Optimum Tilt Angle Research Articles

Optimum tilt and azimuth angles of heat pipe solar collector, an experimental approach

The application of solar energy as the widest, clean and free source of thermal energy requires the solar collector. As one of the common types of solar collector, heat pipe solar collector has been investigated. The thermal performance of a solar heat pipe collector was simulated using the anisotropic sky radiation model in eight different tilt angles and thirteen azimuth angles at the location of Isfahan City, Iran. The obtained theoretical results were compared with experimental ones and an average discrepancy of 5 % was obtained. After approving the chosen model, the optimum seasonal and yearly tilt angles were calculated and the correlations also were drawn from a written subroutine. The results show that through spring and summer, the optimum tilt angle is somewhat less and through autumn and winter the optimum tilt angle is beyond the latitude angle with the largest difference in spring and autumn. For the whole year and under the conditions of the present study, the optimum tilt angle is nearly the same as the latitude angle of the location.

Active Strategies Based on Parametric Design for Applying Shading Structures

This study aimed to increase the energy independence of buildings by utilizing solar energy to produce renewable energy. The subject of this study was a shading structure installed in an outdoor space to provide solar energy. Solar panels were applied to the shaded structures to generate energy actively. The solar panels were designed to be moved according to the optimal tilt angle each month to produce the optimal amount of renewable energy. The architectural design of the shading structure and the energy simulation of the solar panels were conducted using a parametric design. The results of the energy simulation showed the generation of 31,570 kWh· year−1 of renewable energy. This amount of energy is 10% higher than that produced by fixed solar panels. Thus, the moving solar panel system developed in this study not only increases the energy independence of buildings, but also has the advantage of higher renewable energy production compared with fixed solar panels. Additionally, various types of shading structures can be designed depending on the combination of solar panel modules; in particular, moving solar panels have the potential to facilitate ecofriendly designs when applied to the exterior of buildings.

Building a Better Roadmap toward a Green Economy through Advanced Rooftop Solar Mapping and Enhanced Energy Yield

Objective: This study aims to develop a transparent roadmap for the implementation of rooftop solar (RTS) systems to boost solar energy adoption, addressing the lack of a definitive solar roadmap. The objective is to utilize Helioscope solar software to envision the maximum shadow-free area over building rooftops and simulate energy generation potential using fixed tilt-based and monthly optimum tilt-angle control-based solar photovoltaics systems. Methods: The research employs HelioScope software to estimate shadow-free rooftop areas of government buildings in an Indian state, considering both fixed-tilt and optimum tilt angle control-based solar tracking systems. The study validates monthly optimum tilt angles for different districts and presents an experimental setup with a 2kWp RTS system. Results: The district-wise analysis reveals the useful rooftop area and energy generation potential, indicating an increase in annual solar energy yield with the implementation of an optimum tilt angle control-based tracking system. The results suggest that chronological implementation based on available rooftop area can aid in achieving the mandated RTS target. Conclusion: The proposed methodology provides a guideline for developing a transparent RTS installation roadmap. The study highlights the potential of an 8% increase in annual solar energy yield by incorporating monthly optimum tilt angle control. The district-wise spatial differences in solar energy production serve as a prototype for other states and countries, facilitating effective solar mapping and policy planning for RTS installations.

Numerical Investigations of the Cooling Performance of an R410A Closed-Loop Spray Cooling System

To investigate the spray cooling characteristics and the impact of spray parameters such as chamber pressure, spray height, and spray tilt angle on heat transfer efficiency, a mathematical model based on the Eulerian–Lagrangian frame was established for an R410A closed-loop spray cooling system. The results revealed that the spray pattern is conical, with the center velocity significantly higher than the edge velocity. The temperature distribution of the cooling surface and liquid film height both exhibit a “W” shape, and the surface temperature is lower where the liquid film is thin. There is an optimal liquid film height of approximately 5 μm, at which the cooling surface temperature is the lowest. The surface temperature increases with an increase in the spray chamber pressure. Considering average cooling surface temperature, the optimal tilt angle is 40° with an average surface temperature of 330.1 K. When considering wall temperature and wall heat transfer coefficient uniformity, however, the optimal tilt angle is 10°, leading to the average surface temperature of 332.6 K. When increasing the optimal spray height to 70 mm, the average surface temperature is 313.4 K.

