Development and Tests of the Solar Air Heater with Thermal Energy Storage

Krzysztof Sornek () and Karolina Papis-Frączek
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Krzysztof Sornek: Department of Sustainable Energy Development, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza Ave. 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland
Karolina Papis-Frączek: Department of Sustainable Energy Development, Faculty of Energy and Fuels, AGH University of Science and Technology, Mickiewicza Ave. 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 18, 1-20

Abstract: Passive solutions in buildings have recently been rediscovered because they allow the rational use of solar radiation, which promotes energy savings. Thermal energy gained from the sun may be stored in the form of sensible heat in accumulative solid materials in a building envelope. This paper proposes an innovative solar air heater that captures and accumulates solar energy during the day and releases it during the night. The analyzed system is based on inexpensive ceramic modules, which can be used to construct thermal storage walls or solar chimneys in modern buildings. Both configurations have been tested experimentally and by a numerical model in ArCADia BIM software. Experiments have been carried out in laboratory conditions using a specially developed prototype. Among other parameters, power transferred from the solar air heater to the ventilation air in different conditions has been analyzed. When airflow was set to 150 m 3 /h, the maximum power observed under stable working conditions was approx. 355.0 W when the developed solar air heater operated as the solar chimney, and approx. 165.0 W when it operated as the solar thermal wall. When airflow was set to 200 m 3 /h, the maximum power was approx. 385.0 W. Experimental results have been used to calculate the efficiency of the solar air heater in real conditions. The total efficiency in the case of the solar chimney was estimated as 0.25, while in the case of the thermal wall it was estimated as 0.78, which resulted in an annual reduction in energy usage at a level of 190.7 kWh and 556.1 kWh, respectively (4.8 and 14.0%). In practice, these values can be significantly higher due to the possibility of increasing the length and shape of the accumulation heat exchanger.

Keywords: thermal energy storage; solar heat storage; solar house; solar air heater; solar chimney; solar thermal wall (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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