Abstract In air-based solar heating systems, the fan power needed to overcome friction loss in rock beds can reduce the benefit of the system. The system performance of rock beds with large-sized storage materials that have comparably low friction loss is studied. A theoretical model of the heat transfer process within the rock bed is developed for large storage materials. In this model, the temperature within the materials is assumed to be distributed quadratically and symmetrically at their center. The relationship between the model parameter and the air flow rate was derived from experimental measurements for some large materials as well as the pressure drop through the bed. The energy performance of heat pump solar systems with rock beds of various storage materials are studied by the computer simulation under Japanese winter weather conditions. It is concluded that the possibility exists for some large-sized storage materials to have almost the same performance as small-sized materials for heat pump solar systems.
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