Solar Panel Water heating using solidwork Flow Simulation

axtray · March 6, 2011, 05:53

I am currently doing my final year project on water heating system by using solar panel. The program I am using for the simulation is Solidworks 2010's Flow Simulation. I have already designed the solar panel but I am having trouble trying to figure out how to run the simulation. The initial parameters I have with me for the Heat Flux is 2000 watts per sq. meter. The cold water is running inside the pipe into the solar panel, and inside has few sets of baffles placed to make it circulate inside the panel.

The problem I am having is that I don't know how to set the boundary conditions for the solar energy. I tried fiddling around with the setups and boundary conditions. And one of the result I've gotten actually made the water temperature inside the solar panel became from 300k to -8k. Hope someone here can help me on this

nabilbaradia · September 15, 2011, 04:43

hey bro...whats up? im doing the same thing...solar heater

Boris_M · September 21, 2011, 16:47

Hi axtray,
you've got two ways of setting it up, one is with using radiation and activate solar radiation where you can either use a location or vector the sun shines.
Or you can use a surface heat source on your model.
In any case it should not just go below 0K without any warning such as negative pressure or for gasses something like high mach number. You probably have a bad mesh would be my suggestion if you set the BC correct.

You probably have just a bad mesh somewhere. Make sure you use enough cells in small gaps. I cannot tell how your model looks like or your mesh so it's hard to give better advice.

Boris

March 6, 2011, 05:53	Solar Panel Water heating using solidwork Flow Simulation	#1
axtray New Member Shahril Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	I am currently doing my final year project on water heating system by using solar panel. The program I am using for the simulation is Solidworks 2010's Flow Simulation. I have already designed the solar panel but I am having trouble trying to figure out how to run the simulation. The initial parameters I have with me for the Heat Flux is 2000 watts per sq. meter. The cold water is running inside the pipe into the solar panel, and inside has few sets of baffles placed to make it circulate inside the panel. The problem I am having is that I don't know how to set the boundary conditions for the solar energy. I tried fiddling around with the setups and boundary conditions. And one of the result I've gotten actually made the water temperature inside the solar panel became from 300k to -8k. Hope someone here can help me on this

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September 15, 2011, 04:43		#2
nabilbaradia New Member Nabil Baradia Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 1 Rep Power: 0	hey bro...whats up? im doing the same thing...solar heater

September 21, 2011, 16:47		#3
Boris_M Disabled Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 616 Rep Power: 24	Hi axtray, you've got two ways of setting it up, one is with using radiation and activate solar radiation where you can either use a location or vector the sun shines. Or you can use a surface heat source on your model. In any case it should not just go below 0K without any warning such as negative pressure or for gasses something like high mach number. You probably have a bad mesh would be my suggestion if you set the BC correct. You probably have just a bad mesh somewhere. Make sure you use enough cells in small gaps. I cannot tell how your model looks like or your mesh so it's hard to give better advice. Boris