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• Propose a techno-economic evaluation using machine-learning methods. • Analyze a solar district heating system with large-scale heat storage. • Efficient control mechanisms for heat pump and heat storage are identified. • A system performance coefficient of 2.9 and a renewable energy fraction of 77 %. • A system payback cycle of 12 years and a carbon neutrality factor of 0.92. In the context of the global energy crisis and climate change, solar district heating systems are an essential technology that can mitigate this problem. To accelerate the transition to sustainability, a proven solar district heating system and an analysis method are needed to serve as a role model. For this purpose, a techno-economic analysis method is proposed in this study. It consists of a bi-directional long short-term memory method for correcting outlier data and a balanced method for energy and exergy analyses. The solar district heating system with large-scale thermal storage in Dronninglund, Denmark, is investigated in detail. The design of this system is centered on an integrated control strategy that synchronizes the solar collector loop, the energy storage loop, and the heating load loop to improve overall efficiency. The results show an increase in solar collector efficiency to 41 %, thermal storage efficiency to 89 %, and a coefficient of performance to 1.74 for the absorption heat pump. This integration increases the system's coefficient of performance dramatically to 2.9, with a renewable energy percentage of 77 %. Exergy analysis shows a storage exergy of 68 % and a heat pump exergy of 49 %, which suggests that the system has a highly efficient energy conversion. The annual heating demand for the industrial and residential branches is 7,450 MWh and 28,100 MWh, respectively, which are covered by solar (42 %), biomass oil (35 %), and natural gas (23 %). The economic assessment shows that the net present value could rise from −5.5 million euros over 10 years to 15.2 million euros over 40 years, indicating long-term economic advantages. The system achieves 122 kg/MWh of carbon reduction with a 0.92 carbon neutrality factor, which is carbon neutral. This study provides a compelling case for deploying large-scale solar heating systems, offering a robust analysis method and insightful findings for technological developments and economic optimizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper describes the impact of different measures to improve the thermal performance of a solar heating plant for district heating applications. The impact of the different measures was evaluated through a validated TRNSYS-Matlab model. The model included details such as effect of the flow regime in the absorber pipes on the collector efficiency, flow distribution in the collector field, thermal capacity of the pipes and shadows from row to row. The improvement measures included variation of the operating temperatures, accurate input to the control strategy, feedback control on the outlet temperature of the collector field, control strategy based on weather forecast and use of different heat transfer fluids. The results showed that accurate input to the control strategy improved the yearly energy output of the plant by about 3%. If accurate input is not technically or economically feasible, a feedback control on the field outlet temperature seemed to be a valid alternative. The integration of weather forecast in the control strategy did not give relevant improvements. Higher glycol concentrations in the solar collector fluid gave better results than lower concentrations, as the higher frost protection guaranteed by the former outweighed the better thermophysical properties of the latter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study describes the development of a detailed TRNSYS-Matlab model to simulate the behavior of a large solar collector field for district heating application. The model includes and investigates aspects which are not always considered by simpler models, such as flow distribution in the different rows, effect of the flow regime on the collector efficiency, thermal capacity of the components and effect of shadows from row to row. The model was compared with measurements from a solar collector field and the impact of each aspect was evaluated. A good agreement between model and measurements was found. The results showed that a better agreement was achieved, when a flow regime-dependent efficiency of the collector was used. Also the precise flow distribution in the collector field improved the model accuracy, but it must be assessed if the aimed level of accuracy justifies the much longer programming and computing time. Thermal capacity was worth being considered only for the bulkier components, such as the longer distribution and transmission pipes. The actual control strategy, which regulates the flow rates in the solar heating plant, was accurately reproduced in the model, as proved by the good agreement with the measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thermal stratification in a water storage tank can strongly increase the thermal performance of solar heating systems. Thermal stratification can be built up in a storage tank during charge, if the heated water enters through an inlet stratifier. Experiments with a test tank have been carried out in order to elucidate how well thermal stratification is established in the tank with differently designed inlet stratifiers under different controlled laboratory conditions. The investigated inlet stratifiers are from Solvis GmbH & Co KG and EyeCular Technologies ApS. The inlet stratifier from Solvis GmbH is a rigid plastic pipe with holes for each 30 cm. The holes are designed with flaps preventing counter flow into the pipe. The inlet stratifier from EyeCular Technologies ApS is made of a flexible polymer with openings all along the side and in the full length of the stratifier. The flexibility of the stratifier prevents counterflow. The tests have shown that both types of inlet stratifiers had an ability to create stratification in the test tank under the different test conditions. The stratifier from EyeCular Technologies ApS had a better performance at low flows of 1–2 l/min and the stratifier for Solvis GmbH & Co KG had a better performance at 4 l/min. In the intermediate charge test the stratifier from EyeCular Technologies ApS had