Study of an innovative Built-in Storage (Integrated Collector Storage) Solar Water Heater for Scottish Weather Conditions

摘要

Built-in storage solar water heaters are popular due to low cost and ease of manufacture. Requiring minimal maintenance, they are popular means of tapping solar insolation. Muneer et al [1-3] conducted extensive study of Built-in storage tank performance for Benghazi, Libya. Sporadical modifications in the heater design have been reported consistently [4-5]. A recent modification in the Built-in storage heater- the novelty of the design being the addition of fins-has been found to improve the efficiency of the system. The result from the field testing (Lahore, Pakistan) of the modified heater alongside the conventional heater have been reported and show a 10% improvement in the solar fraction value of the finned heater [6]. In this article, the effect of fins and the efficiency increase has been discussed and quantified. Laboratory experiments were carried out for both types of heaters (finned and non-finned), tested side by side to evaluate the effect of the fins in controlled conditions. In light of Scottish conditions, the water heaters for experimental testing were made with a shallow depth of storage tanks and the experiments were conducted at fixed heat flux values up to 400 Watts. CFD analysis has also been carried out to get a deeper insight on the effect of the fins.