Solar collector tilt angle optimization for agrivoltaic systems

The growing global population increases the need for energy and food. As agricultural land is invaded by renewable energy projects, the area of land that can be cultivated is decreasing day by day. Agrivoltaics offers an alternative solution to this situation by combining agriculture and photovoltaics on the same land. This study investigates the feasibility of a possible 175 m2 Agrivoltaic system in Ankara Turkey (39.57° N-32.53° E). The study consists of three phases. In the first stage, the annual, monthly and seasonal optimum tilt angle for 39.57° N latitude was determined. In the second stage, eight different models were created for different tilt angles for PV panels of three different efficiencies in the agrivoltaic system to be installed. AC electrical energy and net profit ($) that can be produced with these models were calculated. In the third and final stage, the potential land equivalent ratio amount of seven agricultural cropscombined with eight different models was calculated. In the scenario created for the region, the highest yield increase is 11.2 % with M1 model (β = 31.33°)-Thinfilm, while the lowest yield loss is 33.2 % with M4 (β = 90.00°) Thinfilm. The highest generated electricity and net profit are AC-15674 (kW h) and 1286 ($) respectively. For the agricultural land determined to be grown in the system, the highest yielding agricultural product was kiwifruit with a value of 2.07 and the lowest yielding product was bokchoy with 0.25. This study can serve as a basic technical guidance for the establishment of Agrivoltaic plants with the highest efficiency in the Mediterranean climate and mid-latitude regions.

Overcoming resolution attenuation during tilted cryo-EM data collection

Structural biology efforts using cryogenic electron microscopy are frequently stifled by specimens adopting “preferred orientations” on grids, leading to anisotropic map resolution and impeding structure determination. Tilting the specimen stage during data collection is a generalizable solution but has historically led to substantial resolution attenuation. Here, we develop updated data collection and image processing workflows and demonstrate, using multiple specimens, that resolution attenuation is negligible or significantly reduced across tilt angles. Reconstructions with and without the stage tilted as high as 60° are virtually indistinguishable. These strategies allowed the reconstruction to 3 Å resolution of a bacterial RNA polymerase with preferred orientation, containing an unnatural nucleotide for studying novel base pair recognition. Furthermore, we present a quantitative framework that allows cryo-EM practitioners to define an optimal tilt angle during data acquisition. These results reinforce the utility of employing stage tilt for data collection and provide quantitative metrics to obtain isotropic maps.

Software for calculating the optimum tilt angle of PV modules in different latitudes of the Southern hemisphere and solar plant sizing

Through the development of photovoltaic technologies, the market related to this type of renewable energy grows constantly. In Brazil, the generated power through photovoltaic (PV) power stations approximates to 2.3 GW representing 1.3% of the total Brazilian energy mix. To supply the public it is necessary to offer tools that facilitate consumer decision making or even the work of a solar farm designer. By analyzing the user’s necessity, it is possible to determine that a great parcel needs a quick and simple response to help them with their questions, and programs that are already well established in the marketplace are complex for inexperienced users. For this reason, a software that calculates the best inclination for PV modules using the method proposed by Liu and Jordan in 1962 is developed. It also determines the number of modules that can be installed without any shading between arrays within a user-defined area. This calculation is possible through the standard dimensions provided by the module manufacturers and the solar height and declination study. Through a simple interface, the user quickly receives the optimum tilt angle of installation, the number of PV modules and the maximum generated power.

