Study of Conversion Efficiency of Tube-type Solar Thermal Collectors

Abstract

There has been more and more attention to research on design and usage of solar thermal collectors so as to satisfy economic development. Nowadays, the extent of applicability of a tube-type solar thermal collector is an intriguing problem for new engineering design. In this paper, analytical and experimental studies of a multi-tube type solar thermal collector are presented as a tool. Thermodynamic analysis of the thermal collector is derived to describe and evaluate its performance in aspects of energy conversion efficiency. A small-scale rig of a multi-tube type solar thermal collector is made from materials available in market. It is experimentally tested during 9-hr of daytime in real use. It is found that experimental results give a good agreement with the mathematical model of conversion efficiency, which relates to material parameters of the solar thermal collector.