Performance of a solar collector with different glazing materials and their degradation under the condition prevailing in a solar collector

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Abstract

The effects of different glazing materials, namely double window glass (DG), single window glass (SG) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), on the performance of a 2m2 solar flat plate collector for air heating have been studied. The decrease in solar transmittance of these covers, measured between 0 and 60° angles of incidence (θi), seems to be compensated by the corresponding increase in solar reflectances while the solar absorptances were not so sensitive to the variation of θi. Under identical insolation level and ambient temperature, at air flow rates between 0.014 and 0.103 kg/s, the rise in air temperature for a 2m2 collector with DG cover was 1 and 2°C higher than that of the collectors with SG and PMMA covers, respectively. At 0.100 kg/s (0.05 kg/s m2), the thermal efficiencies of the collectors with DG, SG and PMMA covers were 46.0, 42.0 and 36.5%, respectively. Long term durability of the DG and PMMA systems was poor under the conditions prevailing in a solar flat plate collector. The PMMA fitted with the collector showed a degradation when it was exposed to outdoor conditions. In consequence, the decrease in solar transmittance was a maximum within 3 months, due to the formation of low molecular weight products.

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