Study on the performance of a solar collector with heat collection and storage

Abstract

The collector in a solar chimney power plant system (SCPPS) is a heat exchanger that converts solar energy into the internal energy of the transport medium. This study proposed a new collector structure that could be used in combination with agricultural production, based on modelling and experimental research. Comparison of the heat collection performance of the new collector structure with the performances of two traditional collector structures, indicated that the new structure, in which the heat absorber plate was located in the middle of the collector, had the best performance. Since the airflow channel was divided into upper and lower channels, the heat transfer area was increased, and the heat transfer in the channel was enhanced. In addition, the perforated heat absorber plate with a certain porosity characteristic had a better heat transfer performance than the full heat absorber plate and could improve the stability and continuous power generation capability of SCPPS.