Modeling, simulation and outdoor experimental performance analysis of a solar-assisted process heating system for industrial process heat

Abstract

Industrial process heating applications in the temperature range of 50°–250 °C consumes about 35% of the global fossil fuels, wherein solar thermal is envisaged as an alternative option. Outlet temperatures of both flat-plate collector (FPC) and photovoltaic thermal collector (PVT) are not high enough to serve industrial processes. In this article, a solar assisted process heating (SAPH) system, wherein an FPC integrated in series with a PVT, has been designed to produce low to medium temperature process heat. TRNSYS simulation models have been developed for the isolated FPC and PVT as well as integrated SAPH (PVT-FPC) systems and simulated models have been validated through outdoor experimentation. Results show that SAPH system generates thermal energy as high as 1420 W with a thermal efficiency of 75% and an exergy efficiency of 12.72%. Performance mapping ascertains that SAPH system performs better at lower mass flow rates and under higher radiations. This well-engineered integration offers unique and sustainable solution to meet industrial process heat demand at a minimum fossil fuel usage. Such SAPH system with the compatible numbers of FPCs and PVTs can be implemented to accomplish low to medium temperature process heat requirements.