a better performance in terms of maintaining the thermal stratification in the storage tank while charging with a relative low temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents a numerical model calculating the pressure drop and flow distribution in a solar collector with U-type harp configuration in isothermal conditions. The flow maldistribution in the absorber pipes, caused by the different hydraulic resistances, was considered to evaluate the pressure drop across the collector. The model was developed in Matlab and is based on correlations found in literature for both friction losses and local losses, and was compared in terms of overall pressure drop against experimental measurements carried out on an Arcon Sunmark HT 35/10 solar collector at different flow rates and temperatures for water and water/propylene glycol mixture. For collector pressure drops higher than 1.4 kPa, the relative difference between the model and measurements was within 5% for water and 7% for water/propylene glycol mixture. For lower pressure drops the relative difference increased, but remained within the accuracy of the differential pressure sensor. The flow distribution was mainly affected by the flow regime in the manifolds. Turbulent regime throughout the manifolds entailed a more uniform distribution across the absorber pipes compared to laminar regime. The comparison between calculated flow distributions and results from previous literature showed a good agreement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cylindrical heat storage modules with internal heat exchangers have been tested in a laboratory. The modules were filled with water and sodium acetate trihydrate with additives. The testing focused on the heat content of the storage material and the heat exchange capacity rate during charge of the module. For the tests with the phase change materials, the focus was furthermore on the stability of supercooling and cycling stability. Testing the module with sodium acetate trihydrate and 6.4% extra water showed that phase separation increased and the heat released after solidification of supercooled phase change material was reduced over 17 test cycles. The heat released after solidification of the supercooled sodium acetate trihydrate with thickening agent and graphite was stable over the test cycles. Stable supercooling was obtained in 7 out of 17 test cycles with the module with sodium acetate trihydrate with extra water and in 6 out of 35 test cycles for the module with thickening agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A latent heat storage based on the phase change material Sodium Acetate Trihydrate (SAT) has been tested as part of a demonstration system. The full heat storage consisted of 4 individual modules each containing about 200 kg of sodium acetate trihydrate with different additives. The aim was to actively utilize the ability of the material to supercool to obtain long storage periods. The modules were charged with solar heat supplied by 22.4 m 2 evacuated tubular collectors. The investigation showed that it was possible to fully charge one module within a period of 270 minutes with clear skies. In long periods with high level of irradiance several modules were charged in parallel due to the limited heat exchange capacity of the integrated heat exchanger of the modules. After the modules were heated to more than 80° C they were set to passively cool down. Modules reached 30 °C in a period of parallel cool down without the sodium acetate trihydrate solidified in 3 of the 4 modules. Further tests showed that stable supercooling at ambient temperature is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An overview on the recent results on the engineering and characterization of sorption materials, PCMs and TCMs investigated in the working group WG A1 “Engineering and processing of TES materials” of IEA SHC Task 42 / ECES Annex 29 (Task 4229) entitled “Compact Thermal Energy Storage” is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enable the transition from fossil fuels as a primary heat source for domestic hot water preparation and space heating solar thermal energy has great potential. The heat from the sun has the disadvantage that it is not always available when there is a demand. To solve this mismatch a thermal seasonal storage can be used to store excess heat from the summer to the winter when the demand is higher than the supply. Installing a long term thermal storage in a one family house it needs to be compact and sensible heat storages are not suitable. A latent heat storage with a phase change material (PCM) can provide a more compact way of storing heat. Sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) is a good candidate material as it has a relatively high heat of fusion and in addition it has the ability to supercool to room temperature without solidifying. In this paper results from the test of a solar combi system with a latent heat storage with SAT is presented. The SAT heat storage modules were heated to 80 °C by the solar collectors 53 times in the test period from June to November 2015 and this enabled the modules to supercool. Supercooling was achieved for 39 days for a SAT module after which 11 kWh of heat were discharged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEA joint Task 42 / Annex 29 is aimed at developing compact thermal energy storage materials and systems. In Working Group B, experts are working on the development of compact thermal energy storage applications, in the areas cooling, domestic heating and hot water and industry. The majority of application projects were in the field of room heating and domestic hot water. In this article, an overview is given of a large number of applications. The storage technologies used in the applications are latent heat storage, open and closed solid sorption, liquid sorption and salt hydrates and composites thereof. On a broad front, a lot of progress was made in the development of components and systems, providing knowledge and experience regarding the design, numerical modeling, building, testing and economical assessing of components and storage systems. Most important findings are that the interaction of storage materials with the materials of components can be deciding for the technical feasibility, that a number of components, like reactor, heat exchangers and evaporators are less understood than initially thought