Numerical and experimental study of a flat plate solar collector with transparent insulation and overheating protection system

Abstract

In this paper a FPSC with TIM and an overheating protection system is investigated numerically and experimentally. The studied collector has been manufactured using a process similar to that of the conventional FPSC but by inserting a honeycomb TIM glued under the glass cover. The designed overheating protection system consists of a ventilation channel inserted between the absorber and the back insulation and has a thermally actuated door which opens when it reaches a specific temperature and remains closed otherwise. This system is designed to protect the collector when reaching stagnation conditions while preserving good performances during normal operations.