Optimum Base Station Antenna Tilt Angle for Inter-Cell Interference Limited Mobile Cellular System

This paper investigates the effect of base station (BS) antenna tilt angle on the performance of LTE-Advanced physical layer downlink channel in Inter-Cell Interference (ICI) limited scenario for five cell ranges, two carrier frequencies, and two BS antenna heights. The cellular system is deployed following the 3GPP hexagonal grid with a frequency reuse factor of one and three sectors per site. An urban based 3D ray-tracing tool is used to model the wireless channel for many BS and user equipment (UE) links. System performance is evaluated in terms of Signal power to Interference plus Noise power Ratio (SINR), received signal power, received interference power, achievable throughput (THR), Average Spectrum Efficiency (ASE) and UEs outage probability. The objective is to find the BS antenna tilt angle that provides the maximum ASE, minimum UEs outage probability, or optimum ASE and UE outage probability. The obtained simulation results unveil that the maximum ASE occurs at a tilt angle where the mean of the SINR is maximum and the mean of rms delay spread is minimum, while the minimum UEs outage occurs at a tilt angle where the received signal power is maximum. This is an important finding to facilitate the planning and the deployment of cellular system in the presence of ICI. Moreover it is found that the optimum tilt angles decrease as the cell range increase and BS antenna height decrease. The results also show that these optimum tilt angles are independent of the carrier frequency.

Enhancement in the performance of closed loop inclined wick solar still by attaching external bottom reflector

A closed-loop inclined wick solar still containing an external bottom reflector (CLIWSSR) has been proposed in this work. The attached bottom reflector, when positioned at an optimum angle, increases the amount of solar radiation that strikes the wick. As a result, the overall amount of distillate which the solar still produces has increased. The mathematical model of CLIWSSR has been created and validated. The optimum average tilt angle (OATA) of the inclination of the reflector has been determined for various months in Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India (21.2514° N, 81.6296° E). The OATA of the bottom reflector for the summer months is about 48.5o, whereas for winter months it is about 26.1o. The daily distillate output produced by proposed system (CLIWSSR) in a typical winter day (21/02/2023) for Raipur is 6.106 kg/m2 whereas the daily distillate output in same day of CLIWSS without reflector is 5.047 kg/m2. The daily output produced from CLIWSSR is about 21% more than the CLIWSS without reflector. The proposed design is simple, giving higher performance and an effective way to address the need of pure water in remote and small towns.

Assessing the feasibility of off-grid photovoltaic systems for rural electrification

In this investigation, the absence of an electricity grid in numerous locations, including military bases, tiny houses, and chalets, prompted the development of a model for providing electrical energy through an off-grid Photovoltaic (PV) system in Konya, Türkiye. The study delineates the daily energy consumption of a residential dwelling as 39,974 Wh/day, and the feasibility of satisfying this demand through the implementation of a 9.45 kWp PV system is scrutinized. The research encompasses the determination of optimal tilt and azimuth angles set at 35° and 0°, respectively. The maximum global effective irradiation intensity, recorded in August at 208.3 kWh/m², contrasts with the minimum intensity observed in December, registering at 106.2 kWh/m². Likewise, electricity production attained its zenith in August at 1,581.3 kWh, starkly contrasting its lowest level in December at 791 kWh. Modelling outcomes conclude that Solar Fraction (SF) values equate to unity during summer but fall below unity during winter. Furthermore, a surplus in electricity generation relative to demand is observed during the summer, resulting in the full charge of batteries. Evaluating the annual average SF, it is deduced that the modelled system fulfils 90.8% of the energy requirement. The Performance Ratio (PR), an additional pivotal parameter in PV systems, reaches its zenith at 0.865 in November and its nadir at 0.614 in August. This comprehensive study underscores the efficacy of the modelled off-grid PV system in meeting the energy demands of the selected residence, emphasizing the significance of seasonal variations and key performance metrics in assessing system performance.

