Exergetic optimization of flat plate solar collectors

S. Farahat, F. Sarhaddi and H. Ajam

Renewable Energy, 2009, vol. 34, issue 4, 1169-1174

Abstract: In this paper, an exergetic optimization of flat plate solar collectors is developed to determine the optimal performance and design parameters of these solar to thermal energy conversion systems. A detailed energy and exergy analysis is carried out for evaluating the thermal and optical performance, exergy flows and losses as well as exergetic efficiency for a typical flat plate solar collector under given operating conditions. In this analysis, the following geometric and operating parameters are considered as variables: the absorber plate area, dimensions of solar collector, pipes' diameter, mass flow rate, fluid inlet, outlet temperature, the overall loss coefficient, etc. A simulation program is developed for the thermal and exergetic calculations. The results of this computational program are in good agreement with the experimental measurements noted in the previous literature. Finally, the exergetic optimization has been carried out under given design and operating conditions and the optimum values of the mass flow rate, the absorber plate area and the maximum exergy efficiency have been found. Thus, more accurate results and beneficial applications of the exergy method in the design of solar collectors have been obtained.

Keywords: Exergy; Flat plate solar collector; Optimization (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2009
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (51)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148108002620
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:renene:v:34:y:2009:i:4:p:1169-1174

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2008.06.014

Access Statistics for this article

Renewable Energy is currently edited by Soteris A. Kalogirou and Paul Christodoulides

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