Field Study of Novel Storage Tank of Solar Water Heating System

Abstract

In this paper thermo-hydrodynamic characteristics were investigated experimentally for a new type shell-helical coiled tube heat exchanger used as a storage tank of closed loop solar water heater system. Triple concentric helical coils were made of copper tubes of (12.5mm OD and 10mm ID) with coils diameter of (207, 152.2, 97mm) for outer, middle and inner coils respectively. The experiments were carried out during a clear sky days of (March and April 2012). The parameters studied in this work are: history of average temperature of shell side of the storage tank, collector heat gain, heat rejected from coils to shell side of the storage tank, collector efficiency, thermal effectiveness of the heat exchanger (storage tank), and pressure drop. These parameters were studied at four different circulating mass flow rates of (1.8, 3, 6, 9 l/min) and for two consuming modes of supply water namely no withdrawal, and continuous withdrawal of (1 l/min). The results show that stratification temperature in the storage tank is increased for no withdrawal compared with water withdrawal, also the shell side average temperature increases with increased solar time. Collector efficiency is increased with increasing circulation flow rates, also increases with water withdrawn from storage tank. The pressure drop decreases with the increase of solar radiation .

Keywords

• solar hot water system; storage tank; heat exchanger; helical coil tube; pressure drop; effectiveness.