Analysis of light field and flow field of vortex rods tube photobioreactor based on field synergy principle

A new static mixer called the vortex rod static mixer was introduced into the photobioreactor. This study focused on the vortex rod tubular reactor as the subject of investigation. The effects of different incident light field intensities (I0 = 375 μmol/(m2·s), 800 μmol/(m2·s), and 1200 μmol/(m2·s)) on reactor efficiency were simulated using the CFD simulation method, considering variations in vortex rod arrangement (60°, 90°, and 120°) and tilt angle (α = 27°, 36°, 45°, 54°, and 63°). In the SST turbulence simulation flow field results, the movement process of algae cells in the tube was simulated using the particle tracking module. By taking into account the average frequency of the light-dark cycle, the enhancement efficiency of the light-dark cycle, and the synergy angle of the light gradient and velocity field, the following results were obtained: the optimum tilt angle for the vortex rod is α = 45°. For incident light field intensities of I0 = 375 μmol/(m2·s) and 800 μmol/(m2·s), the 60° arrangement yielded the best results, resulting in a 54.491 % and 66.258 % increase in cycle frequency, an 18.747 % and 22.795 % enhancement in efficiency, and an average |cosβ| = 0.68055. For an incident light field intensity of I0 = 1200 μmol/(m2·s), the 90° arrangement proved to be the most effective, resulting in a 57.580 % increase in cycle frequency, an 18.058 % enhancement in efficiency, and an average |cosβ| = 0.68975.

Novel design and numerical investigation of a windward bend flow field for proton exchange membrane fuel cell

3D flow field design usually improves the performance of proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) with the penalty of a dramatically increasing pressure drop. To surmount this issue, a novel windward bend flow field that exhibits superior mass transfer performance under a constant pumping power is proposed in this study. The performance of PEMFC with windward bend flow field is numerically compared with two canonical 3D flow fields, namely 3D wave flow field and cutting cylindrical baffles flow field. Results demonstrated that compared with two canonical 3D flow fields, windward bend flow field gets a better water management capability. The optimal distance, tilt angle and direction for the windward bend structure embedded in channel are 2.0 mm, 15° (at the direction of the front section of the windward bend structure tilts towards membrane electrode assembly). Furthermore, the average enhancement rate of the maximum power density of PEMFC with optimal windward bend flow field is 7.6 % and 12.4 % compared with cutting cylindrical baffles flow field and 3D wave flow field owing to the larger Sherwood number of optimal windward bend flow field under the specified pumping power range.

Using the Erratic Application of Solar Photovoltaic Panel Installations to Power Agricultural Submersible Pumps in Deep Wells in Order to Extend Productive Times and Boost Water Production

Due to the surge in oil prices, alternative energy sources, like solar power, are being explored to meet energy demands. Solar power is utilized in various industries, including agriculture. In Iraq and other developed countries, solar power is actively being developed due to the abundance of solar radiation. In agriculture, solar standalone pump systems with variable-speed drives are used. Electric motors operate at different speeds depending on the availability of sunlight. Inverters convert this solar energy from direct current to alternating current, enabling the powering of motors with a fixed voltage per frequency ratio and regulating motor current consumption. The variation in motor speed affects hydraulic pump efficiency and water productivity, making it crucial to optimize solar energy utilization in agriculture. The angle of inclination greatly affects the effectiveness of solar panels. The optimal tilt angle depends on location, latitude, season, and time of day. Adjusting this angle based on these factors maximizes power output. Innovative installation methods are being employed to enhance the benefits of solar power, reduce costs, and optimize sunlight capture. These methods drive sustainable development in various industries, including agriculture.

Photovoltaic module augmented by commercial reflectors in Southern Algeria: Comparison between different reflective materials

Even though the southeast region of Algeria, especially Ouargla city, enjoys a lot of sunshine all over the year, fixed photovoltaic (PV) solar panels are not sufficient due to two main reasons. Firstly, these panels are unable to capture sunlight during the early morning and late afternoon, and secondly, their efficiency is low, requiring the use of economical methods to enhance their performance. To overcome these limitations, this research suggests incorporating commercial reflectors to enhance sunlight capture. Furthermore, this paper compares the effects of three types of reflective materials: mirrors, aluminium, and transparent glass, on the performance of the PV module. To achieve this objective, reflectors are installed at the top and bottom of the PV module at their optimal tilt angles. Moreover, the effect of the adjacent module's mirrors was studied by installing two big mirrors (3X). The obtained results show an average improvement of 14.24 %, 11.41 %, and 4.7 % in the electrical energy generated by the PV panel with mirrors, aluminium, and transparent glass, respectively, compared to the module without reflectors. Subsequently, in the large mirror case, the results were positive, with an average 20.84 % increase in the maximal electrical power produced compared to the conventional one.

