Low-cost solar air heater. Semi-annual progress report, June 29, 1976--December 22, 1976
The results to date on the development of a low-cost solar air heater are described. A unique jet-impingement concept is used as the absorber plate-to-air stream heat-transfer mechanism. The program objective is to design, fabricate, test and evaluate the jet-impingement concept collector. For comparison purposes, a baseline parallel-plate collector was analyzed, fabricated and tested. Values for the average jet-heat transfer coefficient are predicted and presented. A computer simulation using a nodal network collector model is used to predict collector performance. The predicted efficiency improvement of the jet-plate collector over that of the parallel-plate collector, at a fixed-flow rate of 1.47 kg/min-m2(4SCFM/ft/sup 2/), is approximately 11 percent for a one-cover design and 9 percent for a two-cover design. If the existing selective absorber coating and etched cover glass technology of Honeywell is applied to the jet-plate collector, the resulting performance gain over the baseline parallel-plate collector is 21 percent at the intercept and 35 percent for a typical space heating application. The collector mechanical design effort involved a study of cost effective methods for assembly and material selection. A preliminary recommended design is presented. In summary, it has been recommended that aluminized steel sheet, pre-painted with an acrylic paint, be used for the box material. A semi-rigid fiber glass, 2.54-cm (1-inch) thick, with an aluminum facing is recommended for the insulation. A steel absorber plate and a pre-assembled nozzle plate or perforated plate is used for the jet plate. Two sheets of 0.318-cm (0.125 inch) tempered, low-iron glass are recommended for the glazings. The baseline parallel plate test results are presented. Since jet-plate collector testing had just commenced at the time of this writing, we have no test results.
- Research Organization:
- Honeywell, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn. (USA). Energy Resources Center
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-02-2929
- OSTI ID:
- 7284101
- Report Number(s):
- COO-2929-6
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Jet impingement solar collector
Indoor test for thermal performance evaluation of the solaron (air) solar collector