An experimental investigation of solar collector with reflector

Abstract

In the present decade, the diminishing of fossil fuels and the adverse newlineeffect of pollution caused by them have kept the world in a crucial place to seek newlinethe alternatives like unconventional energy sources. The regulations of the newlinenations turn the researchers to focus on solar and wind energies. But, the newlineavailability of solar energy gains the vision of the researchers to concentrate newlinemore on them. The direct method of using solar energy is to convert it into heat newlineby a collector called the solar collector and the same technique is familiar newlineamong the common people by the solar water heater. newlineThe efficiency of the solar water heater was normally around 40% to newline60%. It is low and it can be improved by insight. On the other hand, the initial newlinecost involved in solar energy harvesting. So, it is important to increase the newlineefficiency by which the operational cost involved in solar energy can be newlinereduced to make wide use of it among common people. newlineThis work focused on the improvement of thermal efficiency of the solar newlinewater heater by providing the selective layer coating in the absorber panel and newlineusing the glass reflector in the flat plate collector. It is further improved by newlineoptimizing the process variables. For this study, a solar water heater was newlinefabricated with a flat plate collector. Initially, the absorptivity and emissivity newlineof the copper plate that is to be used in the fabrication of the flat plate collector newlinewere found. Now, two copper plates of size 100 mm × 100 mm × 1 mm were newlineelectroplated for black chrome (BC) and Nickel-Cobalt (Ni-Co) and found their newlineabsorptivity and emissivity. newline newline