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Investigation on the effect of different coated absorber plates on the thermal efficiency of the flat-plate solar collector

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Abstract

The aim of the present work is to compare thermal efficiency of three flat-plate collectors, which are different in the type of coatings used in the absorber plate. The thermal efficiency of the collector was investigated using three types of absorber plate: the black painted, the black chrome coating, and the carbon coating. The thermal performance of the collectors was considered based on American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers Standard 93 (2010). The volume flow rate varied from 0.5 to 1.5 L min−1. The field emission scanning electron microscope images demonstrated that the carbon coating had high absorption due to trap** the light and avoiding the reflection of the light. The collector with the carbon-coated absorber plate at the flow rate of 1.5 L min−1 has the maximum thermal efficiency of approximately 69.4%. Furthermore, the thermal efficiency of the carbon-coated absorber plate and black chrome-coated absorber plate is averagely 13% and 11.3% higher than the black-painted absorber plate, respectively. Additionally, the removed energy parameter (\(F_{\text{R}} U_{\text{L}}\)) at the flow rate of 1.5 L min−1 decreases approximately 35.4% for the collector with the carbon-coated absorber plate and 28.4% for the collector with the black chrome-coated absorber plate compared to the black-painted absorber plate.

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Abbreviations

A c :

Area of the absorber plate, (m2)

D :

Riser tube diameter, (m)

h :

Heat transfer coefficient, (W m−2K−1)

Q u :

The useful energy gain, (W)

T a :

Ambient temperature, (K)

T o :

Outlet temperature, (K)

T in :

Inlet temperature, (K)

T f,o :

Outlet fluid temperature, (K)

T f,i :

Inlet fluid temperature, (K)

T f,o,initial :

Outlet initial fluid temperature, (K)

C p :

Specific heat, (J kg−1)

G :

Solar radiation, (W m−2)

F R :

Heat removal factor

\({\dot{m}}\) :

Mass flow rate, (kg s−1)

U L :

Heat loss coefficient, (W m−2 K−1)

a:

Ambient

f:

Fluid

e:

Emissivity

i:

Inlet

o:

Outlet

\(\alpha\) :

Plate absorptance

\(\eta\) :

Thermal efficiency of collector

\(\tau\) :

Glass cover transmittance

\(\delta R\) :

Uncertainty in the result, generic

\(\delta X_{\text{j}}\) :

Uncertainty in the jth variable

FPC:

Flat-plate collector

Re:

Reynolds number, \(\rho UD_{\text{h}} /\mu_{\text{f}}\)

PH:

Power of hydrogen

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  1. Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Semnan University, Semnan, 19111-35131, Iran

    Seyed Ali Sakhaei & Mohammad Sadegh Valipour

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Sakhaei, S.A., Valipour, M.S. Investigation on the effect of different coated absorber plates on the thermal efficiency of the flat-plate solar collector. J Therm Anal Calorim 140, 1597–1610 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-019-09148-x

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