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Codepro Manual

This document provides an overview and instructions for using CODEPRO, a software program that simulates the thermal performance of flat-plate solar collectors. CODEPRO can determine a collector's instantaneous efficiency and effects of radiation incidence angle through numerical simulation. It was developed using EES and allows users to input collector parameters, run simulations, view results, and compare multiple collector designs. The document outlines the program's capabilities and calculation methods.

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159 views

Codepro Manual

This document provides an overview and instructions for using CODEPRO, a software program that simulates the thermal performance of flat-plate solar collectors. CODEPRO can determine a collector's instantaneous efficiency and effects of radiation incidence angle through numerical simulation. It was developed using EES and allows users to input collector parameters, run simulations, view results, and compare multiple collector designs. The document outlines the program's capabilities and calculation methods.

Uploaded by

Panchojcp
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOC, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CODEPRO (Flat-Plate Solar Collector Design Program)

There are two important aspects of solar collector test : determination of instantaneous
efficiency with beam radiation nearly normal to the absorber surface and effects of angle of
incidence of the incident radiation. CODEPRO (COllector DEsign PROgram) has an ability to
determine them by numerical simulation. It is related to the test of optically isotropic flat-plate
solar collector whose construction is of sheet and parallel tube type. Its methodology is based on
the ASHRAE STANDARD 93-1986 and SRCC DOCUMENT RM-1.

EES
CODEPRO was developed using EES (Engineering Equation Solver). To see more features of
EES, please refer to EES help files or manuals.

I. Calculations
In this section the calculations of the thermal performance of a solar collector are explained
briefly. Major assumptions are as follows:
Assumptions]
1. In calculating the instantaneous efficiency, the radiation is incident on the solar collector with
the fixed incident angle.
2. The optical properties of the cover and absorber plate are independent of the temperature.
3. The headers cover a small area of collector and can be neglected.
4. The header provides uniform flow to tubes and the flow is one-dimensional.
5. The collector is a flush-mounted collector (FM).
6. There is no ground reflection.
7. The sky temperature is assumed to be the same as the ambient temperature (temporarily).
Instantaneous Collector Efficiency
The employed thermal performance models are linear and 2nd-order polynomial equations.
Once the program calculates the collector efficiency for different values of (Ti-Ta)/GT, the
coefficients of these equations can be determined by curve fitting using linear regression.
incidence angle modifier
The dependence of performance on the incident angle can be represented by the relation between
incidence angle modifier and incidence angle. Relation of Souka and Safwat (1966) is used for
the general relation between them

Some features of the program are as follows:


- In this program, working fluid can be chosen among water, ethylene glycol/water and
propylene glycol/water.
- In calculating the useful gain, the effect of aperture area is considered to get more reasonable
results.
- To get the various values of (Ti-Ta)/GT, the inlet temperature is changed from the ambient
temperature to the saturation temperature.
- The heat transfer coefficient between the collector fluid and the tube is calculated using
Petukhov equation for turbulent flow and the constant wall temperature relation for laminar flow.
Relations for constant wall temperature usually yield the value of heat transfer coefficient less
than the actual case. Thus the calculated performance can be less than the experimental results.
- To get an overall loss coefficient, not empirical relations but exact equations are used.
- To compare the performance from one collector design to others, the configuration and results
can be stored up to 5 sets.
- To determine the Incidence angle modifier coefficient, the incident angle is changed from 0 to
60 degrees.
- The ranges of variables are confined to get reasonable values as inputs and to make the
calculation converge.
- This version includes only SI units.
In the program, many functions were developed by Solar Energy Laboratory, University of
Wisconsin Madison. It takes about 2 seconds to evaluate the solar collector performance in
Pentium II 350 MHz personal computers.

