Tube layout for solar collector - has varying thickness tubes in groups recovering equal quantities of energy

摘要

This method determines the optimum arrangement of tube bundles which are used to line the walls of a solar collector which is receiving reflected solar radiation. A factor, determined by the product of the coefficient of convection of the fluid and the thickness of the tube divided by the coefficient of conduction of the tube material, is used to determine the thickness of the tube. This must lie between 1/20 and 1/10 of the outside diameter of the tube. A second factor is the ratio of the life of the solar collector to the pressure loss. If the solar radiation is uniform, the tube bundles will have the same width. If the radiation varies the tube bundles will vary accordingly. The collector is divided into two parallel sections with the tube bundles increasing in width in each.