ENERGY ANALYSES OF A SOLAR FLAT-PLATE ENERGY COLLECTOR

EXPERIMENT #6

I.

OBJECTIVES
1. To correctly set-up the experiment.
2. To determine the efficiency of the flat-plate collector of the Mechanical
Engineering Laboratory of the University of San Carlos Technological Center
and the amount of useful heat carried by the water inside the tubes.
3. To gather enough data in order to determine what type of weather condition is
appropriate to fully utilize the flat plate collectors ability to capture solar
radiation.

II.

MATERIALS AND APPARATUS

Pyrometer (Fig. 1)
Mercury Thermometer (Fig. 2)
Solarimeter (Fig. 3)
Water Hose (Fig. 4)
2 Extension Wires
Solar Flat-Plate Energy Collector Set-up (Fig. 5)

Figure 1. Pyrometer

Figure 2. Mercury Thermometer

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Figure 3. Solarimeter

III.

Figure 4. Water Hose

THEORY
The

sun

has

produced energy for billions

of years. Solar energy is the

suns rays (solar radiation)

that reach the earth. Solar

Figure 5. Solar Flat-Plate Energy

Collector

energy can be converted into

other forms of energy, such

as heat and electricity. In the

1830s,

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

the

British

astronomer John Herschel used a solar thermal collector box (a device that absorbs sunlight to
collect heat) to cook food during an expedition to Africa. Today, people use the sun's energy for
lots of things. Solar energy can be converted to thermal (or heat) energy and used to produce heat
water in houses, buildings, or swimming pools and also it produce heat spaces inside the
greenhouses, home, and other buildings. However, there are disadvantages of solar energy like
the amount of sunlight that arrives at the earths surface is not constant. It only depends on
location, time of day, time of year and weather condition. It may also vary that the sun doesnt
deliver that much energy to any one place at any one time, a large surface area is required to
collect the energy at a useful rate. [1]
Solar collectors are the key component of active solar-heating systems. They gather the sun's
energy, transform its radiation into heat and transfer that heat to a fluid (usually water or air). The
solar thermal energy can be used in solar water-heating systems, solar pool heaters, and solar
space-heating systems. There are a large number of solar collector designs that have shown to be
functional. These designs are classified in two general types of solar collectors: Flat-plate
collectors, the absorbing surface is approximately as large as the overall collector area that
intercepts the sun's rays. Concentrating collectors, where large areas of mirrors or lenses focus
the sunlight onto a smaller absorber.
Flat-plate collectors are the most common solar collector for solar water-heating systems in
homes and solar space heating. A typical flat-plate collector is an insulated metal box with a
glass or plastic cover (called the glazing) and a dark colored absorber plate. Flat-plate collectors
are used for residential water heating and hydronic space-heating installations. [2]

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Figure 6. A typical liquid Flat Plate Collector

Insulation
Analyzing the insulation zone in the solar collector control volume at constant properties for the
insulation material and considering the conduction heat transfer between the insulation and the
absorber with the radiation between the insulation and the surrounding ambient, Figure 7.

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Figure 7. 1-D heat transfer in the insulation

The general heat energy balance of a flat-plate collector is given by,
ci i V i

Where c is the specific heat,

d Ti k i
= ( T T ) + hi . am ( T am T i )
dt i ab i

Equation 1

is density, T is temperature, t is time, k is thermal conductivity,

is thickness, and h is the heat transfer coefficient. For the subscripts, am is ambient, ab is
absorber, and i is insulation.
The general efficiency of the flat-plate solar collectors is the ratio of the useful thermal energy to
the total incident solar radiation averaged over the same time interval. Mathematically, the
efficiency () of a collector is expressed as,
=

useful energy
solar energy available

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Equation 2

Useful energy for a solar thermal collector is the rate of thermal energy leaving the collector,
usually described in terms of the rate of energy being added to a heat transfer fluid passing
through the receiver or absorber. Consider the equation,
QO

m C p (T o T i )
t

Equation 3

Mass of water is obtained by estimation of the inside volume of the tubes and multiplying by
density of water which is 1000 kg/m3. Take the Cp of water to be 4.187 kJ/kg-K. The change in
temperature for the given time is the difference between the previous temperature and the
temperature obtained for that time. Time, t, is taken as 15 minutes which is the interval for every
reading.
The area of the collector on which the solar irradiance falls is called the aperture area of the
collector. Therefore, total energy received by collector (optical energy captured) can be described
by,
Qi=I A

Equation 4

Obtain the solar irradiation, I, by the solar irradiation meter and calculate the area A of the flat
plate collector by measuring its length and width.
IV.

PROCEDURE
1. Place the set-up in the designated area where you can get as much sunlight as you can
for the experiment.

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Figure 8. Designated Area located outside the ME Laboratory

2. Set up the Solar Flat-plate collector such that it is parallel to the ground.

Figure 9. Solar Flat-Plate Collector in parallel positioned to the ground

3. Connect one end of the hose to the water inlet of the solar flat-plate collector. Then
connect the other end of the hose to the
water faucet or the water source.

10. (a)
the valve,
other endthe
to the
water
faucetand
4.Figure
Open
theConnecting
water one end of the hose to the water inlet (b) Connecting
inlet
ball
valve

make sure that

the water outlet valve is closed.

Figure 11. (a) Opening the water inlet (b) Opening the ball valve (c) Closing the water outlet

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

5. Set up the plate collector at 20 degrees with respect to ground

Figure 12. Solar Flat-Plate Collector in 20 degrees position

6. Place the
solar flat-plate

thermometer into the

set up. Open the water

faucet

Figure 13. (a) Placing the mercury thermometer to the Solar Flat-Plate set-up (b)
Opening the water faucet

7.

Once the water

flows out of the ball valve, the flat-plate is already filled with water. Then close the
ball valve and the water inlet valve.

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Figure 14. (a) Water comes out from the ball valve (b) Closing the water inlet (c) Closing the ball valve

8. Plug the pump to a 110V outlet. An extension wire may be needed as the outlet is far
from the designated area for experiment. A cover for the pump is also needed in order
to prevent

overheating caused by the heat

of the sun.

Figure 15.
Plugging the
pump to an extension
connected to a 110 V
9. Record the initial
readings;
temperature
of the wire
water.
outlet.

Getting theto
initial
of the water
10. Aim the pyrometerFigure
at the16.flat-plate
gettemperature
its temperature
reading.

Figure 17. Getting the data for the plates temperature

11. Get the solar

solarimeter.

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

irradiance by using the

Figure 18. Placing the solarimeter on the surface of the plate to get the data for solar irradiance

12. Classify the

weather condition at the time of

experiment.

Figure 19. Weather Condition on that specific time

V.

SUGGESTED TABULATION OF RESULTS

Table 1

Time,
min

Water
Temperature,
C

Plate
Temperature,
C

Solarimeter
Reading,
W/cm2

Weather
Condition

Table 2
Time,
min

Heat Input,
Qi

Heat
Absorbed by
Water, Qw

10

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

Efficiency,
n

VI.

REFERENCES
[1] Energy Information Administration. Solar Energy Energy from the Sun. Form
EIA-860, Annual Electric Generator Report database, 2007.
[2] Srtuckmann, F. (2008). Analysis of a Flat-plate Solar Collector. Project Report:
MVK160 Heat and Mass Transport. Lund, Sweden.
[3] Bakari, R., Minja, R., Njau, K. (2014). Effect of Glass Thickness on Performance
of Flat Plate Solar Collectors for Fruits Drying. Journal of Energy: Volume
2014, Article ID 247287, pp 2-3.

11

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City

12

Fernandez, Lim, Munsayac, Ygnacio

Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering
University of San Carlos TC, Talamban, Cebu City