Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6733879 | Energy and Buildings | 2014 | 9 Pages |
Abstract
This study combined curtain wall structures, building construction practices, heat transfer mechanisms, and natural circulation loop designs to develop an innovative, wall-integrated solar heater based on the concept of an energy-harvesting facade. The heat transfer performance of this prototype was investigated experimentally. The results indicate that the average Nusselt numbers and flow thermal resistances in the heated and cooled sections increase and decrease, respectively, with an increasing modified Rayleigh number under isothermal boundary conditions for the heat sink. During daily use conditions, the system-wide energy harvest ratio of the test cell is between 0.45 and 0.78 and is not significantly affected by the cooling (feed) water flow rates.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering
Energy
Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
Authors
Chi-ming Lai, Shuichi Hokoi, C.J. Ho,