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Design and fabrication of a hydroformed absorber for an evacuated flat plate solar collector
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Moss, Roger W., Shire, G. S. F., Henshall, P., Eames, P. C., Arya, F. and Hyde, T. (2018) Design and fabrication of a hydroformed absorber for an evacuated flat plate solar collector. Applied Thermal Engineering, 138 . pp. 456-464. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.04.033 ISSN 1359-4311.
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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.04.0...
Abstract
The concept of an evacuated flat plate collector was proposed over 40 years ago but, despite its professed advantages, very few manufacturers have developed commercial versions. The absorber is a key component of a flat plate collector: in the context of an evacuated panel, absorber design poses a number of technical challenges.
A flooded panel absorber has been designed for use in evacuated flat plate solar collectors. The aim was to obtain higher efficiency, in a low out-gassing material, than would be possible using a conventional serpentine tube design.
Initial plans for a micro-channel plate were modified when optimisation analysis showed that a flooded panel could achieve as good performance with easier fabrication. The absorber plate is made from hydroformed stainless steel sheets welded together and features an array of through-holes for the glass supporting pillars with the square panel sub-divided into two rectangles connected in series for ease of fabrication and better flow distribution. The coolant flow was modelled in Star-CCM+. FEM simulations based on tensile test data informed the choice of sheet thickness and weld radius around the holes to withstand the 1 bar pressure differential.
Hydroforming is an effective method for producing sheet metal components, e.g. plates for heat exchangers or solar absorbers. As a thermal engineering experimental technique, the tooling is significantly cheaper than press tools since the mould does not need a matching die. In a research context, the ability to form plates in-house and explore profile and tooling options at low cost is very useful and might find application in other fields such as experimental heat exchangers.
A hydroforming facility was built using 85 mm thick steel sheet and a 25 MPa hydraulic pump. This proved highly effective at forming 0.7 mm stainless steel sheet. A total of eight absorbers were fabricated and successfully leak tested using helium. Two variants were made: one kind for use in enclosures with a metallic rear tray, the other for enclosures with glass on both sides. The collector efficiency factor is estimated to be 3% higher than for commercial tube-on-plate designs.
| Item Type: | Journal Article | ||||||||||||
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| Subjects: | T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery T Technology > TS Manufactures |
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| Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > Engineering | ||||||||||||
| Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Metal stamping, Sheet-metal work, High energy forming, Solar collectors, Solar collectors--Materials, Solar energy | ||||||||||||
| Journal or Publication Title: | Applied Thermal Engineering | ||||||||||||
| Publisher: | Pergamon | ||||||||||||
| ISSN: | 1359-4311 | ||||||||||||
| Official Date: | 25 June 2018 | ||||||||||||
| Dates: |
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| Volume: | 138 | ||||||||||||
| Page Range: | pp. 456-464 | ||||||||||||
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2018.04.033 | ||||||||||||
| Status: | Peer Reviewed | ||||||||||||
| Publication Status: | Published | ||||||||||||
| Access rights to Published version: | Open Access (Creative Commons) | ||||||||||||
| Date of first compliant deposit: | 11 April 2018 | ||||||||||||
| Date of first compliant Open Access: | 23 April 2018 | ||||||||||||
| RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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