Dear Everybody!
I am about to conduct an experimental test on some solar collectors. I would appreciate it if someone could guide me by telling what points and hints I should consider while carrying an experimental test and data acquisition. Is there any good source for studying about this matter?
Best Regards.
You have to take into acount many points. Below I will give you some hints.
1) The accuracy of the measuring devices
2) You have to use 2 pyranometeres maybe in rode rto measure the global and teh diffuse.
3) You have to calibrate the measurements
4) The masic parameters that you have to measure ar: Tin, Tout, Tam, m, G
and other secondary are the air velocity and temperatures over the system (maybe cover or receiver)
5) Try to insulate the tubes and the tank
6) Try to keep constant the mass flow rate
7) Try to make a parametric analysis with variosu mass flow rates
8) Examine the system for many hours in order to take results in "steady state conditions"
9) Try to validate the results by comparing them with numerical
Hi Amin,
Look at this paper:
Valenzuela et al., Optical and thermal performance of large-size parabolic-trough solar collectors from outdoor experiments: A test method and a case study
Although the paper focuses on large scale PTCs as case study, it might provide you interestings hints whatever your experiments.
Best regards,
Rémi
Standards for testing;
EN ISO 9806-1,2 and 3, EN 12977-3, ASHRAE Standard 93:2010, SAE J 1559-2011, ASTM E905-87, ASTM E1084-86(2009), FSEC Standard 102-10, CSA F378.2-11, 2011.
Dear Mr. Sevik,
I do appreciate your attention to my question and your answer.
Hello
At first, I believe it is important that the experiment is repeatable. For this, you should maintain a constant potential load and monitor the amperage. I.e., has the sun intensity is reduce, your load should be reduce. (This can be done with a battery, making sure that you keep it potential at 11.75 volt +/- 0.05 volt. (or other number) if the voltage rise above 11.77, turn on and off some 12 volt light (or other resistive load) which has more power consumption at 12Vdc than the maximum output of your solar collector light. You should be able to have a on/off frequency of 1 to 10 herz. The second point is to monitor the temperature of the solar collector since there is a change in efficiency with every degree rise. If you are able to maintain the temperature using a variable cooling system then you would be able to create repetitive condition. To maintain a constant temperature, you could create a recirculating duct around your solar collector with a glass section. Using a small AC window unit, you would be able to maintain the required temperature inside the duct which would operate on an averaging thermostat that would monitor multiple point under the solar cell. Ideally you should have a temperature sensor for each cell to understand how the temperature vary around the panel and which solar cell are more efficient than others.
Once this is repeatable, you can start varying the potential and the temperature. This testing apparatus, will let you understand the operational effectiveness of any solar collector. Anyway, this is how I did mine to compare different solar cell,
Good luck.
Gilles
- Badges
- Science topic