Determination of Top Heat Loss Factor of a Single Glazed Flat Plate Solar Collector by Indoor Experiments

S.Y. Khan, N.Akhtar and S.C. Mullick

Centre for Energy Studies Indian Institute of Technology New Delhi 110016 India E-mail: esr00007@ccsun50.iitd.ac.in
Abstract We have performed indoor experiments on a well insulated single glazed flat plate solar collector using a plate type electric heater on underside of the plate for constant energy input. Wind is simulated by a 1-m diameter fan. The method permits adjustment of a constant energy input to the plate as well as constant simulated wind velocity. In the present work, the experiments were performed with different energy inputs to the plate heater and different wind velocities set by the fan. For each set of energy input and wind velocity, about 8 hours are required to reach the steady state condition. Experimental value of top heat loss factor (Ut) is obtained by dividing the top heat flux by (Tp-Ta). The Value of Ut was also computed using the estimated value of mean temperature of glass cover. The mean glass cover temperature was estimated using a correlation developed by Akhtar and Mullick (1999). The glass cover temperature was also measured experimentally using a thermocouple embedded in a slot made in the glass cover. Measurement of temperature of glass cover permits an in-situ measurement of the wind heat transfer coefficient. The estimated values of mean glass cover temperature are within 0.5 degree of the experimentally measured values. The experimental values of Ut are compared with the computed values of Ut, which shows an agreement within 5%.

1. INTRODUCTION
Recently Akhtar and Mullick [1999] proposed an improved equation for predicting the mean glass cover temperature and hence the top heat loss factor of a single glazed flat plate solar collector as function of the basic variables (Appendix). For any given collector, L and p may be assumed constant. Further, for a horizontal collector (similar to a box solar cooker) the tilt angle =0. Thus Ut may be considered a function of Tp, Ta and hw only. Indoor experiments have been performed to study upward heat losses from single glazed flat plate collector. In outdoor experiments it is difficult to achieve perfect steady state because solar radiation varies over the day as also the wind velocity. Indoor experiments permit a much better steady state as the energy input is provided through electric heater and wind is simulated by a large fan. In indoor experiments a plate type electric heater on underside of the collector plate provides the heating and a one-meter diameter fan simulates wind. The method also permits adjustment of energy input to the plate as well as adjustment of the simulated wind velocity. Wind velocity is measured by a chopper type anemometer. The glass temperature is measured using a thermocouple embedded in a slot made in the inner surface the glass cover. Indoor experiments permit a much better steady state (due to a constant energy input to the plate and constant wind velocity) as compared to the outdoor experiments, where solar radiation and wind velocity keep on varying. Another advantage of indoor experiments is that the temperature of the glass cover can be measured accurately as the thermocouple junction is not exposed to the solar radiation. The top heat loss factor is mainly a function of the Tp, p and Tg and wind heat transfer coefficient. In the present work, the experimental values of Ut are obtained and these values (experimental) are compared with the computed values of Ut.

2. TEST SETUP AND EXPERIMENTS

An experimental single glazed flat plate collector has been established in the laboratory, for studying the upward heat losses by indoor experiments. The experimental flat plate collector consists of a copper plate 910 mm X 910 mm in size and 2 mm thickness coated with dull black paint. A plate type electric heater was attached on the

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Determination of Top Heat Loss Factor of a Single Glazed Flat Plate Solar Collector

Khan

underside of the copper plate (covering the entire area) for supplying the input energy. The electric heater was connected to a servo-stabilizer for constant voltage supply. A calibrated wattmeter was used to measure the power input to the heater. A large fan of about one meter diameter was used to produce wind. For any particular set of readings the wind speed was set using a variac. A 3-cup anemometer using chopper type sensor was used for measurement of wind speed. Bottom and sides were well insulated by using glasswool. The air spacing between plate and glass cover is 50 mm. Calibrated chromel-alumel thermocouples (type K) were attached to the copper plate and glass cover for temperature measurements. The ratio of aperture area ( 910mm X 910 mm) to the plate-glass air spacing (50 mm) is large, therefore the side losses are small. As a further precautions a low power guard heater is provided on four sides to cut-off the heat losses from the sides by balancing the temperatures. During the experiments constant energy inputs were supplied to the main heater as well as the guard heater through variacs. The fan was set at a constant input voltage to obtain a constant wind velocity. For each set of observation, about 7 to 8 hours are required to attain a good steady state. At steady state, for each set of readings, the back loss from the flat plate collector was calculated and then subtracted from the power input (to the main heater) to obtain the top heat loss. The small energy input given to the guard heater was used only to compensate the side losses and it does not enter the calculation of the energy balance at the collector.

3. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

(i) The experimental values of Ut are obtained by dividing the top heat loss by temperature difference between plate and ambient.The mean temperature of the glass cover (Tgm) was computed by an improved technique proposed by Akhtar and Mullick [1999] as given in the appendix. The convective heat transfer coefficient between plate and glass cover was calculated using Hollands relation [1976]. The wind heat transfer coefficient was calculated from McAdams correlation [1954]. The computed value of Tgm was used for calculating the values of Upg, and Uga using eqns. (3) and (4) respectively as given in the appendix. The value of Ut was calculated using eqn.(5) as given in the appendix. The experimentally measured and estimated values of mean temperature of glass cover and top heat loss factor are given in the Table1. It is found that there is a very good agreement between the calculated and experimental values of mean temperature of glass cover(Tgm) and top heat loss factor(Ut).

(ii) (iii)

4. CONCLUSIONS
The computed values of mean temperature of glass cover Tgm are in close agreement (0.5 degree) with the experimentally measured values. The estimated values of top heat loss factor ( Ut)show only a very small deviation from their experimental values. The computed or estimated values of top heat loss factor are in good agreement, i.e. within 5%, with experimental values.

NOMENCLATURE fi = Ratio of inner to outer heat transfer coefficients. hcpg = Convective heat transfer coefficient between plate and glass cover (w/m2k). hrpg = Radiative heat transfer coefficient between plate and glass cover (w/m2k). hrga = Radiative heat transfer coefficient between glass cover and ambient (w/m2k). hw = Wind heat transfer coefficient (w/m2k). Kg = Thermal conductivity of glass (w/mk). Lg = Glass Thickness (m). Tp = Plate temperature (o C). Ta = Ambient temperature (o C). Tgm = Mean temperature of the glass cover (o C). Upg = Heat loss coefficient between plate and glass cover (w/m2k). Uga = Heat loss coefficient between glass cover and ambient (w/m2k). Ut = Top heat loss factor (w/m2k). V = Wind velocity (m/s).

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Determination of Top Heat Loss Factor of a Single Glazed Flat Plate Solar Collector Table 1: Experimental Parameters and Results

Khan

Tgm
o

Upg W/m2k

Uga W/m2k

Ut W/m2k

Experimental

Experimental

Experimental

Experimental

S.No.

Tp
o

Ta
o

hw Estimated W/m2 k Estimated Estimated Estimated 7.40 7.40 6.80 6.44

605

1. 2. 3. 4.

106.0 111.0 99.1 103.3

30.2 32.6 28.0 30.2

16.45 14.73 12.40 9.20

57.0 62.1 56.3 62.5

56.8 61.8 55.6 62.0

11.94 11.93 11.03 11.62

11.87 12.21 11.51 11.75

22.08 20.10 17.38 15.07

22.79 21.38 18.64 15.70

7.75 7.48 6.75 6.56

REFERENCES
Mullick S.C. and Shamdarshi S.K., An Improved Technique for Computing the Top Heat Loss Factor of a Flat Plate Collector with Single Glazing,.ASME J. Solar Energy Engineering. 110, 262-267.(1988). Akhtar N. and Mullick S.C., Approximate method for computation of glass cover temperature and top heat loss coefficient of solar collectors with single glazing, Solar Energy, Volume 66, Issue 5, August 1999, 349-354 Hollands K.G.T, Unny T.E, Raithby G.D., and Konicek L., Free Convective heat transfer across Inclined Air Layers., ASME J. Solar Energy Engineering. 98, 189-192.(1976)

APPENDIX A. MEAN TEMPERATURES OF GLASS COVER

For given values of the variables (p, L, Lg, hw, Tp, Ta, and ) the factor fi (ratio of inner to outer heat transfer coefficients) for calculating the mean temperature of glass cover as proposed by Akhtar and Mullick [1999] is defined as :
fi = [12 108 (Ta + 0.2Tp )3 + h w ]1 + 0.3L g [6 108 ( p + 0.028)(Tp + 0.5Ta )3 + 0.6L 0.2 {(Tp Ta )Cos}0.25 ]1 (1)

The mean temperature of glass-cover can be calculated as:

f iTp + Ta 1 + fi

Tgm =

( 2)

ISES 2001 World Solar Congress

Determination of Top Heat Loss Factor of a Single Glazed Flat Plate Solar Collector

Khan

B. TOP HEAT LOSS FACTOR

Heat loss factor between plate and glass cover, Upg = hrpg + hcpg Where,
(Tp 2 + Tgm 2 )(Tp + Tgm ) . h rpg = 1 1 + 1 p g

-------------------(3)

The convective heat transfer coefficient between plate and glass cover, hcpg, is calculated by Hollands relation [3] Heat loss factor between glass cover and ambien, Uga = hrga + hw Where,
h rga = g (Tgm 2 + Ta 2 )(Tgm + Ta ).

---------------------- (4)

The wind heat transfer coefficient can be obtained as, hw=Uga hrga. The top heat loss factor is given as: L g 1 1 1 Ut = [ + + ] (5) U pg U ga K g

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