• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.63-71
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• 2001

This work has been carried out to find the ideal operating conditions for solar vacuum tube collectors which are widely used at present. Various types of solar collectors including a flat plate one were experimentally tested and examined to determine their thermal efficiencies and operating characteristics. Generally, solar vacuum tubes can be classified into two groups according to their design features. Of these, one is characterized by the insertion of a metallic device(such as a finned heat pipe) in an evacuated glass tube for the collection and transportation of solar energy. The other utilizes double glass tubes where the smaller one is contained inside the bigger one and soldered to each other after the small gap between them is evacuated. Both of these solar collectors are designed to minimize convection heat losses by removing the air which is in direct contact with the absorber surface. The performance of the former type can be readily analyzed by applying the relevant correlations developed for flat plate solar collectors. This has been demonstrated in the present study for the case of a solar collector where a heat pipe is inserted in an evacuated tube.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2003.04a
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• pp.1542-1547
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• 2003

This paper represents the solar collector performance with type of an evacuate double glass, and a copper tube was installed in center of collector to get a solar thermal energy. The one module of solar collector and artificial sun were used in this experiment The distance between artificial sun and solar collector was fixed at 0.5m, and this experimental condition was focused on winter season. The experiments were carried out. three times for getting a accurate data and the heat amount of one module evacuate d solar collector was estimated at out. 48 kcal/hr.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.15-22
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• 2003

This study deals with the collection of solar energy and its storage in evacuated tubular collector systems for different types of header design, flow passage and heat transfer devices. In order to elicit the most efficient combination of header design, flow passage, heat transfer hardware and operating conditions, a series of tests were done for the four different types of solar collectors utilizing vacuum tubes. The systems studied here either has the evacuated collector tubes with a metal cap on one end or the all-glass evacuated solar collector tubes These evacuated tubular collectors are known to be more efficient than the flat-plate ones in both direct and diffuse solar radiation. Test results show that the system comprised of the all-glass evacuated tubes with U-shaped copper pipes inside outperforms the other configurations. Especially, a rolled copper sheet tightly placed along the inner surface of each inner tube enhances heat transfer between the heated collector surface and the water contained in the U-shaped copper pipe.

• Solar Energy
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.9-17
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• 1992

This is an experimental work concerning about an application of a heat pipe to an evacuated-glass-tube solar collector system. A methanol heat pipe with length of 0.7 m and diameter of 8 mm was manufactured and tested to compare its performance with that of freon thermosyphon which was originally used in a solar collector system fabricated at Thermomax Co.. Then this methanol heat pipe was utilized to be one component, i.e. heat transfer element, of the present experimental model of a solar collector. This model was performed the operation test as its absorber plate was irradiated by infrared lamps. The following results were obtained. (1) The methanol heat pipe was showed a stable operation when the variation of axial heat transport was $0{\sim}40$ watts and that of inclination angle was $30{\sim}90^{\circ}$. (2) The heat transport capability of the heat pipe was proved to be higher than that of the thermosyphon, because the heat transport limitation of the latter was occured at about 30 watt. (3) The heat pipe in a solar collector was also showed good performance as it transmitted absorbed energy.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-53
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• 2002

This study has been carried out to study the thermal performance of an all-glass type solar collector tube when a heat transfer medium is used with a heat storage unit capable of preventing pressure build-up within the tube. The heat storage unit is devised such that it performs the dual function of relieving excessive pressure and storing solar thermal energy. Different types of heat storage medium are tested under heat-up phase of a collector tube. It is found that the proposed unit could be used quite effectively if one wishes to capitalize more aggressively in harnessing the solar energy.

• Advances in Energy Research
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.299-323
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• 2016

