- Author
- Fanney, A. H. | Thomas, W. C.
- Title
- Simulation of Thermal Performance of Solar Collector Arrays.
- Coporate
- National Bureau of Standards, Washington, DC Department of Energy, Washington, DC
- Journal
- ASME Transactions, Vol. 103, 258-267, August 1981
- Book or Conf
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Winter Annual Meeting. Proceedings. November 15-20, 1981, Washington, DC, 1981
- Keywords
- thermal efficiency; performance tests | solar collectors | solar energy
- Identifiers
- solar collectors; solar water heating
- Abstract
- An experimental method is described for simulating the useful energy supplied by collector arrays during tests of solar water heating systems. The method uses an electric heat source to simulate the absorbed solar energy in series with nonirradiated collectors to simulate the concurrent heat losses. This configuration maintains the collector-loop flow characteristics which are important for system tests. Expressions are developed for programming the heat source for collector arrays connected in parallel and series combinations with the heat source located either upstream or downstream from the nonirradiated array. Thermal modelling of representative arrays is used to investigate the consequences of using linearized collector efficiency curves to program the heat source and of using nonirradiated collectors to simulate heat losses.