Solar Energy:

transpired air heating low concentrating solar energy collectors

Most potential applications of solar energy for air heating in Ireland have not been viable economically to date due to (i) high initial installed system capital costs; (ii) low solar energy conversion efficiencies; (iii) low outlet temperatures and thus small ensuent solar fractions, (i.e. proportion of the total heating energy requirement met by solar energy) and (v) inadequately addressed design for effective building and systems integration. Transpired air heating solar collectors addresses these problems. The main aim of the project is to understand interactions between heat transfer, fluid mechanics and optics in order to optimise new generic forms of transpired air-heating solar energy collectors in terms of solar fraction and life-cycle cost.

Personnel

Prof Brian Norton

DIT - School of Electrical Engineering Systems

Nasif Shams

Dr Mick McKeever

DIT - School of Physics

Dr Sarah McCormack