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Applied Sciences
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Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications
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Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications

A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Science and Technology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2022) | Viewed by 14902

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mingke Hu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture and Built Environment, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
Interests: solar energy, radiative sky cooling, and their applications in building energy-saving
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Qiliang Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Building Services Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, China
Interests: solar energy conversion; concentrating solar power; heat transfer; photovoltaic/thermal
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As one of the most popular and mature solar energy technologies, solar thermal conversion has been demonstrated to be a green and sustainable solution for providing heat for domestic water heating, air conditioning, water desalination, thermal power generation, etc. It is expected that solar thermal technologies will become increasingly important in mitigating the global challenges in energy and the environment. Therefore, to further promote and spread this promising alternative energy strategy, this Special Issue is now open to gather cutting-edge research addressing the current problems and future challenges. Both original research and review studies are welcome. The potential topics for this Special Issue include but are not limited to:

  • Solar thermal collectors;
  • Solar photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) technologies;
  • Building-integrated solar thermal applications;
  • Solar space heating/cooling;
  • Solar-assisted heat pumps;
  • Solar desalination;
  • Solar thermal power systems;
  • Advanced solar thermal materials;
  • Solar thermal storage;
  • Hybrid solar thermal systems.

Dr. Mingke Hu
Dr. Qiliang Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Applied Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • solar thermal
  • solar collector
  • Solar PV/T
  • building energy saving
  • air conditioning
  • heat pump
  • desalination
  • thermal power
  • solar thermal materials
  • thermal storage

