Comparative study of solar hot air heating systems with phase change materials in plateau areas

Abstract

Rich solar energy resources in plateau areas of Western China are suitable for local heating. However, common solar heating systems face the potential hazard and maintenance difficulties caused by climatic conditions. In this paper, the solar hot air heating system using the air medium evacuated tube collectors (ETCs) with embedding phase change materials (PCM) was discussed, which can be a good solution in plateau areas. The whole system model was built in TRNSYS software and validated with practical data. Then the comparative study was conducted to evaluate the energy-efficiency performance and feasibility of six kinds of solar heating systems, which also involved the fully electric heating, based on the three thermal types of buildings in Lhasa. It was concluded that the solar hot air heating system is the most suitable application in plateau areas, which shifts more solar energy to night time heating and requires less maintenance. Furthermore, the influence of parameters on the system performance was also investigated, such as collector area, buffer tank volume and electric power. This study will help the design and application of solar hot air heating system with PCM in plateau areas for winter heating.