CFD analysis of solar hot water heater with integrated storage system

This paper outlines a research project about fluid flow and computational investigations of flow patterns in a solar water store. Investigations have shown the flow patterns in solar water stores strongly influences the hot spot position of solar heating system. Mixing caused by water entering the solar water store will destroy stratification. For increasing the system tilted at 10° from the horizontal plane the thermal performance increasing. In order to describe the fluid flow behaviour of the water inside the solar water store, a finite element based on model was generated for the system and was simulated using the FEMLAB programmed. The goal of the project is to gather knowledge about flow phenomena occurring in solar hot water stores with different tilted and time. The result of the simulation could be used as guidance to locate the suitable position of appropriate components such as helical coils as well as the size of the solar hot water heater system to be built.

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