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 52818 KiB  
Article
Performance Assessment of Low-Temperature Solar Collector with Fullerenes C60 Manufactured at Low Cost in an Emerging Country
by Esteban Eduardo Barrera, Abraham Medina, Lucía Graciela Díaz-Barriga, Alejandro Zacarías, José de Jesús Rubio, Geydy Luz Gutiérrez, José Michael Cruz, Mercedes De Vega, Néstor García and María Venegas
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(6), 3161; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12063161 - 20 Mar 2022
Viewed by 1749
Abstract
In this work, the performance of a low-temperature solar collector (LTSC) is evaluated, using carbon nanoparticles in water as working fluid. The nanoparticles used are crystallized fullerenes, with a red parameter of 1.42 nm ± 0.5 nm, with different volume fractions in water. [...] Read more.
In this work, the performance of a low-temperature solar collector (LTSC) is evaluated, using carbon nanoparticles in water as working fluid. The nanoparticles used are crystallized fullerenes, with a red parameter of 1.42 nm ± 0.5 nm, with different volume fractions in water. The thickness of the carbon film was approximately 140 to 520 nm. The study is divided into three parts: modeling and simulation of an LTSC, low-cost production and characterization of nanoparticles, and thermal evaluation of the LTSC. For the study, fullerenes were produced by microwave synthesis from a terpenoid resin (Camphor) and the nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and High-Resolution Transmission (HRTEM). Tests were carried out with different volumetric flow rates, 0.0111 LT/s, 0.0166 LT/s and 0.0194 L/s, and two volumetric concentrations, 0.035% and 0.063%. The results obtained from the fullerene nanofluid showed an improvement in the thermophysical properties compared to the properties of water. The performance results showed that the efficiency increases up to 47.2% compared to that of water, with a volume fraction of 0.063%, and a flow rate of 0.0194 LT/s. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications)
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23 pages, 5863 KiB  
Article
Investigation of a Solar-Driven Organic Rankine Cycle with Reheating
by Evangelos Bellos, Panagiotis Lykas and Christos Tzivanidis
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(5), 2322; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12052322 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1818
Abstract
The purpose of this simulation study is the examination of a solar-driven power cycle that is driven by collectors with evacuated tubes. The power cycle is an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) that works with cyclopentane. The novelty of the cycle is the use [...] Read more.
The purpose of this simulation study is the examination of a solar-driven power cycle that is driven by collectors with evacuated tubes. The power cycle is an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) that works with cyclopentane. The novelty of the cycle is the use of reheating in order to enhance its thermodynamic efficiency, while the cycle also has a recuperator. Moreover, the cycle is compared with the conventional ORC in order to determine the performance enhancement with the examined idea. The analysis is done with a developed program in Engineering Equation Solver and both in steady-state and transient conditions for a typical year. The analysis was conducted in terms of energy and economic performance. According to an optimization procedure for maximizing the net present values of the investment, it is found that the novel design leads to a net present value of 68 k€, a simple payback of 10 years, and a yearly energy efficiency of 7.0%, while the respective values for the conventional ORC are 44 k€, 10.8 years, and 5.1% for its optimal design according to the net present values maximization. Thus, it is obvious that the suggested design increases both energy and financial performance, compared to the usual design. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications)
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13 pages, 13687 KiB  
Article
Contrastive Analysis on the Ventilation Performance of a Combined Solar Chimney
by Huifang Liu, Peijia Li, Bendong Yu, Mingyi Zhang, Qianli Tan, Yu Wang and Yi Zhang
Appl. Sci. 2022, 12(1), 156; https://doi.org/10.3390/app12010156 - 24 Dec 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2315
Abstract
A combined solar chimney is proposed in this paper that integrates an inclined-roof solar chimney with a traditional Trombe wall. The ventilation performance of the combined solar chimney is analyzed numerically and then compared with the Trombe wall and the inclined-roof solar chimney. [...] Read more.
A combined solar chimney is proposed in this paper that integrates an inclined-roof solar chimney with a traditional Trombe wall. The ventilation performance of the combined solar chimney is analyzed numerically and then compared with the Trombe wall and the inclined-roof solar chimney. The feasibility of different operation modes and the ventilation effect under different environment conditions are also discussed. The results show that when the ambient temperature ranges from 298 to 303 K in the summer, a natural ventilation mode is appropriate. Otherwise, an anti-overheating mode is recommended. When the ambient temperature is lower than 273 K in the winter, a space heating mode has a better heating effect. A preheating mode can be employed to improve the indoor air quality when the ambient temperature is higher than 278 K. The simulation results indicates that the ventilation effect of the combined solar chimney is better than that of the Trombe wall and the inclined-roof solar chimney, and the problem of overheating can be avoided. The study provides guidance for the optimal operation of a combined solar chimney. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications)
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23 pages, 5987 KiB  
Article
Experimental Investigation of the Cooling Effect Generated by a Heat Sink Integrated Thermoelectric-Based U-Shaped Air-Conditioning System
by Yesha Patel, Abu Raihan Mohammad Siddique, Mohammad Reza Mohaghegh, Syeda Humaira Tasnim and Shohel Mahmud
