Stratified thermal storage in residential solar energy applications

Journal Article · · J. Energy; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2514/3.62417· OSTI ID:5628314

The benefits of thermal stratification in sensible heat storage were investigated for several residential solar applications. The operation of space heating, air conditioning, and water heating systems with water storage was simulated on a computer. The performance of comparable systems with mixed and stratified storage was determined in terms of the fraction of the total load supplied by solar energy. The effects of design parameters such as collector efficiency, storage volume, and flow rates, on the relative advantage of stratified over well-mixed storage were assessed. The results show that significant improvements in system performance (5-15%) may be realized if stratification can be maintained in the storage tank. The magnitude of the improvement is greatest and the sensitivity of design variables smallest in the service hot water application. The results also show that the set of design parameters which describes the optimum system is likely to be substantially different for a system employing stratified storage than for a mixed storage system. In both the water heating and space heating applications, collector flow rates lower than currently suggested for mixed storage systems were found to yield optimum performance for a system with stratified storage.

• OSTI ID: 5628314
• Journal Information: J. Energy; (United States), Journal Name: J. Energy; (United States) Vol. 3:2; ISSN JENED
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140901 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Space Heating & Cooling
140907 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Water Heating
142000* -- Solar Energy-- Heat Storage-- (1980-)
AIR CONDITIONING
APPLIANCES
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENERGY STORAGE
EQUIPMENT
GAS APPLIANCES
HEAT STORAGE
HEATERS
HEATING
PERFORMANCE
SENSIBLE HEAT STORAGE
SIMULATION
SOLAR AIR CONDITIONING
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR HEATING
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
SPACE HEATING
STORAGE
STRATIFICATION
THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE EQUIPMENT
WATER HEATERS