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Sample Project: Low Cost Solar Collector Performance Modeling and Design

Overview

Our non-profit organization is committed to improving the quality of life for communities all over the world through the implementation of appropriate technologies that are socially conscious, environmentally aware, and fully sustainable.

Many Central Asian countries would benefit from solar thermal collectors for water and space heating. High quality manufactured collectors, such as in the United States, are not available or appropriate there. Basic materials such as wood, horsehair, sheet metal, glass, and black paint are. An optimized solar collector that utilizes local materials and incorporates traditional methods has potential to greatly reduce the dependence on non-renewable and valuable energy sources for heating.

If the project is successful there is the possibility of a sponsored implementation trip to the region in the summer.

Goals

The object of this project is to catalogue the traditional solar collector methods in different parts of Central Asia, perform CFD and thermal simulations on various traditional and high-end methods to determine collector effectiveness, and design an optimized collector that is appropriate, utilizes local materials, is sustainable, and socially and economically feasible.

Deliverables

Catalogue of traditional collector designs in different areas.
CFD and thermal models on various traditional methods.
Prototype and performance data of optimized design.

Knowledge Areas Needed for Project

Heat transfer and thermodynamics
Fluid mechanics
Environmental engineering
Product design
Modeling and optimization

Proprietary Information and Confidentiality Requirements

None