LabVIEW-based solar air heater monitoring system

Abstract

Solar air heaters are equipment which have the ability to convert solar energy into thermal energy by means of an internal air flow. The development of such a system is closely related to the presence of solar radiation without which it is not possible to obtain thermal energy. For maximum yields it is necessary to establish the performance or thermal capacity of a solar air heating system. For this purpose, it is recommended to use a monitoring system, which has the ability to indicate the weaknesses of the equipment. This paper presents a model of monitoring using the LabVIEW software via a DAQ USB device, two thermocouple sensors type J, one humidity sensor, a pyranometer and four signal adapters. The commercial solar air heater and a thermostat, are also part of the monitoring system. The purpose of the current study is a short analysis of the performances of a solar air heater with the assistance of a monitoring system and the proposal of constructive changes to increase the thermal efficiency. The work completes with graphically presented results and conclusions that emerge from the study.