Comprehensive Analysis of Solar Panel Performance and Correlations with Meteorological Parameters.

To mitigate the adverse effects of fossil fuel-based energy, mankind is in constant search of clean and cost-effective sources of energy, such as solar energy. The economic viability of a power plant to harness solar energy mostly depends on the efficiency of solar panels. Investigations over the years show that the solar panel efficiency significantly depends on the different meteorological parameters. Therefore, there is an imminent need for a correlation explaining the relations between the efficiency and different meteorological parameters. In this study, an effort has been made to analyze the effects of various meteorological parameters on the efficiency and subsequently propose a correlation between them. Initial investigations reveal that the optimal tilt angle for the maximum power output is 26°. The study demonstrates that efficiency is directly proportional to solar intensity and wind speed while being inversely proportional to temperature, humidity, and dew point temperature. Regression analysis of a data set comprising 100 data sets establishes a strong correlation between efficiency and five meteorological parameters: temperature, humidity, wind speed, solar intensity, and dew factor. The calculated efficiencies using the developed correlation deviate from the experimental values, with absolute errors ranging from 0.08 to 1.20%. The findings provided valuable insights for optimizing solar power plant performance by understanding the relationship between efficiency and meteorological parameters.

Farklı Dizi Aralığında Eğim Açısının Fotovoltaik Sistemlerin Performansina Etkisi

The optimum tilt angle for a photovoltaic (PV) system depends on the row spacing because it affects the amount of shading on the panels. This study modeled PV systems for four different panel row spacings of 2 m, 2.5 m, 3 m, and 4 m in a fixed 3000 m² area in Konya province, Turkey. For different panel row spacings, the system performances were compared using a constant tilt angle of 35°, expressed as a proper angle for PV installations at the considered location. In addition, the optimum tilt angle is found for four different cases in terms of electricity generation. In systems with 35° tilt angles at electricity were produced annually as 622.77 MWh, 566.49 MWh, 495.36 MWh, and 385.72 MWh, respectively, for panel row spacings of 2 m, 2.5 m, 3 m, and 4 m. In addition, these electricity productions are 6.19%, 4.41%, 2.56%, and 0.92% higher with optimum tilt angles as 1°, 15°, 21° and 27°. Similarly, the Performance Ratio (PR) values obtained with the optimum angles are 20.61%, 8.39%, 4.12%, and 1.44%, higher than the fixed tilt angle cases. According to the economic analysis, systems with a fixed tilt angle for these panel row spacings pay back themselves in 5.13, 4.67, 4.44, and 4.28 years, respectively, while systems at optimum angles pay back themselves in a shorter time by 5.83%, 4.26%, 2.49%, and 0.91%. Furthermore, the highest NPV/INV, IRR, and ROI values were obtained from the system with 3 m panel row spacing with the optimum tilt angle of 21° as 0.915, 20.42%, and 91.57%, respectively, which is techno economically found to be the most feasible case.

An Assessment of Solar Micro-Grid System in the Islands of Bangladesh for Sustainable Energy Access

