The Use of Collector Efficiency Test Results in Long Term Performance Calculations: Revisions and Clarifications in View of Proper Collector Characterization and Inter Comparison

Abstract

There are a growing number of solar thermal collector types: flat plates, evacuated tubes with and without backing reflectors and different tubular spacing, low concentration collectors, using different types of concentrating optics. These different concepts and designs all compete to be more efficient or simply cheaper, easier to operate, etc. at ever higher temperatures, and even to extend the use of solar thermal energy in other applications beyond the most common water heating for domestic purposes.

This means that there is a growing need for the existing and future simulation tools to be as accurate as possible in the treatment of these different collector types, to allow for the proper dimensioning of solar thermal systems as well as the proper comparison of different collector technologies for a given application.

This paper develops a systematic approach to the problem of the proper handling of solar radiation available to each collector type. The proposed methodology subdivides radiation in its different components, folding that with the information available from efficiency curve tests (steady state) for each collector type and the way the optics of each particular case transforms and uses the incident solar radiation. The suggestions made will hopefully be taken at the level of the testing standards themselves, rendering them more complete and general.