and need more development, that the inclusion of storage materials in systems generate new challenges like the occurrence of non-condensable gases and thermo-mechanical effects and that standardized and simplified system approaches are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel solar heating plant with Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) collectors and Flat Plate (FP) collectors has been put into operation in Tårs since July 2015. To investigate economic performance of the plant, a TRNSYS-Genopt model, including a solar collector field and thermal storage tank, was established. The optimization showed that there was a synergy in combining CSP and FP collectors. Even though the present cost per m 2 of the CSP collectors is high, the total energy cost is minimized by installing a combination of collectors in such solar heating plant. It was also found that the CSP collectors could raise flexibility in the control strategy of the plant. The TRNSYS-Genopt model is based on individually validated component models and collector parameters from experiments. Optimization of the cost performance of the plant has been conducted in this paper. The simulation model remains to be validated with annual measured data from the plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The IEA SHC Task 45 Large Scale Solar Heating and Cooling Systems, carried out between January 2011 and December 2014, had the main objective to assist in the development of a strong and sustainable market of large solar heating systems by focusing on high performance and reliability of systems. Within this project, subtask A had the more specific objectives of investigating ways to evaluate the influence that different operating conditions can have on the collector performance, assure proper and safe installation of large solar collector fields, and guarantee their performance and yearly energy output. The results of the different investigations are presented, with a particular focus on how different parameters such as tilt, flow rate and fluid type, can affect the collector efficiency. Other presented results include methods to guarantee and check the thermal performance of a solar collector field and guidelines to design collector fields in such a way that the flow distribution is improved and the risks related to stagnation are minimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of the differences in modeled thermal performance of solar collectors when meteorological reference years are used as input and when mulit-year weather data are used as input. The investigation has shown that using the Danish reference year based on the period 1975-1990 will result in deviations of up to 39% compared with thermal performance calculated with multi-yearmeasured weather data. For the newer local reference years based on the period 2001-2010 the maximum deviation becomes 25%. The investigation further showed an increase in utilization with an increase in global radiation. This means that besides increasing the thermal performance with increasing the solar radiation, the utilization of the solar radiation also becomes better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013-2014 the project “Testing, development and demonstration of large scale solar district heating systems” was carried out within the Sino-Danish Renewable Energy Development Programme, the so called RED programme jointly developed by the Chinese and Danish governments. In the project Danish know how on solar heating plants and solar heating test technology have been transferred from Denmark to China, large solar heating systems have been promoted in China, test capabilities on solar collectors and large scale solar heating systems have been improved in China and Danish-Chinese cooperation on solar heating has been improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two Photovoltaic (PV) modules have been manufactured by Swemodule. One with Sunarc antireflective coated glass and one without glass surface treatment. The modules have been tested at DTU during 16 months under realistic outdoor conditions. Exactly the same polycrystalline cells were used in the modules. No cleaning of the glass has been made except for removal of bird droppings and leaves on single cells that could give a very wrong comparison. The PV modules were mounted due south at 45 degree tilt angle. They were connected to the electric grid with small 250W module inverters from Involar that also realized the MPP tracking to give the maximum output of each module. The electric power output was measured both on the AC and DC side and with different measurement equipment to be sure about the accuracy in improvement. The results indicate a potential long term improvement in a system from 3% up to 6%. The improvement is best in facade and off south tilted orientations, where the better incidence angle modifier, has a larger influence. In the PV application only one side of the glass treatment is active. This reduces the possible improvementcompared to solar thermal and greenhouse applications. In PV applications the slightly higher cell temperature, due to the higher transmittance of the glass for all solar wavelengths, reduces the potential electrical performance improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A simulation programSpiralSolwas developed in previous investigations to calculate thermal performance of a solar domestic hot water (SDHW) system with a hot water tank with a built-in heat exchanger spiral[1]. The simulation program is improved in the paper in term of prediction of thermal stratification in the tank. The transient fluid flow and heat transfer in the hot water tank during cooling caused by standby heat loss are investigated by validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) calculations. Detailed CFD investigations are carried out to determine the influence of thickness and material property of the tank wall on thermal stratification in the tank. It is elucidated how thermal stratification in the tank is influenced by the natural convection and how the heat loss from the tank sides will be distributed at different levels of the tank at different thermal conditions. The existing equation of the heat loss removal factor used in SpiralSol is evaluated by means of the detailed CFD calculations. A generalized new equation for the heat loss removal factor is obtained by regression. The