Cylindrical parabolic solar concentrators of small concentration ratio are attractive options for working temperatures around $120^{\circ}C$. The heat gained can be utilized in many applications such as air conditioning, space heating, heating water and many others. These collectors can be easily manufactured and do not need to track the sun continuously. Using a heat pipe as a solar absorber makes the system more compact and easy to install. This study is devoted to modeling a system of cylindrical parabolic solar concentrators of small concentration ratio (around 5) fitted with a heat pipe absorber with a porous wick. The heat pipe is surrounded by evacuated glass tube to reduce thermal losses from the heat pipe. The liquid and vapor flow equations, energy equation, the internal and external boundary conditions were taken into consideration. The system of equations was solved and the numerical results were validated against available experimental and numerical results. The validated heat pipe model was inserted in an evacuated transparent glass tube as the absorber of the cylindrical parabolic collector. A calculation procedure was developed for the system, a computer program was developed and tested and numerical simulations were realized for the whole system. An experimental solar collector of small concentration, fitted with evacuated tube heat pipe absorber was constructed and instrumented. Experiments were realized with the concentrator axis along the E-W direction. Results of the instantaneous efficiency and heat gain were compared with numerical simulations realized under the same conditions and reasonably good agreement was found.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.659-668
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• 2005

The thermal performances of glass evacuated tube solar collectors are numerically investigated. Four different shapes of solar collectors are considered and the performances of these solar collectors are numerically investigated. Dealing with only collecting tube, the effects of not only the shape of the absorber tube but also the incidence angle of solar irradiation on the thermal performance of the collector are studied because the energy obtained by the absorber can be varied according to the incidence angle of solar radiation. However, the solar irradiation consists of the beam radiation as well as the diffuse radiation. Also, in actual system, the interference of solar irradiation and heat transfer interaction between the tubes should be considered. Therefore, this study considered these effects is carried out experimentally and numerically. The accuracy of the numerical model is verified by experiments. The result shows that the thermal performance of the absorber used a plate fin and U-tube is about $25\%$ better than those of the other models.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.9 s.292
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• pp.544-551
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• 2006

The sealing technique between a glass tube and a copper heat pipe in an evacuated tube solar collector is studied. In this study two different sealing techniques, such as flame method and furnace firing, are examined. After the sealing of a copper to a glass, the oxidation state of the copper and its bonding morphology were examined by SEM and XRD. Its oxidation was retarded by coating of borate solution on the copper, and $Cu_2O(cuprite)$ turned into CuO(tenorite) with increase in a firing temperature and firing time. Porous structure was found in the oxide layer when CuO formed. The best sealing morphology was observed when the thickness of the oxidation layer was less than $20{\mu}m$. The sealing technique performed in a furnace was promising and the satisfactory result was obtained when the sample was fired at $950^{\circ}C$ for 5 min under $N_2$ atmosphere. Annealing procedure is recommended to remove the stress left at the bonding zone.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.38 no.11
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• pp.1000-1007
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• 2001

In an evacuated tube solar collector, the stable sealing of the heat pipe to the glass tube is important for the collector to use for a long period of time. The sealing of copper tube to the glass is quite difficult because of the large differences in the physical and chemical properties of the two materials. In this study, therefore, a proper copper oxide layer was induced to improve the chemical bonding of the two materials, and the oxidation state of copper and the interface between copper and glass were examined by XRD, SEM and EDS. Its bonding strength was also measured. Cu$_2$O was formed when the bare copper was heat-treated under 600$^{\circ}C$, while CuO oxide layer was formed above that temperature. The bonding state of CuO to the copper was very poor. The borate treatment of the copper, however, extend the stable forming of Cu$_2$O layer to 800$^{\circ}C$. Borosilicate glass tube was sealed to a copper tube by Housekeeper method only when the sealing part was covered with Cu$_2$O layer. The bonding strength at the interface was measured 354.4N, its thermal shock resistance was acceptable.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.324-331
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• 2013

All evacuated tube collector is being constantly studied since it can reduce the conductive heat loss in absorber by using vacuum technology and has advantage of heat transport capacity and quick thermal response in comparatively small temperature difference. This study investigated the dynamic thermal performance of the solar collector with the control condition of solar irradiance and fluid temperature by using performance experimental apparatus which is combined with solar collector and refrigerator, examined the thermal characteristics in definite temperature range of fluid in constant temperature tank by simultaneously measuring refrigerating performance. As a result of it, I deducted the related equation of collector efficiency and found that mean collector efficiency has increased through quick heat transfer characteristics according to increase of outdoor temperature and irradiance in case of outlet temperature of constant temperature tank $22^{\circ}C$ when set outlet temperature of solar collector $25^{\circ}C$ with outlet temperature of constant temperature tank $18^{\circ}C$ & $22^{\circ}C$. Also COP of refrigerator was acquired value of 6.2~7.1 at outlet temperature of constant temperature tank $18^{\circ}C$.