The performance of a solar collector with wax as a phase change material (PCM) located in a set of staggered pipes configuration was simulated computationally in this work. For the solar radiation of Chile, the accumulation of heat in the PCM system and the heat release at different time intervals were analyzed during the process of energy capture in summer: (a) without wax and with airflow, (b) with wax and without airflow, and (c) with wax and with airflow. Furthermore, the effects of solar radiation (summer and winter) airflow in the collector were analyzed on the performance of the system. The simulation results show that the use of a PCM in a solar air heater allows to store greater amounts of energy and it helps to extend the period of time when the air coming out of the collector has an elevated temperature. By increasing the airflow rate, the efficiency of the system increases and also the energy released to the air to be absorbed.
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October 2019
Research-Article
Computational Simulation of the Thermal Performance of a Solar Air Heater Integrated With a Phase Change Material
Valeri Bubnovich,
Valeri Bubnovich
Department of Chemical Engineering,
PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
e-mail: valeri.bubnovich@usach.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
,PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
Chile
e-mail: valeri.bubnovich@usach.cl
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Alejandro Reyes,
Alejandro Reyes
Department of Chemical Engineering,
PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
e-mail: alejandro.reyes@usach.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
,PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
Chile
e-mail: alejandro.reyes@usach.cl
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Macarena Díaz
Macarena Díaz
Department of Chemical Engineering,
PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
e-mail: macadiaz.es@usach.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
,PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
Chile
e-mail: macadiaz.es@usach.cl
Search for other works by this author on:
Valeri Bubnovich
Department of Chemical Engineering,
PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
e-mail: valeri.bubnovich@usach.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
,PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
Chile
e-mail: valeri.bubnovich@usach.cl
Alejandro Reyes
Department of Chemical Engineering,
PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
e-mail: alejandro.reyes@usach.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
,PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
Chile
e-mail: alejandro.reyes@usach.cl
Macarena Díaz
Department of Chemical Engineering,
PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
e-mail: macadiaz.es@usach.cl
Universidad de Santiago de Chile
,PO Box 10233, Santiago 9160000,
Chile
e-mail: macadiaz.es@usach.cl
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering: Including Wind Energy and Building Energy Conservation. Manuscript received April 4, 2018; final manuscript received April 16, 2019; published online May 8, 2019. Assoc. Editor: Jorge Gonzalez.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Oct 2019, 141(5): 051011 (9 pages)
Published Online: May 8, 2019
Article history
Received:
April 4, 2018
Revision Received:
April 16, 2019
Accepted:
April 17, 2019
Citation
Bubnovich, V., Reyes, A., and Díaz, M. (May 8, 2019). "Computational Simulation of the Thermal Performance of a Solar Air Heater Integrated With a Phase Change Material." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. October 2019; 141(5): 051011. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4043549
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