Test of Thermal Efficiency of Phase Change Heat Exchange of the Ambergy Collector

Report Number

FSEC-CR-1764-08

Keywords

Solar Thermal; Phase change heat exchange; Solar thermal collector; Thermal efficiency; Solar hot water; Heat exchanger

Abstract

Ambergy, Inc. has developed a phase change tube design that moves heat from a flattened surface to its elevated end. The design would seem to be ideal for a solar thermal collector, with the flattened surface acting as the solar energy absorber and the elevated heat transfer surface constructed within a heat exchanger for heat transfer to water for solar hot water applications. The Ambergy design allows for low cost materials to be used in the absorber itself, as opposed to standard marketed solar hot water collectors that are made of copper. Thus if a collector of the Ambergy design would operate at thermal efficiencies similar to existing designs, the opportunity would exist for the production of a reduced cost collector. Ambergy contacted the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) and contracted with FSEC to carry out a series of tests on the prototype Ambergy collector, to determine how well it would operate, that is, function as a solar hot water collector when compared to a typical design. Tests were completed. This Report provides the results of the tests which are proprietary to Ambergy, Inc.

Date Published

7-14-2008

Identifiers

406

Subjects

Solar collectors; Heat--Transmission; Solar energy; Solar water heaters; Solar collectors--Thermal properties

Local Subjects

Solar Thermal

Creator (Linked Data)

Cromer, Charles J. [LC]

Collection

FSEC Energy Research Center® Collection

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