ANALYTICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF PUMPED SOLAR WATER HEATERS.

This paper describes and presents the results of an analytical and experimental study of forced circulation solar water heaters. A transient computer model which allows for fluctuating insolation, and ambient temperature as well as draw off of hot water at random times, has been developed. The system model has been successfully used to predict the performance of an installed forced circulation solar water heater under ″in use″ conditions. New experimental data for such a system are presented. They include environmental operating conditions such as insolation and ambient temperature, as well as hot water load draw off. Results are shown for predicted and experimental collector inlet and outlet temperatures. The percent load carried by solar energy during each day of a week of operation is also given.