Course Name: Solar Energy Engineering

Course Code: UME 853

Topic : Solar Collectors

by
Dr. Madhup Kumar Mittal
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Thapar Institute of Engineering & Technology
Solar Collectors
➢ A solar collector is a device that collects and transforms solar radiant energy into
thermal energy, which is subsequently transferred to a fluid for some useful purpose.
➢ Solar collectors are of two types:
▪ Flat plate collectors
▪ Concentrating collectors
Flat Plate Collectors

Flat plate collectors work on pretty simple technology. The Sun radiation heats a dark black flat
surface (absorber plate), and then this heat energy is transferred to water, air, or other fluid for
further use.

outlet
Transparent connection Transparent
Absorber plate glass covers glass covers

inlet
connection
Fluid tubes
Fluid tubes
Insulation
Construction of Flat Plate Collector solar radiation Long wavelength
A typical flat plate solar collector consists of following four main 0.3μm < λ < 3 μm infrared radiation
λ > 3 μm
components:
(1) Absorber plate (3) Fluid tubes
(2) Transparent glass cover (4) Insulation
▪ Absorber plate (collector plate) – Black coated flat absorber plate
(copper or aluminium) is used as an absorber surface to absorb
incident solar energy.
0.3 3.0 6.0
▪ Transparent glass cover – One or two transparent glass covers with
narrow air gap between them, are used to prevent radiative and Spectral transmissivity of glass
convective heat losses from the top of absorbing surface to ambient. of different thickness
Solar radiation Solar radiation
(shortwave radiation) (shortwave radiation)
Transparent
Absorber plate glass covers

Long wavelength
infrared radiation

Fluid tubes
Construction of Flat Plate Collector
Solar radiation
(shortwave radiation)
Transparent
Absorber plate glass covers

Long wavelength
infrared radiation

Fluid tubes brazed

with absorber plate

▪ Fluid tubes – Fluid tubes are brazed on underside surface of absorber plate. Fluid flows through
these tubes and the temperature of fluid rises as the fluid moves from inlet to outlet of tube, due to
transfer of heat from absorber plate to flowing fluid.

▪ Insulation – Bottom and sides of flat plate collector are covered with insulating material to reduce
heat losses.
Solar Selective Coating and Selective Surfaces
➢ Solar collectors must have high absorptance
for radiation in the solar energy spectrum Long wavelength
(0.3μm < λ < 3 μm). infrared radiation
➢ As the temperature of solar collector rises with
λ > 3 μm
the absorption of solar radiation, it starts emitting solar radiation
Solar selective coating
radiation in the long wavelength infrared 0.3μm < λ < 3 μm
range (λ > 3 μm). Hence, solar collectors must Absorber plate
have low emittance for radiation in the long
wavelength infrared range (λ > 3 μm).

➢ Hence absorber plate of Solar collectors are generally coated with coatings that have high absorptance for solar
radiation and low emittance for long wavelength infrared radiation for increasing the operation temperature and
efficiency of solar collectors.
➢ Coating materials which exhibit high absorptance for solar radiation and low emittance for long wavelength infrared
radiation are called solar selective coatings and the surfaces coated with such coatings are called selective surfaces.
➢ Normally, a combination of materials is used to prepare selective surfaces. Few examples of selective surfaces are:
(1) Lead sulphide coated on aluminium surface (2) Nickel black coated on galvanized iron (3) Cobalt oxide coated
on silver
Design aspects of Flat Plate Collectors
➢ The transparent cover should be a tempered (toughened)
glass having reduced iron oxide content.
▪ Tempered (toughened) glass is a type of high strength glass
obtained by processing it in a controlled thermal environment to
increase its strength compared with normal glass.
▪ Tempering puts the outer surfaces into compression and the
interior into tension. Such stresses cause the glass, when
broken, to crumble into small granular chunks instead of
splintering into sharp edged pieces.
▪ The granular chunks are less likely to cause injury. Thus
tempering of glass not only make it a tough glass but also convert
it into a safe glass.
➢ The most common absorber design consists of copper tubing joined to a high conductivity metal sheet
(copper or aluminium). A dark coating is applied to the sun-facing side of the metal sheet to increase it’s
absorption of solar energy. A common absorber coating is black enamel paint. Selective surfaces are also used
as a absorbing surface for absorption of solar energy.
➢ Fluid tubes should be laser or ultrasound welded/brazed to the absorber sheet to reduce damage to the metal sheet.
Design aspects of Flat Plate Collectors
➢ Flat plate collectors should always face South in the Northern hemisphere and North in
the Southern hemisphere.

Summer Summer

Winter Winter
W W N
W
S N S N S
E

E E

Sun path during different seasons Sun path during different seasons Solar collector facing south
in northern hemisphere in southern hemisphere in northern hemisphere
Design aspects of Flat Plate Collectors Sept 22 ,δ = 0
Earth's orbital axis
➢ In order to capture maximum amount of Equator plane 23.45
23.45
radiation round the year, collectors should be
tilted at an angle equal to latitude of location. δ = 23.45
Sun rays δ = 23.45
Summer
Fall & spring
Dec 21 Jun 21
W
N March 22 ,δ = 0
Winter N N

S
E δ = 23.45
δ = -23.45
Sun path during different seasons in northern hemisphere
S S
June 21 Dec 21 S
(summer solistice) (summer solistice)
South North
March 22 & Sept 22 March 22 & Sept 22
(equinox) (equinox)
June 21 N
Dec 21 W
(winter solistice) (winter solistice) E
S
Northern Southern
Hemisphere Hemisphere

Position of Sun at solar noon during different

seasons in northern and southern hemisphere Tilt angle (β) = latitude of location (ϕ)
Design aspects of Flat Plate Collectors
➢ If the collector has provision of changing the tilt angle, then the amount of radiation falling on absorber
can be further maximized by keeping the tilt angle equal to latitude of location plus 12° in winter and
latitude of location minus 12° in summer.

June 21 Dec 21
(summer solistice) (summer solistice)
South North
March 22 & Sept 22 March 22 & Sept 22
N (equinox)
W (equinox)
E
S Dec 21 June 21
(winter solistice) (winter solistice)
Northern Southern
Hemisphere Hemisphere

Tilt angle (β) = latitude of location (ϕ) Position of Sun at solar noon during different
Solar collector facing south in northern hemisphere seasons in northern and southern hemisphere
Application & Advantages of Flat Plate Collector
➢ Applications: Flat plate collectors are used for applications that require energy at moderate
temperatures (upto 80°C to 120°C). For example:
▪ Water heating for domestic applications
▪ Industrial process heat
▪ Air heating for space/building heating applications
▪ Air heating for crop drying

➢ Advantages:
▪ No sophisticated positioning or tracking equipment is required (permanently fixed)
▪ Easy to manufacture
▪ Low cost
▪ Little maintenance
▪ Collect both beam and diffuse radiation
END