new equation calculates the heat loss removal factor for a given temperature gradient in the tank,taking into account the influences of tank volume, height to diameter ratio, tank insulation, thickness and material property of the tankand initial thermal conditions of the tank. The equation is validated for a tank volume between 150 l and 500 l, a tank height to tank diameter ratio of 1-5,a tank wall thickness of 1.5 mm to 3 mm for a stainless steel tank and a tank wall thickness of between 3 mm to 5 mm for a normal steel tank. Accuracy and reliability of the SpiralSol program with the improved prediction of heat loss removal factor will be examined in future investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced solar resource assessment and forecasting is necessary for optimal solar energy utilization. In order to investigate the short-term resource variability, for instance caused by clouds it is necessary to investigate how clouds affect the solar irradiance, including the angular distribution of the solar irradiance. The investigation is part of the Danish contribution to the task 46 within the International Energy Agency and financed by the Danish Energy Agency. The investigation focuses on the distribution of the diffuse solar irradiance and is based on horizontal measurements of the solar irradiance from 8 different parts of the sky as well as horizontal measurements of the total beam and total diffuse irradiance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sodium acetate trihydrate and graphite powdermixtures have been evaluated toinvestigate the influence of the graphite powder on the stability of supercooling. A sodium acetate and water mixturemixed with graphite powder was successfully supercooled at ambient indoor temperatures for five months. The graphite powder was stabilized using carboxymetyl cellulose and successfully tested in heating and supercooling cycles with no loss of performance. Thermal conductivity enhancing properties of graphite powder was shown in samples. Since the experiments were conducted in small scale, at 200 g per sample, large scale experiments are required to validate graphite as a thermo conductivity enhancing agent, suitable for use in seasonal heat storage applications utilizing SAT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drain Back systems with ETC collectors are tested and analyzed in a Danish - Chinese cooperation project. Experiences from early work at DTU, with drain back, low flow systems, was used to design two systems: 1) One laboratory system at DTU. 2) One demonstration system in a single family house in Sorö Denmark. Detailed monitoring and modelling/validation of the system in the DTU lab is done, to be able to generalize the results, to other climates and loads by simulation and to make design optimizations. The advantage with drain back, low flow systems, is that the system can be made more simple with less components and that the performance can be enhanced. Also problems with long term degradation of glycol collector loops are totally avoided. A combination of the drain back and system expansion vessel was tested successfully. It is very important to achieve a continuous slope for the pipes in the collector loop to have a safe reliable operation. The components should also be designed and marked so that only one correct mounting option is possible, like forward and return pipes to/from the collector of slightly different sizes or color. Adapted installer education and training is a very important step to have success with drain back systems. Practices used in glycol systems may give serious failures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory test of a long term heat storage module utilizing the principle of stable supercooling of 199.5 kg of sodium acetate water mixture has been carried out. Avoiding phase separation of the incongruently melting salt hydrate by using the extra water principleincreased the heat storage capacity. An external expansion vessel minimized the pressure built up in the module while heating and reduced the risk of instable supercooling. The module was stable supercooled at indoor ambient temperature for up to two months after which it was discharged. The energy discharged after activating the supercooled sodium acetate water mixture was 194 kJ/kg of sodium acetate water mixture in the first test cycles dropping to 179 kJ/kg in the later test cycles. Instability of the supercooling occurred when the charging periods were short and in the last test cycles where the tube connecting the module to the expansion vessel had been blocked by the salt hydrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The installed area of solar collectors in solar heating fields is rapidly increasing in Denmark. In this scenario even relatively small performance improvements may lead to a large increase in the overall energy production. Both collectors with and without polymer foil, functioning as convection barrier, can be found on the Danish market. Depending on the temperature level at which the two types of collectors operate, one can perform better than the other. This project aimed to study the behavior of a 14 solar collector row made of these two different kinds of collectors, in order to optimize the composition of the row. Actual solar collectors available on the Danish market (models HT-SA and HT-A 35-10 manufactured byARCON Solar A/S) were used for this analysis. To perform the study, a simulation model in TRNSYS was developed based onthe Danish solar collector field in Braedstrup. A parametric analysis was carried out by modifying the composition of the row, in order to find both the energy and economy optimum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two low flow SDHW systems based on mantle tanks are tested side by side in a laboratory test facility for solar heating systems under the same weather and operation conditions. The systems are identical with the exception that one system is equipped with a solar collector with antireflection treated glass while the other system has a collector with a normal glass. Measurements of the thermal performance of the two systems have been carried out for a long measuring period. The thermal performances of the systems have also been calculated with a detailed simulation model. There is a good agreement between measured and calculated thermal performances for both systems. The extra