A numerical and experimental study of a dual-function solar collector integrated with building in passive space heating mode

Abstract

A newly designed solar collector named dual-function solar collector is proposed. The dual-function solar collector integrated with building can perform in two different modes: working as a passive space heating collector in cold sunny days such as in winter, or working as a facade water heating collector in hot days such as in summer. An experimental study has been carried out to investigate the performance of the novel system in space heating mode, whilst, the dynamic numerical model has been established and validated. The experimental and numerical results show that during the period of the measurement from 9:00 to 17:00, the mean indoor temperature was up to 24.7°C while the mean ambient temperature was only 4.8°C, and a temperature stratification was present in the room. Moreover, a numerical study on the effect of optical property of coatings has been carried out.