Solar energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources (RES) and Solar Collectors are already used on a large scale, especially the ones using water. A solution that is less known by the RES market is represented by Air Solar Collectors (ASCs) which have the advantage of no frosting risk during the winter period in colder regions, a lower impact on the environment, as well as, lower investment and operational costs [1].
Regarding the low-temperature applications, the Transpired Solar Collectors (TSCs) are most likely to be used [2] as they have lower costs over their lifetime. TSCs are promising solar energy solutions and could represent a sustainable alternative strategy used in order to mitigate energy consumptions for space heating or preheating the fresh air [3].
Transpired Solar Collectors (TSC) are usually implemented on large scale buildings, such as industrial, office or multi-families residential building for ventilation and space heating during cold seasons, whilst during the warmer periods of time the heated air from the system is usually by-passed. This observation has led us to the concept of a solar dryer using the lost energy of the TSC during summertime. The purpose is to prove the possibility of solar façades for multipurpose drying needs in order to value them during summertime. This project proves a technical application of energy recovery of the wasted heat generated by energy usage during summertime, also contributing to the heat island effect.
References:
1. Reichl, C., et al., Comparison of modelled heat transfer and fluid dynamics of a flat plate solar air heating collector towards experimental data. Solar Energy, 2015. 120: p. 450-463.
2. Molineaux, B., B. Lachal, and O. Guisan, Thermal analysis of five unglazed solar collector systems for the heating of outdoor swimming pools. Solar Energy, 1994. 53(1): p. 27-32.
3. Leon, M.A. and S. Kumar, Mathematical modeling and thermal performance analysis of unglazed transpired solar collectors. Solar Energy, 2007. 81(1): p. 62-75.
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