thermal performance of the system with the solar collector with the anti reflection treated glass cover is a strong function of the solar fraction. In sunny periods with high solar fractions the percentage extra thermal performance gained by the antireflection treatment is low. In less sunny periods with low solar fractions the percentage extra thermal performance of the system with the antireflection treated cover glass is high, typically up to 8%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Three differently designed intelligent solar heating systems are investigated experimentally in a test facility. The systems provide all the needed yearly heating demand in single family houses. The systems are based on highly stratified tanks with variable auxiliary heated volumes. The tank is a tank in tank heat storage with domestic hot water in the inner tank and space heating water in the outer tank. The total tank volume is 750 liters and the solar collector area is 9 m2. The auxiliary energy supply system is based on electrical heating element(s)/heat pump and is different for all three systems. The system will be equipped with an intelligent control system where the control of the electrical heating element(s)/heat pump is based on forecasts of the variable electricity price, the heating demand and the solar energy production. By means of numerical models of the systems made in Trnsys, the control strategy of intelligent solar heating systems is investigated and the yearly auxiliary energy use of the systems and the electricity price for supplying the consumers with domestic hot water and space heating are calculated. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A number of heat storage modules for seasonal heat storages based on stable supercooling of a sodium acetate water mixture have been tested by means of experiments in a heat storage test facility. The modules had different volumes and designs. Further, different methods were used to transfer heat to and from the sodium acetate water mixture in the modules.By means of the experiments: [•] The heat exchange capacity rates to and from the sodium acetate water mixture in the heat storage modules were determined for different volume flow rates. [•] The heat content of the heat storage modules were determined. [•] The reliability of the supercooling was elucidated for the heat storage modules for different operation conditions. [•] The reliability of a cooling method used to start solidification of the supercooled sodium acetate water mixture was elucidated. The method is making use of boiling CO2 in a small tank in good thermal contact with the outer surface of the heat storage module. [•] Experience on operation of the heat storage modules was gained. Based on the investigations recommendations for future development of a seasonal heat storage based on stable supercooling of a sodium acetate water mixture are given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this work the heat dynamics of a storage tank were modelled on the basis of data and maximum likelihood methods. The resulting grey-box model was used for Economic Model Predictive Control (MPC) of the energy in the tank. The control objective was to balance the energy from a solar collector and the heat consumption in a residential house. The storage tank provides heat in periods where there is low solar radiation and stores heat when there is surplus solar heat. The forecasts of consumption patterns were based on data obtained from meters in a group of single-family houses in Denmark. The tank can also be heated by electric heating elements if necessary, but the electricity costs of operating these heating elements should be minimized. Consequently, the heating elements should be used in periods with cheap electricity. It is proposed to integrate a price-sensitive control to enable the storage tank to serve a smart energy system in which flexible consumers are expected to help balance fluctuating renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Through simulations, the impact of applying Economic MPC shows annual electricity cost savings up to 25-30%. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Experimental and theoretic investigations are carried out to study the heat transfer capacity rate of a heat exchanger module for seasonal heat storage with sodium acetate trihydrate (SAT) supercooling in a stable way. A sandwich heat storage test module has been built with the phase change material (PCM) storage box in between two plate heat exchangers. Charge of the PCM storage is investigated experimentally with solid phase SAT as initial condition. Discharge of the PCM storage with the presence of crystallization is studied experimentally. Fluid flow and heat transfer in the PCM module are theoretically investigated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) calculations. The heat transfer rates between the PCM storage and the heating fluid/cooling fluid in the plate heat exchangers are determined. The CFD calculated temperatures are compared to measured temperatures. Based on the studies, recommendations on how best to transfer heat to and from the seasonal heat storage module are given. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A new dynamic test method is introduced. This so called improved transfer function method features on two new collector parameters. One is time term which can indicate solar collector''s inner heat transfer ability and the other is a second order term of collector mean fluid temperature which can obtain fluid thermal capacitance in data processing. Then theoretical analysis and experimental verification are carried out to investigate influencing factors of obtaining accurate and stable second order term. A flat plate and ETC solar collector are compared using both the new dynamic method and a standard method. The results show that the improved function method can accurately and robustly estimate these two kinds of solar collectors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two flat plate solar collectors for solar heating plants from Arcon Solvarme A/S are tested in a laboratory test facility for solar collectors at Technical University of Denmark (DTU). The collectors are designed in the same way. However, one collector is equipped with an ETFE foil between the absorber and the cover glass and the other is without ETFE foil. The efficiencies for the collectors