System simulation and verification of a storage-type heat exchanger used in a solar domestic hot water system

Conference · Mon Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1980 · Alternative Energy Sources; (United States)

OSTI ID:6881008

Cherng, J G; Lumsdaine, E; Thacher, E

A storage-type heat exchanger (bare copper tubing or finned copper tubing placed inside the water storage tank) has been used widely in solar domestic hot water systems. This type of heat exchanger has been frequently adopted into solar system design, especially in residential and small-scale commercial applications. However, to analyze the heat transfer phenomenon of a storage-type heat exchanger in a solar domestic hot water system is not an easy task. The transient effect of the solar radiation as well as the variation of the demand for domestic hot water load make the problem even more complicated. Existing tables or charts for determining the effectiveness of a conventional heat exchanger are not applicable for this system. Although there are some rule-of-thumb methods being used to estimate the total required heat transfer surface area (i.e., estimate the length and diameter of the tube), unfortunately there are no sufficient systematic operational results to verify these methods. The objectives of this study are twofold: first, to develop a mathematical model which can be used to simulate the heat transfer phenomenon of a storage-type heat exchanger under some reasonable assumptions and second, to verify this mathematical model by comparing the analytic calculations with operational results.

• Research Organization: New Mexico Solar Energy Institute, Las Cruces, New Mexico
• OSTI ID: 6881008
• Report Number(s): CONF-801210-
• Journal Information: Alternative Energy Sources; (United States), Vol. 1; Conference: 3. Miami international conference on alternative energy sources, Miami Beach, FL, USA, 15 Dec 1980
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HEAT STORAGE
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
DATA ANALYSIS
DESIGN
HEAT TRANSFER
HOT WATER
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
NEW MEXICO
APPLIANCES
ENERGY STORAGE
ENERGY TRANSFER
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION VI
HEATERS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STORAGE
USA
WATER
WATER HEATERS
142000* - Solar Energy- Heat Storage- (1980-)