Description
A focusing solar energy collector on a mobile frame. Specially designed for educational use, the apparatus shows the principles, advantages and limits of this method of capturing solar energy. It is a highly-polished stainless steel parabolic reflector, supported on trunnion bearings on a turntable. By adjusting the horizontal and vertical position of the reflector, students focus solar energy onto an energy collector. The energy collector is a brass cylinder with an embedded thermocouple that measures the cylinder temperature. To enable students to compare different concentration ratios, we supply four different sizes of energy collector. Also supplied is a removable transparent cover for the collector, so students can study the properties of shielded and unshielded collectors. Attached to the refl ector carrier is a solarimeter (pyranometer) that measures the incident solar radiation. An extra thermocouple measures ambient temperature for reference. The cylinder thermocouple, the solarimeter and the ambient temperature thermocouple connect to a Display Unit. The Instrumentation Unit shows ambient temperature, collector temperature and solar intensity from the solarimeter. It also has a socket for connection to optional . The equipment works with Versatile Data Acquisition System, not included). allows accurate real-time data capture, monitoring, display, calculation and charting of all the important readings on a computer (computer not supplied)
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrations of the performance, advantages and limitations of a focusing solar energy collector
- Understanding the effective use of the direct component of solar radiation
- Measurement of the efficiency of the collector with and without a transparent cover
- Measurement of the maximum possible energy collector temperature.
Specifications
- Nett dimension and weight
- Main part: 1100 mm wide x 1530 mm high x 850 mm front to back and 80 kg
- Instrumentation unit: 400 mm wide x 180 mm high x
- 350 mm front to back and 7 kg
- Total packed dimension and weight:
- Approximately 2.2 m3 and 100 kg.
- Parabolic reflector :
- Highly polished stainless steel
- Reflector to collector concentration rarios :
- 15, 20, 25 and 30
Operating Conditions
- Operating environment:
- Laboratory
- Storage temperature range:
- –25°C to +55°C (when packed for transport)
- Operating temperature range:
- +5°C to +40°C
- Operating relative humidity range:
- 80% at temperatures < 31°C decreasing linearly to 50% at 40°C
