Experimental investigation of an off-grid CPC system integrated with a radiator for the application of space heating

Uday Raj Singh, Manzoor Hussain, Vivek Kumar and Satya Sekhar Bhogilla

Energy, 2024, vol. 306, issue C

Abstract: Compound parabolic collectors (CPC) are non-tracking concentrators capable of producing lower to medium-range heating (temperature range of 50–80 °C), making them suitable for space heating applications. CPCs raise the heat transfer fluid temperature to a specific value depending upon the solar irradiation received at the location. In this study, CPC is used to harness the solar energy, and an insulated tank is used to store thermal energy. To facilitate space heating, the hot fluid from the thermal storage tank is passed through a radiator, transferring the thermal energy from the tank to the target heating load. The overall setup consists of two loops with water as heat transfer fluid. Both loops consist of a pump that uses solar PV power. An experimental test setup was installed to measure the ambient heat transfer fluid, radiator fin, and room temperature. The combined system was tested for its performance under actual weather conditions prevailing in the area. Experiments were performed to investigate space heating potential at night, evening, and full day. The energy stored and collector efficiency were calculated for each day. The total thermal energy stored in the tank on a typical day was 67.79 MJ, and the collector efficiency was evaluated to be around 43.7 %. As per the experiment results, the combined CPC and radiator system have a significant potential to be explored in space heating.

Keywords: Compound parabolic collector; Solar energy; Space heating; Experimentation; Thermal energy storage; Efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:306:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224022333

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.132459

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