The performance of an experimental solar heating system. Interim report

Technical Report · Thu Feb 01 00:00:00 EST 1979

OSTI ID:5815884

Joncich, D M; Leverenz, D J; Johnson, D L

This report describes the performance of a residential-scale, completely instrumented solar heating system located at the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL), Champaign, IL. The investigation was made between January 1977 and April 1978. In addition, a daily profile of the performance of the system and its components is presented for a representative sunny winter day. An analysis of the solar system operation indicated that the collector array is by far the most inefficient component in the system for converting incident solar energy into useful heat. The solar system consists of 20 sq m (220 sq ft) of flat-plate, selective surface, singly glazed solar collerctors and a 7.6 cu m (2000 gal) equivalent hot water storage tank. The storage system supplies hot water for heating a 50 sq m (540 sq ft) building used by CERL as office space. There is no domestic hot water in the building. Auxiliary energy is supplied by an electric, flow-through hot water heater. The results of this research are presented in terms of mean daily averages for each month during the heating season and include instantaneous solar radiation (horizontal and in the plane of the collector), useful heat acquired by the collector, useful heat delivered to the thermal storage tank, useful heat delivered to the heating load, thermal storage heat losses, and electrical energy supplied to the pumps.

• Research Organization: Army Construction Engineering Research Lab., Champaign, IL (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5815884
• Report Number(s): AD-A-066699
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
OFFICE BUILDINGS
SOLAR SPACE HEATING
SOLAR HEATING SYSTEMS
PERFORMANCE
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
EFFICIENCY
ILLINOIS
SENSIBLE HEAT STORAGE
TANKS
BUILDINGS
CONTAINERS
ENERGY STORAGE
GREAT LAKES REGION
HEAT STORAGE
HEATING
HEATING SYSTEMS
NORTH AMERICA
SOLAR HEATING
SPACE HEATING
STORAGE
USA
140901* - Solar Thermal Utilization- Space Heating & Cooling