Experimental study on an integrated collector storage solar air heater based on flat micro-heat pipe arrays

This study investigated the performance of an integrated collector storage solar air heater based on latent heat storage and flat micro-heat pipe arrays. The structure and working principle of the device were explained in detail. The effective area of the collector is 0.93 m2, and the mass of the phase change material (PCM) is 45.8 kg. An integrated collector storage experimental system was set up, and outdoor experiments were conducted to demonstrate the feasibility of the device for energy storage and air heating. The temperature distribution of the PCM was recorded during charging and discharging to monitor the propagation of the melting and freezing front. Efficiency and power during charging and discharging were also calculated. The integrative device exhibited 59% and 91.6% efficiencies for solar air charging and discharging at 393 and 344 W power, respectively.