Prevailing Parameter Evaluation with Heat Transfer Analysis of Absorber Plate in the Flat Solar Collector

Solar radiation coming to a solar panel is absorbed and converted into thermal energy, increasing its temperature. This study is focused on the solar thermal panels. As known, the analysis of thermal performance of the collector includes such parameters as solar irradiance, ambient temperature and configuration of collectors etc. In this study, thermal analysis of the absorbent plate of a flat plate solar collector and the temperature transfer to the working fluid, were investigated. During thermal analysis the absorbent plate was considered as an one-dimensional fin. It is assumed that lower surface of the solar panel is ideally insulated in this study. Therefore solar irradiance and heat loss to the environment are analyzed at the upper surface of the absorber plate. This study is aimed to investigate the relations of temperature distribution on the absorber plate and heat transfer from the absorber plate to the fluid. The achievable maximum fluid temperature at the practical working conditions, which quantifies the availability of usable heat energy, obtained by the collector, has been determined as a function of solar irradiance. Procedure is based on steady state analysis and on calculation of the thermal performance of flat-plate collector. The effects of the parameters, which determine the collector efficiency, have been investigated by evaluating all results. Results show that the flat-plate collector performs good and provides the desired quantity of hot water.