Abstract
A theoretical model is presented which predicts the effects of storage tank stratification on the instantaneous performance of a liquid-based solar heating system. The results are presented in terms of a stratification coefficient which is defined to be the ratio of the actual useful energy gain to the energy gain that would be achieved in a fully mixed tank. This stratification coefficient is shown to be a system constant which depends on only two dimensionless system parameters. The closed form model is compared with a detailed numerical simulation and also with experimental data taken with a solar water heater. Both the simulation data and the experimental data agree favorably with the theoretical model.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 111-120 |
| Number of pages | 10 |
| Journal | Solar Energy |
| Volume | 29 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1982 |
| Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- General Materials Science