18
Thank you
19

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