Analytical and experimental study of an innovative multiple-throughout-flowing micro-channel-panels-array for a solar-powered rural house space heating system

Yi Fan, Xudong Zhao, Guiqiang Li, Yuanda Cheng, Jinzhi Zhou, Min Yu, Zhenyu Du, Jie Ji, Zishang Zhu, Thierno Diallo and Xiaoli Ma

Energy, 2019, vol. 171, issue C, 566-580

Abstract: This paper presents a combined analytical and experimental study of an innovative multiple-throughout-flowing micro-channel-panels-array applicable to a solar-powered rural house space heating system. This array, compared to the traditional one-to-one-connection panels-array, can significantly reduce the temperature difference between the head and real panels and thus increase the overall solar thermal efficiency and energy efficiency ratio (EER). The research methodology covers the theoretical analysis, experimental testing, model validation and system optimization. It is found that the analytical model has a good accuracy in predicting the performance of the multiple-throughout-flow micro-channels-panels-array, giving a discrepancy of less than 10%. In terms of the configuration and sizes of the array, 10 pieces of panels with 5 flow turns is regarded as the most favorite option. During the operation, decreasing flow rate of the fluid led to the increased EER of the panels-array. By converting the one-to-one-connection mode into the multiple-throughout-flowing mode, the overall solar thermal efficiency of the panels-array increases by around 10% and its energy efficiency factor (EER) decreases by 80% respectively. The research has addressed a novel solar-panels-array that can be well applied to solar thermal systems, thus making a significant contribution to the saving of fossil fuel energy consumption and reduction of carbon emission on global scale.

Keywords: Solar-thermal; Panels-array; Space heating; Multiple-throughout-flowing; Micro-channel; Thermal efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544219300507
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:171:y:2019:i:c:p:566-580

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2019.01.049

Access Statistics for this article

Energy is currently edited by Henrik Lund and Mark J. Kaiser

More articles in Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().