Energy exergetic and economic analysis (3E) in a flat solar collector with thermal storage for air heating

Abstract

Solar energy has been considered as a carrier of primary energy to sustain life, representing a renewable energy resource that strengthens industrialization through its use as the main source of energy. This study evaluates the energy, exergetic and economic yields through an analytical approach applied to experimental data obtained in a flat solar collector (SAC) with paraffin as phase change material (PCM) and "V" absorber plate geometry, intended for air heating. The results of the investigation indicated that the energy, exergetic, and exergy destroyed efficiency of the SAC were 71.24%, 16.96%, and 79.66%, respectively. This research allowed us to carry out a sensitivity analysis applied to the results of the thermodynamic variables of the equipment: thermal efficiency, air mass flow and solar radiation; where an improvement in the thermodynamic yields is evidenced by obtaining a thermal efficiency of 91.25%, exergetic efficiency of 61.03% and a decrease in exergy destroyed up to 35.04% of the values obtained experimentally. Through the economic analysis, it was determined that the levelized cost of heating the SAC is 0.0927 USD/kWh, indicating that the project is economically profitable, due to the use of solar energy instead of electrical energy as an input source. Lastly, this research is expected to be a contribution that can support the authors of subsequent projects interested in this technology.