Experimental analysis of a flat plate solar collector with integrated latent heat thermal storage

In the present paper, an experimental analysis of a solar water heating collector with
an integrated latent heat storage unit is presented. With the purpose to determine the
performance of a device on a lab scale, but with commercial features, a flat plate
solar collector with phase change material (PCM) containers under the absorber
plate was constructed and tested. PCM used was a commercial semi-refined light
paraffin with a melting point of 60°C. Tests were carried out in outdoor conditions
from October 2016 to March 2017 starting at 7:00 AM until the collector does not
transfer heat to the water after sunset. Performance variables as water inlet
temperature, outlet temperature, mass flow and solar radiation were measured in
order to determine a useful heat and the collector efficiency. Furthermore, operating
temperatures of the glass cover, air gap, absorber plate, and PCM containers are
presented. Other external variables as ambient temperature, humidity and wind speed
were measured with a weather station located next to the collector. The developed
prototype reached an average thermal efficiency of 24.11% and a maximum outlet
temperature of 50°C. Results indicate that the absorber plate reached the PCM
melting point in few cases, this suggests that the use of a PCM with a lower melting
point could be a potential strategy to increase thermal storage. A thermal analysis
and conclusions of the device performance are discussed.
JOURNAL OF CONTEMPORARY URBAN AFFAIRS (2017) 1(3), 7-12.
https://doi.org/10.25034/ijcua.2018.36zd72