Simulation of double glazed solar collector for the development and application of solar energy

Abstract

In the aim of solar thermal energy development and application in Rwanda, this work has the intention of analyzing the energy intake of a double glazed solar collector depending on its geometry, and on external parameters before being built and installed. Indeed before spending huge capitals and time, it is imperative to develop models and programs helping in the system design and forecasting. This study carries out a thermodynamic modelling of a forced double glazed conventional solar collector designed for heating and drying purposes. For this intention, a system of equations governing the collector thermal behaviour and of various heat exchange coefficients are established and solved numerically, This allows us to obtain the hourly temperature distribution of various collector's elements helping in analysing the system performance. The effect of collector dimension variation and air velocity variation on its performance is also analysed. The hourly results for the distribution of collector elements are graphically represented and the curves trends are in accordance with related previous works.