Single and two-phase flow modeling and analysis of a coaxial vacuum tube solar collector

In this paper, an analytical steady state model is developed to study the thermal performance of an individual vacuum tube solar collector with coaxial piping (direct flow type) incorporating both single and two-phase flows. A system of equations which describe the different heat transfer mechanisms and flow conditions was established, discretised, and solved in an iterative manner. For the case of good vacuum condition (10(-5) mb) the calculated efficiency curve for single phase flow deviates significantly from the experiments with increasing collector temperature, but agrees well for the case of gas conduction inside the glass envelope at very low pressure (<< 1 mb) due to the corresponding increase in overall heat loss coefficient (U-value). For two-phase flow, the occurrence and propagation of flow boiling and condensation inside the collector piping under saturated condition is hypothesized. The modeling results indicate that for all-liquid-single-phase fluid flow, the collector efficiency decreases with decreasing mass flow rate. Once the fluid reaches the boiling point at a certain mass flow rate, no significant reduction in efficiency is observed anymore, which is in accordance with the experimental study. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.