Design and optimization of a solar-air heating system for window applications

The increased pressure of natural resource depletion and environmental issues have largely promoted the search of renewable energy sources such as solar energy. Solar energy can be converted to electric power through photovoltaics (PV), but this requires PV panels and the latter have efficiencies as low as 20%. An alternative way is solar heating systems that use air or fluid to transfer the heat energy from solar irradiation to the indoor environment with a much higher energy conversion efficiency (70%). However, current solar thermal applications have not yet targeted residential and commercial window applications -although these contribute to the largest portion of heat loss in buildings. Aiming at developing more energy-efficient solar-thermo products, Innovative North and University of Guelph are in partnership to develop a novel solar air heating system for window applications. In particular, the solar air heating system will be optimized regarding material selection, weight reduction, and manufacturability as well as integration with venting and control systems with maximized energy-efficiency and lower production cost. A systematic approach will be adopted for the design – that is, mechanical, electrical, and manufacturing aspects of the design will be addressed by the proposed partnership. The proposed project will directly address

Faculty Supervisor:

Sheng Yang

Student:

Partner:

Innovative North

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Construction and infrastructure

University:

University of Guelph

Program: