High Performance Vacuum Flat Plate Solar Thermal Collector for Hot Water and Process Heat
Lead Research Organisation:
Loughborough University
Department Name: Wolfson Sch of Mech, Elec & Manufac Eng
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Organisations
People |
ORCID iD |
| Philip Charles Eames (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Arya F
(2018)
Vacuum enclosures for solar thermal panels Part 1: Fabrication and hot-box testing
in Solar Energy
Arya F
(2021)
Fabrication analysis of flat vacuum enclosures for solar collectors sealed with Cerasolzer 217
in Solar Energy
Arya F
(2018)
Vacuum enclosures for solar thermal panels Part 2: Transient testing with an uncooled absorber plate
in Solar Energy
Henshall P
(2016)
Constant temperature induced stresses in evacuated enclosures for high performance flat plate solar thermal collectors
in Solar Energy
Henshall, P
(2014)
An Evacuated Enclosure Design for Solar Thermal Energy Applications
| Description | Vacuum enclosures suitable for flat plate absorber solar collectors have been designed with systems fabricated and characterised. Progress was in accordance with the original workplan. Detailed analysis of absorber design, heat transfer and stress were performed both theoretically and experimentally. The key issues associated with achieving excellent long term performance have been identified. |
| Exploitation Route | The Vacuum flat plate solar collector systems require further research and development to improve long term durability and optimise performance for different applications prior to having a system that can be commercialised. The compact thin nature of the prototypes will make them suitable for building facade integration. The high optical and thermal efficiency and high temperatures possible make vacuum flat plate solar collectors suitable for combination with solar cooling systems and potentially thermochemical heat storage systems. |
| Sectors | Construction Energy |
| Description | The prototype systems developed have been used to demonstrate to MSc students the potential of improving solar thermal system performance for climates similar to the UK and that thin planer solar thermal system suitable for building envelope integration are possible. PhD students and RAs have incorporated vacuum flat plate performance data generated from the project into models to predict the feasibility and efficiency of charging thermochemical heat storage systems for inter-seasonal heat storage for space heating, and phase change heat storage systems for daily hot water provision. In subsequent research an array of compound parabolic concentrators with selectively coated tubular absorbers was successfully enclosed within a thin planer vacuum panel system achieving low rates of heat losses, the ability to concentrate both direct and a significant fraction of the diffuse solar radiation within the collector acceptance angle and to achieve higher operational temperatures with good efficiency. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2021 |
| Sector | Other |