Data acquisition and reduction techniques for a solar collector pressure test

Conference · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5421841

Clark, E L

To determine the pressure distributions on an array of parabolic trough solar collectors, at combined angles of pitch and yaw, an experimental investigation was conducted in an environmental wind tunnel. The flow in the tunnel simulated an atmospheric boundary layer, and hence, was highly turbulent. As a result of the turbulent flow, the measured pressure time history records were random in character. The frequency bandwidth of the data was limited by the response of the pressure measuring system. The properties of interest were the mean, root mean square, and peak pressure coefficients. To calculate these properties it was necessary to first determine a suitable sampling rate and averaging time (i.e., the number of samples to process). The techniques for determining these sampling parameters are described, as is a method of evaluating the effect of the pressure system response on the rms pressure coefficients. Typical results are presented to demonstrate, through repeatability of the coefficients, the effectiveness of the techniques.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-76DP00789
• OSTI ID: 5421841
• Report Number(s): SAND-83-1800C; CONF-840372-1; ON: DE84005554
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
BOUNDARY LAYERS
CONCENTRATING COLLECTORS
DATA ACQUISITION
DATA PROCESSING
DYNAMIC LOADS
EQUIPMENT
FLUID FLOW
LAYERS
PARABOLIC COLLECTORS
PARABOLIC TROUGH COLLECTORS
PROCESSING
SAMPLING
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TESTING
TUNNELS
TURBULENT FLOW
UNDERGROUND FACILITIES
WIND LOADS
WIND TUNNELS