[Bldg-sim] Solar Collector Design

Chris Yates chris.malcolm.yates at gmail.com
Mon Feb 28 02:52:11 PST 2011


I agree with Marcus here. The best that you could do in IES - 
practically - would be to utilise a polynomial representing the 
performance of the collector. Definitely no detailed analysis of the 
collector itself. The same would be true of E+.

Sounds like you could end up messing around in Trnsys or Matlab - not 
something I'd like to do!

You may want to take a look at Micheal Wetter's work with Modelica at 
LBNL. I don't think he's developed any solar collector models but 
Modelica is definitely the way to go for general purpose physics based 
component modelling.

Again, it's worth keeping an eye on the development of IDA ICE from Equa 
which has the best of both worlds: a friendly user interface for 
generating building models and an open interface to the underlying 
component models (many of which are written in Modelica). There's a 
schematic modelling interface enabling the user to build stand alone 
component models as well.

Thanks for the bibliography reference Marcus.

Regards

Chris

On 28/02/2011 08:33, Marcus wrote:
> As Lars pointed out, if you are indeed investigating a concentrating 
> collector (with a reflector), then the problem is probably more 
> complex than modelling a flat plate collector due to the importance of 
> radiative transfer. It looks like CoDePro only models flat plate 
> collectors, but I've never used it. There might be other tools out 
> there, but if the design is truly custom, you might need to develop 
> your own computer model in something like EES (which is exactly what 
> CoDePro is) or Matlab, etc.
>
> Regardless, the most complete reference for solar collector modelling 
> is the book "Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes" by Duffie and 
> Beckman.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Marcus
> -- 
> Marcus Jones, LEED AP, M.Sc.
> /Freelance energy consultant/
> /Vienna, Austria/
>
> On Sun, Feb 27, 2011 at 4:35 PM, Lars O. Grobe <grobe at gmx.net 
> <mailto:grobe at gmx.net>> wrote:
>
>     Hi!
>
>
>         For component level modeling challenges like constructing custom
>         solar thermal collectors, what sort of simulation tools would
>         others
>         recommend to evaluate, i.e. heat transfer through different
>         types of
>         enclosure materials into the receiving fluid, or different
>         reflector
>         shapes?
>
>
>     Hm, I am curious about replies here. Wouldn't it make sense to
>     break up the problem? Reflector design mostly would be about
>     radiative transfer, so optical simulation tools would lead to an
>     assessment of the irradiance on your absorbing surfaces. The
>     second step would be to find the heat flow inside the piping as
>     well as between pipes and surrounding.
>
>     Cheers, Lars.
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-- 

Chris Yates C Eng MCIBSE

/Building Physics Consultant/

Tel:+447960731576

Email: chris.malcolm.yates at gmail.com

Skype: christopher.m.yates

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