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Solar Energy Technology

Solar Energy Technology. Free energy, but expensive technology. Outline. Solar Energy on the earth. Insolation Solar Heating Technology Direct incidence Flat plates and concentrating mirrors. Storage Applications. The atmospheric filter. Solar Insolation.

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Solar Energy Technology

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  1. Solar Energy Technology Free energy, but expensive technology.

  2. Outline • Solar Energy on the earth. • Insolation • Solar Heating Technology • Direct incidence • Flat plates and concentrating mirrors. • Storage • Applications

  3. The atmospheric filter

  4. Solar Insolation • Insolation: The amount of energy that falls per area of the surface of the earth. • Measured in either • Btu/ft2-day OR W/m2-hr • Important factors: • Seasonal, daily, climactic variations • Direct or diffuse? • Horizontal surface vs. tilted surface.

  5. Solar Energy incident on flat surfaces during December

  6. Solar Energy received by tilted surfaces during December

  7. Insolation in Macomb • About 600 Btu/ft^2-day for a horizontal surface in December. • About 1000 Btu/ft^2-day for a tilted surface. • Need about 500,000 Btu per day. • That’s 500,000 Btu/day  1000 Btu/ft^2-day = 500 ft2, or about half the size of a medium sized home, assuming we can collect all that energy! • Direct collection – south-facing windows.

  8. Direct collection system

  9. Direct collection system at night

  10. Indirect Solar Collectors • Flat Plates • Glazing • Absorbing surface • Storage and distribution • Insulation. • Concentrating Mirrors • Focused light through flat or cylindrical mirrors.

  11. A flat plate energy collection system

  12. Collector Efficiency • Efficiency: ratio of heat stored to the amount of solar energy reaching the surface. • Typically 50%. • Losses: • T • Emissivity and absorptance

  13. Heating storage • Storage and regulation systems: • Water tanks • Rocks • Concrete • Heat Capacity: • Example: to store 500,000 Btu by heating water from 60 to 150 degrees F. • Q = c m T • m = Q / (c ) = 500,000 Btu / (1 Btu /lb*F)/ (90 F) = 5,555 lbs = 2500 kg = 665 gallons T

  14. Other applications • Space Heating • Water Heating • Absorption cooling! • Cooking • Electricity – using large collection towers or rows of cylindrical mirrors. • Next time -- Photovoltaics

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