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Natural convection in collector cavities with an isoflux absorber plate

Journal Article · · J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6065131

The boundary condition at the hot absorber plate in a solar collector will influence the natural convection in the enclosure. For the isoflux boundary condition and an isothermal cold wall an experimental and numerical study has been made for Ra numbers from 10/sup 5/ to 10/sup 7/ and inclinations from 20 to 90 deg with the horizontal. For vertical enclosures the heat transfer by natural convection was about 19 percent above that for an isothermal hot plate. This decreases with angle of inclination, to 9 percent at 20 deg. For solar collectors it means that for cases where the absorber plate is not isothermal the convective losses can be about 10 percent above the usually expected values.

Research Organization:
Koninklijke Shell Laboratories, Amsterdam, Netherlands
OSTI ID:
6065131
Journal Information:
J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Sol. Energy Eng.; (United States) Vol. 105:1; ISSN JSEED
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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