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Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa

This thesis investigates the application of solar water heating in South Africa. The solar water heating system investigated work on the thermosiphoning effect or natural convection. An extensive literature study has been undertaken to investigate this phenomena. The three partial differential equat...

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Main Author: De Meyer, Oelof
Other Authors: Pillay, Pragasen
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Department of Electrical Engineering 2016
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access_status_str Open Access
author De Meyer, Oelof
author2 Pillay, Pragasen
author_browse De Meyer, Oelof
Pillay, Pragasen
author_facet Pillay, Pragasen
De Meyer, Oelof
author_sort De Meyer, Oelof
collection Thesis
description This thesis investigates the application of solar water heating in South Africa. The solar water heating system investigated work on the thermosiphoning effect or natural convection. An extensive literature study has been undertaken to investigate this phenomena. The three partial differential equations (governing equations) are non-dimensionalized and a similarity solution is applied to obtain two coupled non-linear ordinary differential equations. These equations are then solved in MATLAB to obtain the velocity and temperature profiles. Two scenarios were considered, a vertical wall with a constant wall temperature and a vertical wall with a constant heat flux. LP SWH systems use vacuum tubes to absorb solar radiation and transfer it to the water, which is similar to the vertical wall with a constant heat flux. A simulation model has been developed for a LP SWH system which is able to simulate the system performance for a given geographical location, where the user can specify the system component attributes. Experiments on the system were conducted to validate the simulation model. The simulation model accompanies a 6-Step Design Guide developed to assist the user to design a system able to satisfy the consumer's hot water demand. The 6-Step Design Guide developed can be used in future design considerations for LP SWH systems in South Africa.
format Thesis
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institution University of Cape Town (South Africa)
language eng
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:31:34.243Z
license_str Not specified — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
publishDate 2016
publishDateRange 2016
publishDateSort 2016
publisher Department of Electrical Engineering
publisherStr Department of Electrical Engineering
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source_str UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository
spelling oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/22061 Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa De Meyer, Oelof Pillay, Pragasen Sebitosi, A B Okou, Richard Electrical Engineering Energy Research This thesis investigates the application of solar water heating in South Africa. The solar water heating system investigated work on the thermosiphoning effect or natural convection. An extensive literature study has been undertaken to investigate this phenomena. The three partial differential equations (governing equations) are non-dimensionalized and a similarity solution is applied to obtain two coupled non-linear ordinary differential equations. These equations are then solved in MATLAB to obtain the velocity and temperature profiles. Two scenarios were considered, a vertical wall with a constant wall temperature and a vertical wall with a constant heat flux. LP SWH systems use vacuum tubes to absorb solar radiation and transfer it to the water, which is similar to the vertical wall with a constant heat flux. A simulation model has been developed for a LP SWH system which is able to simulate the system performance for a given geographical location, where the user can specify the system component attributes. Experiments on the system were conducted to validate the simulation model. The simulation model accompanies a 6-Step Design Guide developed to assist the user to design a system able to satisfy the consumer's hot water demand. The 6-Step Design Guide developed can be used in future design considerations for LP SWH systems in South Africa. 2016-10-03T08:41:45Z 2016-10-03T08:41:45Z 2012 Master Thesis Masters MSc (Eng) http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22061 eng application/pdf Department of Electrical Engineering Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment University of Cape Town
spellingShingle Electrical Engineering
Energy Research
De Meyer, Oelof
Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa
thesis_degree_str Master's
title Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa
title_full Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa
title_fullStr Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa
title_short Design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in South Africa
title_sort design considerations for low pressure solar water heating in south africa
topic Electrical Engineering
Energy Research
url http://hdl.handle.net/11427/22061
work_keys_str_mv AT demeyeroelof designconsiderationsforlowpressuresolarwaterheatinginsouthafrica