SOLUTIONS

MAE 136
Energy and Environment
Winter 2014

Problem Set 4

1. A flat plate solar collector with no cover plate has a selective absorber surface of emissivity
0.1 and solar absorptivity 0.95. At a given time of day the absorber surface temperature T
s
is
120
o
C when the solar irradiation is 750 W/m
2
, the effective sky temperature is -10
o
C, and the
ambient air temperature T

is 30
o
C. Assume that the heat transfer coefficient can be
estimated using

W/m
2
-K)
For these conditions calculate the
(a) Useful heat removal rate from the collector, W/m
2

(b) Efficiency of the collector.

2. The spectral transmissivity of plain and tinted glass can be approximated as follows:
Plain glass:

= 0.9 0.3 < < 2.5 m

Tinted glass:

= 0.9 0.5 < < 1.5 m

Outside the specified wavelength ranges, the spectral transmissivity

is zero for both

glasses. Compare the solar energy that can be transmitted through the two glasses for these
data.

3. Calculate the band-gap energy of silicon capable of forming an electron-hole pair in silicon,
i.e. what is the threshold wavelength below which any radiation can theoretically generate a
photovoltaic current in silicon? Recall that a photon has energy E = h and for
electromagnetic waves c = The necessary constants are Plancks constant h = 6.625 x 10
-
34
J-s and the conversion factor 1 eV = 1.6 x 10
-19
J. Be sure to comment on your results.

4. Solar irradiation of 1,100 W/m
2
is incident on a large, flat, horizontal metal roof on a day
when the wind blowing over the roof causes a convective heat transfer coefficient of 25
W/m
2
-K. The outside air temperature is 27
o
C, the metal surface absorptivity for incident
solar radiation is 0.60, the metal surface emissivity is 0.20, and the roof is well insulated
from below. Estimate the roof temperature under steady-state conditions.

5. Consider a double-pane window. The glass surface may be treated with a low-emissivity
coating to reduce its emissivity from = 0.95 to = 0.05. Determine the radiation heat flux
between the two glass sheets for glass temperatures of T
1
= 20
o
C and T
2
= 0
o
C, respectively:
(a) Case 1:

=
2
= 0.95
(b) Case 2:

=
2
= 0.05
(c) Case 3:

= 0.05,
2
= 0.95


Due Tuesday, February 4, 2014
z.
PROBLEM 12.62
KNOWN: Spectral transmissivity of a plain and tinted glass.
FIND: Solar energy transmitted by each glass.
SCHEMATIC:
0.9
:--..,.....---""f - -k--Plain gla!Ss
I I
I I .
: Tinted glass
..... 1.r=S 'A( fL m)
ASSUMPTIONS: (1) Spectral distribution of solar irradiation is proportional to spectral emissive
power of a blackbody at 5800K.
ANALYSIS: To compare the energy transmitted by the glasses, it is sufficient to calculate the
transmissivity of each glass for the prescribed spectral range when the irradiation distribution is that of
the solar spectrum. From Eq. 12.61,
rs = r q GA.,sdA- 1 r GA.,sdA- =riA. EA.,b (A-,5800K) dA-/ Eb (5800K).
Recognizi ng that 'tJ. will be constant for the range AJ using Eq. 12.29, find
rs = q . F( A.2) = r A. [ F( A.2) - F( A., ) J.
For the two glasses, the solar transmissivity, using Table 12.1 for F, is then
Plain glass: A-2 = 2.5 J..lm A-2 T = 2.5 J..lm x 5800K = 14,500 J..lm K
A) = 0.3 J..lm AJ T = 0.3 f..lm X 5800K = 1,740 J..lmK
s = 0.9 [0.966 - o.033] = 0.839. f
Tinted glass: A-2 = 1.5 J..lm A-2 T = 1.5 J..lm x 5800K = 8,700 11mK
AJ = 0.5 11m AJ T = 0.5 11m x 5800K=2,900 11m-K
'tS = 0.9 [0.881 - 0.250] = 0.568.
F(o -t A-2) = 0.966
= o.033
<
= 0.881
= 0.250
<
COMMENTS: For solar energy, the transmissivities are 0.839 for the plain glass vs. 0.568 for the
tinted glass. Tinting reduces solar flux by 32%