Experimental Characterisation of a Flat Panel Integrated-Collector-Storage Solar Water Heater Featuring a Photovoltaic Absorber and a Planar Liquid-Vapour Thermal Diode

Pugsley, Adrian, Smyth, Mervyn, Mondol, Jayanta Deb, Zacharopoulos, Aggelos, Mattia, Luigi Di

EuroSun 2016 · Palma de Mallorca, Spain · 2016-10-11
Published by International Solar Energy Society (ISES)
DOI: 10.18086/eurosun.2016.08.14

Abstract

A flat panel Integrated Collector-Storage Solar Water Heater (ICSSWH) incorporating a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) absorber and a Planar Liquid-Vapour Thermal Diode (PLVTD) was fabricated. Tests indicate zero temperature rise instantaneous thermal and electrical efficiencies of 60% and 9% respectively, dropping to 40% and 6% under nominal intended operating conditions (600 Wm-2 irradiance, 50°C storage tank, 20°C ambient temperature). Measured overall heat loss coefficient was 0.85 Wm-2K-1 and thermal diode conductances were typically 45 Wm-2K-1 during solar collection periods and 1.7 Wm-2K-1 during heat retention periods. The work demonstrates that ICSSWH, PVT and PLVTD concepts can be successfully combined to create a scalable flat panel solar collector suitable for integration within a multifunction building facade.

Keywords

Integrated-collector-storage solar water heater (icsswh), Photovoltaic-thermal (pv/t), Building integrated solar thermal (bist), Building integrated photovoltaic (bipv), Thermal diode

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