are tested at different flow rates. On the basis of the measured efficiencies, the efficiencies for the collectors as functions of flow rate are obtained. The calculated efficiencies are in good agreement with the measured efficiencies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents numerical investigations of thermal stratification in a vertical cylindrical hot water tank established by standby heat loss from the tank. The transient fluid flow and heat transfer in the tank during cooling caused by standby heat loss are calculated by means of validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models. The measured heat loss coefficient for the different parts of the tank is used as input to the CFD model. Parametric studies are carried out using the validated models to investigate the influence on thermal stratification of the tank by the downward flow and the corresponding upward flow in the central parts of the tank. Tank design parameters such as tank volume, height to diameter ratio and insulation and different initial conditions of the tank are investigated. It is elucidated how thermal stratification in the tank is influenced by the natural convection and how the heat loss from the tank sides will be distributed at different levels of the tank at different thermal conditions. The results show that 20–55% of the side heat loss drops to layers below in the part of the tank without the presence of thermal stratification. A heat loss removal factor is introduced to characterize the effect of the buoyancy driven flow on exchange of heat loss between tank layers by natural convection. Based on results of the parametric studies, a generalized equation for the heat loss removal factor is obtained by regression which takes into account the influences of tank volume, height to diameter ratio, tank insulation and initial conditions of the tank. The equation is validated for a 150–500l tank insulated with 0–7cm mineral wool and a tank height to diameter ratio of 1–5. The equation will be implemented in an existing tank optimization and design program for calculation of thermal performance of a hot water tank. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Results of experimental and numerical investigations of thermal behavior in a vertical cylindrical hot water tank due to standby heat loss of the tank are presented. The effect of standby heat loss on temperature distribution in the tank is investigated experimentally on a slim 150l tank with a height to diameter ratio of 5. A tank with uniform temperatures and with thermal stratification is studied. A detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the tank is developed to calculate the natural convection flow in the tank. The distribution of the heat loss coefficient for the different parts of the tank is measured by experiments and used as input to the CFD model. Water temperatures at different levels of the tank are measured and compared to CFD calculated temperatures. The investigations focus on validation of the CFD model and on understanding of the CFD calculations. The results show that the CFD model predicts satisfactorily water temperatures at different levels of the tank during cooling by standby heat loss. It is elucidated how the downward buoyancy driven flow along the tank wall is established by the heat loss from the tank sides and how the natural convection flow is influenced by water temperatures in the tank. When the temperature gradient in the tank is smaller than 2K/m, there is a downward fluid velocity of 0.003–0.015m/s. With the presence of thermal stratification the buoyancy driven flow is significantly reduced. The dependence of the velocity magnitude of the downward flow on temperature gradient is not influenced by the tank volume and is only slightly influenced by the tank height to tank diameter ratio. Based on results of the CFD calculations, an equation is determined to calculate the magnitude of the buoyancy driven flow along the tank wall for a given temperature gradient in the tank. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The thermal performances of solar collectors and solar combi systems with different solar fractions are studied under the influence of the Danish design reference year, DRY data file, and measured weather data from a solar radiation measurement station situated at the Technical University of Denmark in Kgs. Lyngby. The data from DRY data file are used for any location in Denmark. The thermal performances of the solar heating systems are calculated by means of validated computer models. The measured yearly solar radiation varies by approximately 23% in the period from 1990 until 2002, and the investigations show that it is not possible to predict the yearly solar radiation on a tilted surface based on the yearly global radiation. The annual thermal performance of solar combi systems cannot with reasonable approximation be fitted to a linear function of the annual total radiation on the solar collector or the annual global radiation. Solar combi systems with high efficient solar collectors are more influenced by weather variations from one year to another than systems with low efficient solar collectors. The annual thermal performance of solar collectors cannot be predicted from the global radiation, but both the annual thermal performance and the annual utilized solar energy can with a reasonable approximation be fitted to a linear function of the yearly solar radiation on the collector for both flat plate and evacuated tubular solar collectors. Also evacuated tubular solar collectors utilize less sunny years with large parts of diffuse radiation relatively better than flat plate collectors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The thermal performance of solar heating systems is strongly influenced by the thermal stratification in the heat storage. The higher the degree of thermal stratification is, the higher the thermal performance of the solar heating systems. Thermal stratification in water storage can for instance be achieved by use of inlet stratifiers combined with low flow operation in the solar collector loop. In this paper, investigation of a number of different fabric stratification pipes is presented and compared to a non-flexible inlet stratifier. Additional, detailed investigation of the flow structure close to two fabric stratification pipes is presented for one set of operating conditions by means of the optical PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) method. