• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.49-56
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• 2016

The objective of this work is to analyze the variation in energy performance for each flat plate collector connected in series. In this study, it was assumed that solar water heating system with annual solar fraction of 60% was installed in an office building in Seoul, South Korea. The transient energy performance corresponding to four cases, which are selected using different solar radiation and outdoor air temperature, is studied by analyzing the variation in outlet temperature, solar useful heat gain, and thermal efficiency of each collector. It is observed that the useful heat gain and the collector efficiency decrease continuously, and outlet temperature increases when increasing the number of collector connected in series. The long-term performance is assessed by evaluating the thermal efficiency of each collector for two solar radiation conditions ranging from 780 to $820W/m^2$ and from 380 to $420W/m^2$. It is found that the differences between the intercept and slope of the efficiency curves for first and eighth collectors are 3.68% and 6.74% for solar radiation of $800{\pm}20W/m^2$ and 8.57% and 12.90% for solar radiation of $400{\pm}20W/m^2$, respectively. In addition, it is interesting to note that annual useful heat gain and collector efficiency are reduced with similar rate of about 6.13% when increasing the collector area by connecting the collectors in series.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.36 no.5
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• pp.73-89
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• 2016

To assure maximum economic benefits and the energy performance of solar water heating systems, the proper sizing of components and operating conditions need to be optimized. In recent years, a number of studies to design optimally solar water heating systems have been tried. This paper presents a design method for optimizing the various capacity-related and installation-related design variables based on life cycle cost using a genetic algorithm. The design variables considered in this study included the types and numbers of solar collector and auxiliary heaters; the types of storage tanks and heat exchangers; the solar collector slope; mass flow rates of the fluid on the hot and cold sides. The suggested method was applied for optimizing a solar water heating system for an elementary school in Seoul, South Korea. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed optimization method was assessed by analyzing the obtained optimal solutions of six case studies, each of which was simulated with different solar fractions. It is observed that a trade-off between the equipment cost and the energy cost results in an optimal design that yields the lowest life cycle cost. Therefore, it could be helpful to apply the optimal solar water heating system by comparing the various design solutions obtained by using the optimization method instead of the engineer's experience and intuition.

• Korean Journal of Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Engineering
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.232-242
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• 2005

It has been recognized that solar water heating systems are economically inferior to conventional gas water-heaters and boilers using light oil as fuel in spite of having practical possibilities among other alternative energy facilities in Korea. The solar system, however, should be revaluated due to the sharp rise of oil prices recently. We have calculated the energy amount and cost through a series of research projects for the system by experiment and simulation, which lead to analyzing reliable life cycle costs. For the economic analysis, the gas water-heater and light oil boiler were taken as base cases while the solar systems implemented with these facilities were compared as alternatives. As a result, the solar system using the light oil as an auxiliary fuel surpassed the light oil boiler in economics. And a $50\%$ government subsidy for the initial cost is needed to maintain competitiveness with the gas hot-water heater. With this support, the simple payback period of the system can approach 12.8 years under $20\%$ additional curtailment of expenditure.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.89-98
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• 2011

This study examined the energy performance according to the main design parameters of a solar water heating system for an office building using the life cycle cost (LCC) optimization simulations. The LCC optimization simulations of the system were conducted with TRNSYS and GenOpt employing the Hooke-Jeeves algorithm for cases where water temperature was $60^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$. The results showed that for water temperature at $60^{\circ}C$ and $50^{\circ}C$ the global radiation incident on the collector could be decreased by 16.98% and 28.52%, collector useful energy gain could be decreased by 15.04% and 22.59%, energy to load from storage tank could be decreased by 10.86% and 18.06% and AH energy to load could be increased by 16.86% and 38.50% respectively compared to a non-optimized system. The annual average collection efficiency of the collector was increased by 0.88% for $60^{\circ}C$ and 2.78% for $50^{\circ}C$ because of increase of collector slope and decrease of the mass flow rate per collector area. The annual average efficiency of the system was increased by 1.74% and 3.47% compared to the basis system. However, the annual solar fraction of the system was decreased by 6.68% for $60^{\circ}C$ and 11.26% for $50^{\circ}C$ due to decrease of collector area and storage tank volume.

• Solar Energy
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.3-13
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• 1989

This study has been conducted to measure the performance of 5 thermosyphon solar water heaters suitable for Korean climate and to develop the most optimum system. Each system consists of two flat plate collectors of $4'{\times}8'$ (or three flat plate collectors of $3'{\times}6'$) connected in parallel and a storage tank of $300{\ell}$ capacity. Among the tested systems, the configuration that has two flat plate collectors of $4'{\times}8'$ and a horizontal tank-in-tank type storage unit with internal fins (C system) showed the highest performance.

