Simulation and Sizing of Flat Plate Solar Collectors for Grain Drying
Ting, Kuan-Chong
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Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/67832
Description
Title
Simulation and Sizing of Flat Plate Solar Collectors for Grain Drying
Author(s)
Ting, Kuan-Chong
Issue Date
1980
Department of Study
Agricultural Engineering
Discipline
Agricultural Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Engineering, Agricultural
Energy
Language
eng
Abstract
Flat plate solar collectors have been proven to be a feasible means of obtaining energy for low temperature grain drying systems. The objective of this study was to provide pertinent information for the design and selection of flat plate solar collectors.
A simulation model, SUNTRAP, was developed to numerically simulate the performance of single cover flat plate ambient air heating solar collectors. The collector performance was dynamically simulated using a conserved energy finite difference method. The accuracy of the model output was verified by experimental results. Hourly temperature and relative humidity of the air heated by a collector with given specifications were predicted by the model. Therefore, the computer model could be combined with existing grain drying models to facilitate the study of entire solar grain drying systems. Daily energy collecting efficiency was also calculated by the model.
The effects of design parameters on the collector performance were investigated using the analysis of variance method. Airflow rate and daily horizontal insolation were found to be the most significant factors affecting daily efficiency and average air temperature rise, respectively. In general, larger area and channel depth, lower daily horizontal insolation, and higher wind speed will result in lower daily efficiency.
A functional relationship between the daily efficiency and the design parameters was established based on the results obtained from simulating the performance of collectors operated under 1,800 different conditions. The relationship was then used as a guideline in sizing solar collectors.
A computer program, SIZE, was designed to determine the smallest size of a flat plate solar collector which would collect at least a specified amount of energy. This program, in contrast to the program SUNTRAP, permits the calculation of the proper sizes of solar collectors from desired collector performance.
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