User:Vikram Kaadam

Vikram Kadam is a final year Mechanical Engineering student at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He is an applicant for the GSOC 2011 for the project titled 'Renewable Energy System Modelling' (Proposal).

His CV can be found here.

All his work related to the project 'Renewable energy system modelling'can be found at code repositary.

The work includes :

1. Solar field model Link to code

This model uses the approach by Patnode to the field efficiency of solar field at SEGS.

Detailed analysis of the model can be found at the Link.

Pictorially model can be described as:picture.

2. Solar field model using sunpos.a4l Link to code

This model is same as 1st one except it uses johnpye/sunpos.a4c instead of direct equations for sun-position related variables.

3. Solar field model (using fprops for specific enthalpy) Link to code

This model is same as 1st one except it used fprops library in ascend instead of direct equations for specific enthalpy.

Issue : call fprops property function gives 'out of bounds' error for input rho and T. A screenshot for the error can be found at:picture.

4. Flat plate collector model Link to code

Here, He is trying to model commonly used 'fin and tube' type of absorber,a flat plate collector, for liquid heating. He has considered 1 glass cover. Model aims at calculating overall heat loss coefficient (Ul) and useful energy gain (Qu).

Mean plate temperature and ambient temperature are given.

Thus model is valid for the range of 'effective transmittance-absorptance product' which satisfy below mentioned assumptions. Also model does not calculate the solar gain S {= (effective transmittance-absorptance product) * ( solar radiation falling on tilted collector surface)} but take it as direct entry.

Assumptions:

1. Performance is steady state.

2. Construction is of parallel sheet and tube type.

3. The headers cover small area and can be neglected.

4. There is no absorption of solar energy by covers insofar as it affects losses.

5. The headers provide uniform flow to the collector tubes.

6. There is one dimensional heat flow from the covers.

7. There is one dimensional heat flow from the black insulation.

8. The covers are opaque to infrared radiation.

9. There is negligible temperature drop through covers

10. The sky can be considered a black body for long wavelength radiation at equivalent sky temperature.

Issue : Iteration exceeded error. This probably Needs better guesses and will be resolved soon.

5. Some types definition required by above models can be found here.