The isolated islands in the northern Bay of Bengal face difficulties accessing electricity from the central grid and use fossil fuel-based generators, which causes health risks, environmental damage, and high expenses. So, this study aims to replace these fossil fuel-based power sources with Solar Photovoltaic (SPV) microgrids to provide continuous power to remote islands and contribute to reducing emissions. A specific location on the island of Manpura is selected for the SPV plant installation, considering land availability and vulnerability to erosion. Solar power density and other technical parameters such as Direct Normal Irradiation, Global Horizontal Irradiation, Diffuse Horizontal Irradiation, Global Tilted Irradiation, the optimum tilt angle of Photovoltaic (PV) modules, air temperature, and terrain elevation are analyzed using some prominent online analytical tools named “Global Solar Atlas (GSA)”, “Photovoltaic Geographical Information System (PVGIS)” etc. Based on these datasets, a 10kW ground-mounted PV system using monocrystalline silicon solar panels is designed for off-grid operation. The developed system can generate 14.808 MWh of energy per year. This design’s environmental and social impacts are critically analyzed considering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Compared with conventional energy sources, the results show that the 10kW microgrid SPV system can reduce CO2 emissions by 284 tons. Financial analysis shows the recovery period of the investment based on electricity production at around 8.8 years, making solar PV microgrids a viable option for remote areas like Manpura Island.

Optimizing solar still performance through glass cover optical properties: A mathematical modeling and theoretical investigation

This research investigates the impact of the glass cover's optical properties on fresh water production in solar still desalination systems. By examining the transmissivity, absorptivity, and reflectivity of the glass cover under different operating conditions, the study aims to optimize the yield and efficiency of the desalination process. A validated mathematical model is developed, integrating energy and mass transfer with the glass cover's optical properties. For Matroh City, the research determines the optimal tilt angle of the glass cover (21.7°) and reveals absorptivity values ranging from 0.086 to 0.112, reflectivity values ranging from 0.076 to 0.89, and increasing transmissivity values from 0 to 0.84. Furthermore, a variable monthly optimal tilt angle outperforms a fixed annual tilt angle, resulting in a 2.5 % increase in annual distillate production. The results indicates that with an increase in glass thickness from 5 mm to 20 mm, the daily yield and efficiency decrease from 6.6 kg/m2 and 31.5 % to 5.2 kg/m2 and 24.9 %.This research provides valuable insights into the influence of glass cover optical properties on solar still desalination performance, contributing to renewable energy-based desalination processes. The implications extend to the development of sustainable water sources, greenhouse gas reduction, and addressing water scarcity challenges.

Fluidized bed finishing of additively manufactured objects: The influence of operating parameters

This study investigates the potential of Fluidized Bed Finishing (FBF) of square flat AlSi10Mg specimens manufactured via Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) additive manufacturing technology. Two FBF operational modes were experimentally investigated: I) with stationary specimens; II) with specimens under controlled rotational motion. Four different abrasive materials have been tested, quartz sand, corundum, irregular steel and cut wire steel particles, characterized by different hardness, density and shape. The effect of the abrasive material, processing time and specimen tilt angle was investigated. Results showed moderate smoothing under stationary specimen configuration, while good finishing for rotation-assisted tests, maximum reduction of the surface roughness of 12% and 67%, respectively. Steel particles were the most effective bed material, with particle density overtaking hardness as key particle property. The optimal tilt angle was the one that maximized sliding and shear. Altogether, surface finishing is driven by surface shear forces dominated by inertial stresses in particulate phase.

Optimization of seasonal tilt adjustment photovoltaic system in Karbala, Iraq, by using the albedo benefit

This study aims to identify a cost-effective method for enhancing incident irradiation on the collector plane. Two different orientations for photovoltaic (PV) systems have been considered. The PV system is installed with albedo (0.25) on a concrete surface. The system is an off-grid with 690 Wp power, used for office applications with a yearly energy (1068) Khp/yr, located at Karbala Governorate /Iraq. The first orientation has an optimal seasonal tilt angle of 13o and 53o for summer and winter, respectively. In contrast, the second orientation is one-axis tracking, horizontal E-W axis, which produces more output power. To avoid the cost of using a tracking system and improve the amount of the output power of the first system, the old concrete surface of this system was treated with white Portland cement with a higher albedo value of 0.87 and then compared to the parameters (incident irradiation in the collector plane, transposition factor and the product available energy) with a second system. It was using Perez transposition model in PV syst software in this study. The results showed a higher value of comparing parameters when using inexpensive materials like white Portland cement, which improved the output PV system power than the tracking system.