Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization

This paper continues the mathematical research of the novel glass tube collectors for water heating. The subject of this research is a vacuum solar collector composed of a glass tube and a selective (using the SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> coating) flat absorber plate. Water...

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Main Authors: Aleksandar Nešović, Robert Kowalik
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Applied Sciences
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/4/1838
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author Aleksandar Nešović
Robert Kowalik
author_facet Aleksandar Nešović
Robert Kowalik
author_sort Aleksandar Nešović
collection DOAJ
description This paper continues the mathematical research of the novel glass tube collectors for water heating. The subject of this research is a vacuum solar collector composed of a glass tube and a selective (using the SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> coating) flat absorber plate. Water heating is performed using gravitational driving force and single-stage direct flow. The thermal performance with the geometric optimization (absorber width and glass tube thickness) of the presented solar collector type was determined using the specially designed iterative calculation algorithm (phase 1) and the double multi-criteria analysis (phase 2). Different operational (absorber temperature, ambient temperature and wind speed), geometric (mass, surface occupation, total surface occupation and volume occupation), economic (manufacturing costs and exploitation costs) and ecological (embodied energy and greenhouse gas emission) indicators were taken into account. The results showed that the useful heat power has an increasing trend if the flat absorber plate width increases, while the thermal efficiency has a decreasing trend. It was also determined that the glass tube thickness and the thermal performance of the solar collector are oppositely dependent. The main conclusion of this paper is that the optimal performance of such non-conventional solar systems is achieved when the absorber plate width is between 85 and 90 mm.
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spelling doaj-art-2fe7a4fbcd934fb4aa9a41ad82648fa92025-08-20T03:12:04ZengMDPI AGApplied Sciences2076-34172025-02-01154183810.3390/app15041838Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric OptimizationAleksandar Nešović0Robert Kowalik1Institute for Information Technologies, University of Kragujevac, Jovana Cvijića bb, 34000 Kragujevac, SerbiaFaculty of Environmental Engineering, Geodesy and Renewable Energy, Kielce University of Technology, Tysiaclecia P.P. 7, 25-314 Kielce, PolandThis paper continues the mathematical research of the novel glass tube collectors for water heating. The subject of this research is a vacuum solar collector composed of a glass tube and a selective (using the SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> coating) flat absorber plate. Water heating is performed using gravitational driving force and single-stage direct flow. The thermal performance with the geometric optimization (absorber width and glass tube thickness) of the presented solar collector type was determined using the specially designed iterative calculation algorithm (phase 1) and the double multi-criteria analysis (phase 2). Different operational (absorber temperature, ambient temperature and wind speed), geometric (mass, surface occupation, total surface occupation and volume occupation), economic (manufacturing costs and exploitation costs) and ecological (embodied energy and greenhouse gas emission) indicators were taken into account. The results showed that the useful heat power has an increasing trend if the flat absorber plate width increases, while the thermal efficiency has a decreasing trend. It was also determined that the glass tube thickness and the thermal performance of the solar collector are oppositely dependent. The main conclusion of this paper is that the optimal performance of such non-conventional solar systems is achieved when the absorber plate width is between 85 and 90 mm.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/4/1838absorberdirect water flowglass tubemathematical modelmulti-criteria analysisoptimization
spellingShingle Aleksandar Nešović
Robert Kowalik
Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization
Applied Sciences
absorber
direct water flow
glass tube
mathematical model
multi-criteria analysis
optimization
title Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization
title_full Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization
title_fullStr Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization
title_full_unstemmed Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization
title_short Single-Glazed Vacuum Tube Collector with SnAl<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> Selective Flat Absorber Plate and Gravity Single-Stage Direct Water Flow: A Comprehensive Geometric Optimization
title_sort single glazed vacuum tube collector with snal sub 2 sub o sub 3 sub selective flat absorber plate and gravity single stage direct water flow a comprehensive geometric optimization
topic absorber
direct water flow
glass tube
mathematical model
multi-criteria analysis
optimization
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/4/1838
work_keys_str_mv AT aleksandarnesovic singleglazedvacuumtubecollectorwithsnalsub2subosub3subselectiveflatabsorberplateandgravitysinglestagedirectwaterflowacomprehensivegeometricoptimization
AT robertkowalik singleglazedvacuumtubecollectorwithsnalsub2subosub3subselectiveflatabsorberplateandgravitysinglestagedirectwaterflowacomprehensivegeometricoptimization