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Title: Energy Use Test Facility: CAC-DOE solar air heater test report

Abstract

The solar air heater testing demonstrated an attractive application for residential space heating, especially appealing to the do-it-yourself market. Simple improvements in construction, such as caulking of the glazing, could increase collector performance at little cost. The operating cost of the fan was insignificant, being less than $0.05/week. Tested in its as-shipped configuration at 96.1 cfm (3 cfm/ft/sup 2/), the useful energy delivered averaged 20,000 Btu/day for six days in December. The electrical consumption of the fan was approximately 1 kWh. Doubling the flowrate did not increase collector performance appreciably. A TRNSYS computer simulation model for this solar air heater design was validated by comparing the measured test data on January 4, 1981 with calculated values. TRNSYS predicted the measured collector outlet temperatures within +- 1.2/sup 0/F and the energy delivered within +- 3%. The excellent agreement was obtained by adjusting the collector loss coefficient to an unrealistically low value; therefore, a parametric study is recommended to determine the model sensitivity to varying different parameters. A first-order collector efficiency curve was derived from the TRNSYS simulations which compared well with the curve defined by the clear-day measured data. In addition, a linear equation for the monthly efficiency that allows amore » calculation of energy savings for any location was derived from simulated data. The annual energy delivered by the air heater is calculated for three cities using hourly TRNSYS simulations and Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data. The approximate cost of materials for the heater is $144 maximum. Discounting 40% for the federal tax credit, the cost is $86. Based on 1981 electrical rates of $0.04/kWh, 2-1/2 to 3 heating seasons are required to pay back the initial cost of one collector in the TVA region.« less

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga (USA). Div. of Energy Conservation and Rates
OSTI Identifier:
7098717
Report Number(s):
TVA/OP/ECR-82-30
ON: DE83900162
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; SOLAR AIR HEATERS; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; PERFORMANCE TESTING; BLOWERS; DAILY VARIATIONS; DEGREE DAYS; EFFICIENCY; ENERGY YIELD; EXPERIMENTAL DATA; HOURLY VARIATIONS; NETWORK ANALYSIS; PAYBACK PERIOD; TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION; TENNESSEE; THEORETICAL DATA; THERMAL ANALYSIS; VALIDATION; AIR HEATERS; DATA; ECONOMICS; EQUIPMENT; FEDERAL REGION IV; HEATERS; INFORMATION; NORTH AMERICA; NUMERICAL DATA; SIMULATION; SOLAR COLLECTORS; SOLAR EQUIPMENT; TESTING; USA; VARIATIONS; YIELDS; 141000* - Solar Collectors & Concentrators

Citation Formats

. Energy Use Test Facility: CAC-DOE solar air heater test report. United States: N. p., 1981. Web. doi:10.2172/7098717.
. Energy Use Test Facility: CAC-DOE solar air heater test report. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/7098717
. 1981. "Energy Use Test Facility: CAC-DOE solar air heater test report". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/7098717. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/7098717.
@article{osti_7098717,
title = {Energy Use Test Facility: CAC-DOE solar air heater test report},
author = {},
abstractNote = {The solar air heater testing demonstrated an attractive application for residential space heating, especially appealing to the do-it-yourself market. Simple improvements in construction, such as caulking of the glazing, could increase collector performance at little cost. The operating cost of the fan was insignificant, being less than $0.05/week. Tested in its as-shipped configuration at 96.1 cfm (3 cfm/ft/sup 2/), the useful energy delivered averaged 20,000 Btu/day for six days in December. The electrical consumption of the fan was approximately 1 kWh. Doubling the flowrate did not increase collector performance appreciably. A TRNSYS computer simulation model for this solar air heater design was validated by comparing the measured test data on January 4, 1981 with calculated values. TRNSYS predicted the measured collector outlet temperatures within +- 1.2/sup 0/F and the energy delivered within +- 3%. The excellent agreement was obtained by adjusting the collector loss coefficient to an unrealistically low value; therefore, a parametric study is recommended to determine the model sensitivity to varying different parameters. A first-order collector efficiency curve was derived from the TRNSYS simulations which compared well with the curve defined by the clear-day measured data. In addition, a linear equation for the monthly efficiency that allows a calculation of energy savings for any location was derived from simulated data. The annual energy delivered by the air heater is calculated for three cities using hourly TRNSYS simulations and Typical Meteorological Year (TMY) data. The approximate cost of materials for the heater is $144 maximum. Discounting 40% for the federal tax credit, the cost is $86. Based on 1981 electrical rates of $0.04/kWh, 2-1/2 to 3 heating seasons are required to pay back the initial cost of one collector in the TVA region.},
doi = {10.2172/7098717},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/7098717}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1981},
month = {Sun Nov 01 00:00:00 EST 1981}
}