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Heat transfer and flow structures inside all glass evacuated tubular collectors for different operating conditions are investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics. The investigations are based on a collector design with horizontal tubes connected to a vertical manifold channel. Three different tube lengths varying from 0.59m to 1.47m have been modelled with five different inlet mass flow rates varying from 0.05kg/min to 10kg/min with a constant inlet temperature of 333K. Under these operating conditions the results showed that: [•] the collector with the shortest tube length achieved the highest efficiency, [•] the optimal inlet flow rate was around 0.4–1kg/min, [•] the flow structures in the glass tubes were relatively uninfluenced by the inlet flow rate, Generally, the results showed only small variations in the efficiencies. This indicates that the collector design is well working for most operating conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper the realistic behaviour and efficiency of heating systems were analysed, based on long term monitoring projects. Based on the measurements a boiler model used to calculate the boiler efficiency on a monthly basis was evaluated. Comparisons of measured and calculated fuel consumptions showed a good degree of similarity. With the boiler model, various simulations of solar domestic hot water heating systems were done for different hot water demands and collector sizes. The result shows that the potential of fuel reduction can be much higher than the solar gain of the solar thermal system. For some conditions the fuel reduction can be up to the double of the solar gain due to a strong increase of the system efficiency. As the monitored boilers were not older than 3 years, it can be assumed that the saving potential with older boilers could be even higher than calculated in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The thermal advantages by utilizing discharge from different levels in solar storage tanks are investigated, both for a small SDHW system and for a solar combisystem. The investigations showed that it is possible to increase the thermal performance of both types of systems by using two draw-off levels from the solar tanks instead of one draw-off level at a fixed position. The best position of the second draw-off level is in the middle or just above the middle of the tank. For the investigated small SDHW system with a realistic draw off hot water temperature of 40°C and 45°C and an auxiliary volume temperature of 50.5°C the increase of the thermal performance by the second draw-off level is about 6%. For the investigated solar combisystem the increase in thermal performance by using one extra draw-off level, either for the domestic hot water heat exchanger or for the heating system, is about 3%, while an improvement of about 5% is possible by using a second draw-off level both for the domestic hot water heat exchanger and for the heating system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Investigation of small SDHW systems based on smart solar tanks are presented. The domestic water in a smart solar tank can be heated both by solar collectors and by means of an auxiliary energy supply system. The auxiliary energy supply system––in this study electric heating elements––heats up the hot-water tank from the top and the water volume heated by the auxiliary energy supply system is fitted to the hot-water consumption and consumption pattern. In periods with a large hot-water demand, the volume is large; in periods with a small hot-water demand, the volume is small. Two small SDHW systems, based on differently designed smart solar tanks and a traditional SDHW system were investigated by means of laboratory experiments and theoretical calculations. The investigations showed that the yearly thermal performance of SDHW systems with smart solar tanks is 5–35% higher than the thermal performance of traditional SDHW systems. Estimates indicate that the performance/cost ratio can be improved by up to 25% by using a smart solar tank instead of a traditional tank when the backup energy system is electric heating elements. Further, smart solar tanks are suitable for unknown, variable, large or small hot-water consumption and the risk of oversized solar heating systems and oversized tank volumes is reduced by using smart solar tanks. Based on the investigations it is recommended to start development of smart solar tank units with an oil-fired boiler or a natural gas burner as auxiliary energy supply system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Storage tanks with different cold water inlet devices for small Solar Domestic Hot Water (SDHW) systems are compared. The objective of the investigation is to reveal the impact of the cold water inlet device on the thermal stratification in two marketed tanks and to evaluate the possible enhancement in the annual system performance of small solar heating systems. Two different marketed inlet designs are compared, one connected to a small curved plate placed above the inlet tube, the other one connected to a much larger flat plate. The cold domestic water enters the stores in vertical direction from the bottom of the tanks. Temperature measurements were carried out for different operating conditions. It was shown that the thermal stratification inside the two tanks depends differently on the flow rate, the draw-off volume, as well as the initial temperature in the storage tank. To carry out system simulations, a multi-node storage model was used and expanded by an additional input variable to model the mixing behaviour depending on the operating conditions. The inlet device with a comparatively large plate compared to the less favourable design results in an increase of the solar fraction of about 1–3%-points in annual system simulations with a solar fraction of about 60% and fairly large domestic hot water flow rates. This corresponds to a reduction of the auxiliary energy supply of the solar heating system of about 3–7% (58–155MJ/year) for the investigated solar domestic hot water system. