Solar collector performance with weathered and unweathered plastic glazing materials

Conference · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1983 · ASAE Tech. Pap.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6412863

Drury, L N; Mitchell, B W

The thermal performance of flat-plate, water-heating solar collectors with fiberglass-reinforced polyester (FRP) glazing that had been in use for 3.8 yr was compared to that of the same collectors with glazings of unweathered FRP and polyvinylfluoride (PVF). Collector performance measurements were made, recorded, and processed with on-line, microcomputer-based instrumentation. Solar and infrared transmittances of the glazing materials, and the solar absorptance and infrared emittance of the absorber plates were also measured. Efficiencies of the collectors were about 20% less with the weathered FRP than with either the unweathered FRP or the PVF. The decrease in efficiency was about 25% greater than the corresponding decrease in solar transmittance of the FRP glazing.

• Research Organization: Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Athens, Georgia
• OSTI ID: 6412863
• Report Number(s): CONF-831275-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: ASAE Tech. Pap.; (United States) Journal Volume: 83-4540
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140907 -- Solar Thermal Utilization-- Water Heating
141000* -- Solar Collectors & Concentrators
APPLIANCES
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
EFFICIENCY
EQUIPMENT
ESTERS
FIBERGLASS
FLAT PLATE COLLECTORS
GLAZING MATERIALS
HEATERS
MATERIALS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC POLYMERS
PERFORMANCE
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYESTERS
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
SOLAR COLLECTORS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
THERMAL EFFICIENCY
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
WATER HEATERS
WEATHERING