Experimental study of a glazed solar chimney assisted with DC fan and hot water collector production

This paper reports the study on the development and thermal performance and of a multi-purpose combined glazed solar chimney and hot water collector assisted with DC fan (GSC-HWC assisted with DC fan) conducted under the tropical climate conditions of Bangkok, Thailand. The external layer of GSC-HWC was composed of a glazed solar hot water collector with 0.01 m diameter black-painted pipes that could produce approximately 10 liters of hot water. The internal layer was 0.006 m thick low-e clear glass. GSC-HWC dimensions are as follows: 0.06 m height and 0.50 m width. An air gap 0.08 m separated the two layers. There are also two openings, covered with a net for insect preventing, located at the bottom (room side glass pane) and at the top (ambient side) which were about 0.24 x 0.12 m(2) of surface area. A 50 Watt photovoltaic panel was installed on the roof and connected to a DC axial fan (12V x 0.18A) for increasing air ventilation at inside and exhausting indoor hot air to the ambient. The glass panes could be removed easily for maintenance. GSC-HWC was assembled and installed at the south facade of a small house of 4.05 m(3). Thermal performances are compared to a 0.60 x 0.50 m(2) single glass window (SG) configuration installed in another similar house model. Experimental revealed that indoor temperature of GSC-HWC room was less than that of SG room. The GSC-HWC DC assisted ventilation was significantly high that reduced heat gain considerably. The water temperature of GSC-HWC, was relatively high and sufficient for domestic use. Thus, The GSC-HWC seems to be an interesting configuration expected to promote solar energy usage, save cooling energy and protect environment. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.