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A theoretical and experimental analysis of water jets entering a solar storage tank is performed. CFD calculations of three inlet designs with different inlet flow rates were carried out to illustrate the varying behaviour of the thermal conditions in a solar store. The results showed the impact of the inlet design on the flow patterns in the tank and thus how the energy quality in a hot water tank is reduced with a poor inlet design. The numerical investigations were followed by experiments. A test solar store, similar to the store investigated by numerical modelling was constructed with cylindrical transparent walls so that the flow structures due to the inlet jets could be visualized. With the three inlets, nine draw-off tests with different inlet flow rates were carried out and the temperature stratification in the tank was measured during the draw-offs. The experimental results were used in an analysis using the first and second law of thermodynamics. The results showed how the entropy changes and the exergy changes in the storage during the draw-offs influenced by the Richardson number, the volume draw-off and the initial tank conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Presents an experimental and theoretical investigation of vertical mantle tanks for solar domestic water systems. Validation of Computation Fluid Dynamic (CFD) model; Temperature and flow development in the heat storage.

The solar preheating wall provides an effective solution to the conflict between the requirement for fresh air and the need for heat conservation in winter by preheating fresh ventilation air. In this paper, a study of the glazed solar preheating collector wall is carried out by numerical simulation with the aim of improving heat collection efficiency through structural optimization. The influence of the environment as well as its range of applications are investigated. The characteristics of the internal flow and temperature distribution are obtained to facilitate the structural analysis. The influence of air volume and structural parameters on thermal efficiency is investigated, providing a good reference for structural design optimization. In addition, it is observed that the exergy efficiency of the optimized design is 1.3 times higher than that of the conventional solar wall, while the thermal efficiency is 15% higher than traditional ones. The heat loss rate is reduced by 40% in high wind and extremely cold regions compared to that of the unglazed one. The maximum supply percentage can reach 69.4% and the temperature rise is approximately 20 °C. Finally, a parametric investigation is carried out on different functional buildings, and an optimal structure in Xi'an is given as a reference. The energy collection and transfer efficiency increase with the increase of air volume, but the energy saving rate decreases. The results indicate that this solar wall is ideal for buildings with low fresh air demand, such as single residences and small offices. It also has a considerable preheating effect on high fresh air demand ones. • GSPW can significantly increase both collector energy and exergy efficiency. • Corrugated plate promote vortex formation to enhance heat transfer. • Air volume and structural factors have a strong coupling effect on thermal efficiency. • GSPW has low heat loss in cold and high side wind regions compared to UTC. • GSPW can effectively eliminate 2–5 times of infiltration heat load by fresh air preheating. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Open-source code for calculating shading of two-axis tracking solar collectors. • Optimum field layouts are determined for different apertures and latitudes (0–55°). • Rectangular apertures result in lower shading losses than square and circular apertures. • Economical optimum GCR decreases with increasing latitude, for fixed land costs. • Optimizing the rotation of rectangular fields can increase incident energy by 0.7%. In this paper, an open source method for calculating self-shading in fields of two-axis tracking solar collectors of arbitrary geometry was developed and validated. The method was used to investigate the impact of latitude and collector aperture shape on annual shading loss. Simulations were carried out for the entire design space of field layouts by uniformly discretizing the layout parameters, i.e., aspect ratio, offset, rotation, and ground cover ratio. Results showed shading losses generally increase with latitude, and the optimum aspect ratio decreases with distance from the equator. Aperture shape was shown to significantly impact power output; the annual shading loss was lowest for the rectangular collector and highest for the square collector. Also, the impact of sub-optimal rotation of rectangular arrays was presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Experiences from SWH systems mandatory installation in China were summarized. • The interaction of seven stakeholders in SWH building application was analyzed. • Three key factors for the successful mandatory installation of SWH were summarized. • Recommendations were given for using the mandatory installation policy effectively. • The government should regularly evaluate the effectiveness of policy implementation. The paper summarizes the implementation experiences and lessons learned from the solar water heating (SWH) system mandatory installation policy in China. In-depth interviews, questionnaire surveys and field investigation were conducted to understand the prevailing attitudes of the stakeholders associated with the application of SWH in buildings. Scenario analysis was used to analyze the effect of expanding the coverage of mandatory installation policies. The results show that due to the strong market externalities of SWH building applications, the government must provide inducements to stakeholders through mandatory policies or fiscal incentives to create an impetus for them to use SWH extensively. For China, it is necessary to strengthen and support the utilization of renewable energy policies and extend the mandatory installation policy of SWH systems to taller buildings to fulfill the national renewable energy application goals. The most reasonable technical route, full process control, and attention to system operation and maintenance are the three key factors for the successful implementation of a mandatory installation policy for SWH systems. The policy recommendations presented in this paper can not only be applied to China but also other developing countries as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]