Year round performance studies on a built-in storage type solar water heater at Jodhpur, India

Abstract

An improved solar water heater (capacity 901) made up of a 112×80×10 cm rectangular tank which performs the dual function of absorbing heat and storing the heated water has been designed and a prototype tested in Jodhpur. The performance tests carried out at the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jodhpur, indicate an efficiency factor reaching as high as 70 per cent. The year-round performance tests show that this heater can supply 901 of water at a mean temperature of 50 to 60°C in winter and 60 to 75°C in summer (measured at 4:00 p.m.). The performance tests also indicate that sufficient hot water can be obtained in the early morning if the heater is covered with an insulation blanket overnight or if the hot water is stored in an insulated tank. A performance equation for this type of heater, where the inputs are the solar intensity, ambient air temperature and geometry and material specifications of the heater, has also been developed. With this performance equation the optimum gap depth, i.e. the distance between upper and lower plate of the heater, has been found to be 10·0 cm.