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(21), 10288; https://doi.org/10.3390/app112110288 - 02 Nov 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
Over the past years, thermoelectric refrigeration has attracted considerable attention due to its compact size, reliability, and environmental friendliness. Traditional refrigeration systems use greenhouse gases, which significantly impacts our environment. Therefore, in this work, a thermoelectric cooler prototype refrigeration system, a solid-state device [...] Read more.
Over the past years, thermoelectric refrigeration has attracted considerable attention due to its compact size, reliability, and environmental friendliness. Traditional refrigeration systems use greenhouse gases, which significantly impacts our environment. Therefore, in this work, a thermoelectric cooler prototype refrigeration system, a solid-state device causing no harm to the environment, was constructed and tested experimentally. A heat sink was attached to the cold side of the thermoelectric cooler (TEC) to cool the air passing through the heat sink. In contrast, a cold plate was attached to the hot side of TEC to remove the generated heat with the help of the liquid circulating in the aluminium cold plate. Experiments were carried out by varying parameters such as input current to the TEC module, inlet air flow rate, water flow rate through the cold plate, etc. The experimental results indicate that the cooling effect is increased by approximately 40%, increasing current from 2A to 8A. However, the cooling effect was decreased with increasing inlet airflow rate by 58% when airflow rate increased from 2.25 m/s to 3.55 m/s. However, the system performance shows approximately 35% increment with an increase in fan speed. Furthermore, a decrease in the water flow rate from 3.04 L/m to 1.80 L/m showed a slight increment in the cooling by 15%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications)
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15 pages, 5394 KiB  
Article
CFD Analysis and Taguchi-Based Optimization of the Thermohydraulic Performance of a Solar Air Heater Duct Baffled on a Back Plate
by Pham Ba Thao, Duong Cong Truyen and Nguyen Minh Phu
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(10), 4645; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11104645 - 19 May 2021
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2532
Abstract
In this paper, a solar air collector duct equipped with baffles on a back plate was numerically investigated. The Reynolds number (Re) was varied from 5000 to 20,000, the angle baffle (a) from 30° to 120°, the baffle spacing [...] Read more.
In this paper, a solar air collector duct equipped with baffles on a back plate was numerically investigated. The Reynolds number (Re) was varied from 5000 to 20,000, the angle baffle (a) from 30° to 120°, the baffle spacing ratio (Pr) from 2 to 8, and the baffle blockage ratio (Br) from 0.375 to 0.75 to examine their effects on the Nusselt number (Nu), the friction factor (f), and the thermohydraulic performance parameter (η). The 2D numerical simulation used the standard k-ε turbulence model with enhanced wall treatment. The Taguchi method was used to design the experiment, generating an orthogonal array consisting of four factors each at four levels. The optimization results from the Taguchi method and CFD analysis showed that the optimal geometry of a = 90°, Pr = 6, and Br = 0.375 achieved the maximum η. The influence of Br on all investigated parameters was considerable because as Br increased, a larger primary vortex region was formed downstream of the baffle. At Re = 5000 and the optimal geometry parameters, a maximum η of 1.01 was reached. A baffle angle between 60° and 90° achieved a high Nusselt number due to the impingement heat transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications)
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19 pages, 7638 KiB  
Article
FEM-CFD Simulation and Experimental Study of Compound Parabolic Concentrator (CPC) Solar Collectors with and without Fins for Residential Applications
by Javier E. Barrón-Díaz, Emmanuel A. Flores-Johnson, Danny G. Chan-Colli, J. Francisco Koh-Dzul, Ali Bassam, Luis D. Patiño-Lopez and Jose G. Carrillo
Appl. Sci. 2021, 11(8), 3704; https://doi.org/10.3390/app11083704 - 20 Apr 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2713
Abstract
Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) solar collectors are widely used for solar energy systems in industry; however, CPC collectors for residential applications have not been fully investigated. In this work, the thermal performance of non-tracking, small-size and low-cost CPC collectors with an absorber with [...] Read more.
Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) solar collectors are widely used for solar energy systems in industry; however, CPC collectors for residential applications have not been fully investigated. In this work, the thermal performance of non-tracking, small-size and low-cost CPC collectors with an absorber with and without segmented fins was studied experimentally and by means of a proposed numerical methodology that included ray tracing simulation and a coupled heat transfer finite element method (FEM)-computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, which was validated with experimental data. The experimental results showed that the CPC with a finned absorber has better thermal performance than that of the CPC with absorber without fins, which was attributed to the increase in thermal energy on the absorber surface. The numerical results showed that ray tracing simulation can be used to estimate the heat flux on the absorber surface and the FEM-CFD simulation can be used to estimate the heat transfer from the absorber to the water running through the pipe along with its temperature. The numerical results showed that mass flow rate is an important parameter for the design of the CPC collectors. The numerical methodology developed in this work was capable of describing the thermal performance of the CPC collectors and can be used for the modeling of the thermal behavior of other CPCs solar systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Progress in Solar Thermal Technologies and Applications)
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