Design and optimization of an air heating solar collector with integrated phase change material energy storage for use in humidification-dehumidification desalination

Edward K. Summers; Mohammed A. Antar; John H. Lienhard

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.017

Design and optimization of an air heating solar collector with integrated phase change material energy storage for use in humidification-dehumidification desalination

Edward K. Summers
, Mohammed A. Antar
, John H. Lienhard^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

104 Scopus citations

Abstract

Compared to solar water heaters, high-temperature solar air heaters have received relatively little investigation and have resulted in few commercial products. However, in the context of a humidification-dehumidification (HD) desalination cycle, air heating offers significant performance gains for the cycle. Heating at a constant temperature and constant heat output is also important for HD cycle performance. The use of built in phase change material (PCM) storage is found to produce consistent air outlet temperatures throughout the day or night. In this study, the PCM has been implemented directly below the absorber plate. Using a two dimensional transient finite element model, it is found that a PCM layer of 8. cm below the absorber plate is sufficient to produce a consistent output temperature close to the PCM melting temperature with a time-averaged collector thermal efficiency of 35%. An experimental energy storage collector with an 8. cm thick PCM layer was built and tested in a variety of weather and operating conditions. Experimental results show strong agreement with model in all cases.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	3417-3429
Number of pages	13
Journal	Solar Energy
Volume	86
Issue number	11
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.017
State	Published - Nov 2012

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors thank Alexander Guerra for his help with the FEM software, P. Gandhidasan for helpful discussions of the solar design, and also M.K. Adham for his assistance in performing the experiments. The authors would also like to thank the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals for funding the research reported in this paper through the Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy

Keywords

Dehumidification
Desalination
Energy storage
Humidification
Phase change material
Solar air heater

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
General Materials Science

Access to Document

10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.017

Cite this

@article{058706fe0dfe4a469a00a14d89e2bc2f,

title = "Design and optimization of an air heating solar collector with integrated phase change material energy storage for use in humidification-dehumidification desalination",

abstract = "Compared to solar water heaters, high-temperature solar air heaters have received relatively little investigation and have resulted in few commercial products. However, in the context of a humidification-dehumidification (HD) desalination cycle, air heating offers significant performance gains for the cycle. Heating at a constant temperature and constant heat output is also important for HD cycle performance. The use of built in phase change material (PCM) storage is found to produce consistent air outlet temperatures throughout the day or night. In this study, the PCM has been implemented directly below the absorber plate. Using a two dimensional transient finite element model, it is found that a PCM layer of 8. cm below the absorber plate is sufficient to produce a consistent output temperature close to the PCM melting temperature with a time-averaged collector thermal efficiency of 35\%. An experimental energy storage collector with an 8. cm thick PCM layer was built and tested in a variety of weather and operating conditions. Experimental results show strong agreement with model in all cases.",

keywords = "Dehumidification, Desalination, Energy storage, Humidification, Phase change material, Solar air heater",

author = "Summers, \{Edward K.\} and Antar, \{Mohammed A.\} and Lienhard, \{John H.\}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors thank Alexander Guerra for his help with the FEM software, P. Gandhidasan for helpful discussions of the solar design, and also M.K. Adham for his assistance in performing the experiments. The authors would also like to thank the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals for funding the research reported in this paper through the Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM.",

year = "2012",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.017",

language = "English",

volume = "86",

pages = "3417--3429",

journal = "Solar Energy",

issn = "0038-092X",

publisher = "Elsevier Ltd.",

number = "11",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Design and optimization of an air heating solar collector with integrated phase change material energy storage for use in humidification-dehumidification desalination

AU - Summers, Edward K.

AU - Antar, Mohammed A.

AU - Lienhard, John H.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors thank Alexander Guerra for his help with the FEM software, P. Gandhidasan for helpful discussions of the solar design, and also M.K. Adham for his assistance in performing the experiments. The authors would also like to thank the King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals for funding the research reported in this paper through the Center for Clean Water and Clean Energy at MIT and KFUPM.

PY - 2012/11

Y1 - 2012/11

N2 - Compared to solar water heaters, high-temperature solar air heaters have received relatively little investigation and have resulted in few commercial products. However, in the context of a humidification-dehumidification (HD) desalination cycle, air heating offers significant performance gains for the cycle. Heating at a constant temperature and constant heat output is also important for HD cycle performance. The use of built in phase change material (PCM) storage is found to produce consistent air outlet temperatures throughout the day or night. In this study, the PCM has been implemented directly below the absorber plate. Using a two dimensional transient finite element model, it is found that a PCM layer of 8. cm below the absorber plate is sufficient to produce a consistent output temperature close to the PCM melting temperature with a time-averaged collector thermal efficiency of 35%. An experimental energy storage collector with an 8. cm thick PCM layer was built and tested in a variety of weather and operating conditions. Experimental results show strong agreement with model in all cases.

AB - Compared to solar water heaters, high-temperature solar air heaters have received relatively little investigation and have resulted in few commercial products. However, in the context of a humidification-dehumidification (HD) desalination cycle, air heating offers significant performance gains for the cycle. Heating at a constant temperature and constant heat output is also important for HD cycle performance. The use of built in phase change material (PCM) storage is found to produce consistent air outlet temperatures throughout the day or night. In this study, the PCM has been implemented directly below the absorber plate. Using a two dimensional transient finite element model, it is found that a PCM layer of 8. cm below the absorber plate is sufficient to produce a consistent output temperature close to the PCM melting temperature with a time-averaged collector thermal efficiency of 35%. An experimental energy storage collector with an 8. cm thick PCM layer was built and tested in a variety of weather and operating conditions. Experimental results show strong agreement with model in all cases.

KW - Dehumidification

KW - Desalination

KW - Energy storage

KW - Humidification

KW - Phase change material

KW - Solar air heater

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84867861942

U2 - 10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.017

DO - 10.1016/j.solener.2012.07.017

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:84867861942

SN - 0038-092X

VL - 86

SP - 3417

EP - 3429

JO - Solar Energy

JF - Solar Energy

IS - 11

ER -

Design and optimization of an air heating solar collector with integrated phase change material energy storage for use in humidification-dehumidification desalination

Abstract

Bibliographical note

UN SDGs

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this