Methods for reducing heat losses from flat plate solar collectors: Phase III. Final report, May 1, 1977-January 31, 1979

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Abstract
The present study extends earlier studies by examining the effect of the emissivities of both the absorber plate and the glass cover on the honeycomb's ability to suppress free convection, and on the radiative and conductive heat transfer which takes place across the honeycomb in the absence of free convection. By means of heat transfer measurements on ten Mylar honeycombs, this study has shown that the effect of the above emissivities on the suppression of convection by the honeycomb is slight, and can probably be ignored. On the other hand, the measurements also showed that the effect of these emissivities on the non-convective heat transfer is substantial, but not nearly so large as would have been predicted by existing theories. To explain this latter result theories were developed which take into account the important coupling (ignored by previous theories) between the conductive and radiative modes of heat transfer. These new theories predict the measured heat transfer rates to with about +-15%, depending on the emissivities. The results of this study have direct application to evaluating solar collectors which combine a selective surface with a honeycomb.

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