• Solar Energy
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.3-13
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• 1987

A batch type passive solar water systems, which perform the dual function of absorbing the solar energy and storing the heated water, have been designed and fabricated for the purpose of side-by-side testing at KIER. The test models included an A, B and C type batch systems which were classified according to the design of box and arrangement of tanks. The year-round performance tests show that B type batch system taken the step-wise tank arrangement indicates 55.7% yearly-average collection efficiency factor and 61% yearly-average maximum collection efficiency factor. Computer-aided-experimental results show that the sufficient hot water can be obtained in the early morning if the glazing is supplemented by a reflector/insulation cover. The thermal performance equation has been developed for the prediction of hourly variation of the water temperature in tank.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.49-56
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• 2014

Research about hybrid solar air-water heater that can make heated air and hot water was conducted as a part of improving efficiency of solar thermal energy. At this experiment, ability of making heating air and hot water was investigated and compared with traditional solar air heater and flat plate solar collector for hot water when air or liquid was heated respectively. Comparing hybrid solar air-water heater that used in this experiment to other solar air heater studied already, it has a lower efficiency at same mass flow rate. Air channel structure, fin's shape and arrangement in the air channel result in these difference then the ability of air heating need to be improved with changing these thing. In case of making hot water, performance was shown as similar with traditional system although the air channels were established beneath absorbing plate. But the heat loss coefficient was shown higher value by installing of air channel. Also the performance of hot water making was shown lower value at same liquid mass flow rate with traditional flat plate solar collector for hot water. So the necessity of performance improvement at lower mass flow rate of each heating medium can be confirmed.

• Journal of the Korean Solar Energy Society
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.73-79
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• 2015

In this study, a thermal storage performance and characteristics of daily operation were investigated when the air and the liquid were heated simultaneously by a hybrid solar air-water heater that can make hot water as well as heated air. The hybrid solar air-water heater is kind of a flat plate solar collector that can make hot water and heated air by installing air channel beneath absorber plate of traditional flat plate solar collector for hot water. As a result of daily operation, maximum water temperature reached in a thermal storage was shown $44^{\circ}C$ on 73kg/h of air mass flow rate and about $40^{\circ}C$ on 176kg/h of air mass flow rate. Thus, the necessity of heating water in thermal storage by operating only liquid side was confirmed when the temperature of liquid in thermal storage is lower than we need. In case of efficiency investigated on daily operation, the thermal efficiency of the liquid side was decreased with increment of the inlet liquid temperature and decrement of the solar radiation, but efficiency of the air side was increased with increment of inlet liquid temperature difference as the traditional solar air heater. Total thermal efficiency of the collector was shown from 65.85% to 78.23% and it was decreased with increment of the inlet liquid temperature and decrement of solar radiation same as the traditional system.

• The Magazine of the Society of Air-Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.230-236
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• 1984

This paper presents a method for estimating the useful output of solar D.H.W. system. Heating load calculations, climate data and various conditions are used in this procedure to assess the fraction of the monthly solar energy and the actual solar energy supplied by solar energy for particular system. The design procedure presented in this paper referred to the f-Chart Method. The results of analyzing of this study by Fortran programming are as follows ; 1 . The amount of actual solar energy required to the hot water system is slowly rised to the ascend of tilt angle within the range of $45^{\circ}$, with is decreased since $45^{\circ}$. 2. The fraction of solar energy is superior when collector area is $8.64m^2$. 3. At the tilt angle with the range of $37.6^{\circ}\~45^{\circ}$, the amount of actual solar energy established the best results. 4 Both the fraction of solar energy and the actual solar energy are the most suitable during the storage volume is $300{\iota}$.

• Korean Journal of Construction Engineering and Management
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2009

This study is to analyze the performance of SWH(Solar Water Heating) and GSHP(Ground Source Heat Pump) systems by evaluating their energy efficiency and LCC(Life Cycle Cost) as being applied to the OO hall as a selected building in the Army. The OO hall, used as bathrooms, dining rooms, accommodations and offices, has reinforced concrete structure system with three floors above the ground and one underground, and its total floor area is approximately 2,917$m^2$. Two energy simulations are conducted to predict the yearly cooling and heating energy of the selected building: One is for analysis of an air-conditioning energy consumption using the e-Quest program, and another is for two new-renewable energy facilities as a water heating source using the RETScreen. The installed capacity of two new-renewable energy facilities is determined according to the 5% level of total standard construction cost. As a briefly result, SWH system is more energy-effective than GSHP system. Considering the break-even point, it is expected that SWH can take only 3 years 11 months to pay for itself in savings while the investment of GSHP can be recovered in more than 16 years 6 months.