II. Diagram Windows


Main Window
Main window consists of two boxes. The upper one (Input Box) is to input collector and test
conditions (5 buttons), to save the configuration and calculation results (Save Calculation as :
Pull down menu), and to perform calculation (calculate button). Each variable has a preset value
that was used in test in development level. After setting all the variables and calculation
conditions, just click the [Calculate] button to start calculation.
The lower box (Output Box) shows the calculation results, Collector Efficiency Equations and
Incident Angle Modifier Equation. Efficiency Equations are shown in 3 ways i.e. one linear
equation and two 2nd order polynomials. You can see plot for that equations just by hitting the
plot button.
Child Window 1 - Test Conditions
In this window, it is expected to enter the test conditions to obtain collector performance.
Input variables
- Incident Solar Radiation
- Diffuse Radiation Proportion
2

- Incident Angle of Beam Radiation


- Collector Slope
- Ambient Temperature
- Wind Speed
Child Window 2 Collector Dimensions
The overall and aperture collector dimensions are to be entered through this window. Here, it is
assumed that the area of absorber is the same as the aperture area.
Input variables
- Overall Dimensions
- Length : L
- Width
- Thickness
- Absorber Dimensions
- Length
- Width
Output variables
- Gross Area
- Aperture Area
Child Window 3 Cover and Plate
This window needs the values of optical and thermal properties of glass cover and absorber plate.
The collector can have two covers with different material. If there is only one cover, its
properties should be entered through Cover 1 section. In case of plastic cover system, cover 1
and cover 2 should be made of the same materials in this version (6/4/99).
Input Variables
- Cover
- Number of Covers : 0,1,2
- Cover material (it will determine the refractive index)
- Transmittance (solar spectrum)
- Emittance (long-wave spectrum)
- Transmittance (long-wave spectrum)
- Cover-Plate Air Spacing
- Cover1-Cover2 Air Spacing
- Plate
- Thickness
- Solar absorptance
- Long- wave emittance
- Conductivity
* Transmittance for long-wave spectrum is only for the non-glass covers.

Child Window 4 Edge and Insulation


To calculate the heat loss coefficient, it is necessary to input the data about the edge and back
insulation through this window.
Input Variables
- Thickness of Back Insulation
- Conductivity of Back Insulation
- Thickness of Edge Insulation
- Conductivity of Edge Insulation
Child Window 5 Tube and Fluid
Through this window, the values for the tube and fluid can be entered. The working fluid are to
be chosen among water, ethylene glycol/water and propylene glycol/water. The tube space (dt)
will be calculated using the width (W) and number of tubes (Nt) by dt =W/Nt. The bond
conductivity represents the contact resistance between the tube and absorber plate. If the
connection between them is pretty good, its value should be larger than 1000 W/mC.
Input Variables
- Tube
- Number of Tubes
- Inner Diameter
- Fluid
- Kind of Fluid
- Percent Composition ( in case of ethylene glycol/water and propylene glycol/water)
- Mass flow rate
- Inlet Pressure
- Plate-Tube Bond Conductivity
Output Variables
- Tube Spacing
Plot Windows
Plot windows display collector performance and incident angle modifier in graphic form. The
graph for each data set is distinguished by line colors. Plot windows also have fitting equations
whose coefficients are given in Output Box of Main Window.

III. Save Calculation as


You can store up to 5 solar collector configurations and calculation results to see the effect of
design change by comparing results. All the data are stored in LOOKUP table which you can
approach using windows/lookup table menu. The stored data can be copied to spread sheet
program like Excel or can be saved as a text file through Tables/Save Lookup Table menu.
4

Please do not anything but Save Lookup Table in Tables menu, or you cannot save your
calculation.
Options
[Do Not Save] : Do not save calculation just for trial calculation.
Set 1
: Save collector configuration and calculation results as Set 1
Set 2
Set 3
Set 4
Set 5
[Erase All Data] : Erase all data stored before.

III. Stagnation Temperature


Stagnation temperature is the highest temperature of the collector. It occurs when the collector is
not working, that is, there is no flow. In this case, the useful gain is zero and the energy equation
becomes this equation. By solving this equation, we can get the stagnation temperature.
Stagnation temperature window shows the condition that affects the temperatures, stagnation
cover temperatures, and stagnation plate temperatures.

Things to be added in near future


- etched glass
- English unit version

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