Subject: Solar Design Book Recommendation?

From: [email-masked] (Richard Pollard)
Date: 10 Jul 1996 04:32:52 GMT

Can anyone recommend a good book to assist me in learning how to 
estimate/calculate performance and efficiencies of solar collectors.

I have an idea for a new type of collector but would like to try to simulate
it mathematically before building a prototype.

ANy assitance would be apprciated.

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From: [email-masked] (Catherine woodgold)
Date: Thu, 11 Jul 1996 17:02:59 GMT

I don't know of any books, but do you really need one?

What you need is figures like the R-value (insulating value)
of various materials, heat capacity, etc.  Then you do a bunch
of calculations.  Note that often most of the heat leaks out
at joints.  Perhaps you can measure the R-values of the
materials yourself;  surround a pot of hot water with the
material and see how long it takes to get halfway to the
ambient temperature, or something like that.  Then there will
be some calculation to get the R-value, using the heat
capacity of water, volume of the water, etc.

I can help perhaps in figuring out how to do the
calculations, but I may not know
many of the basic numbers (like the heat capacity of
water expressed in non-metric units).  A handbook of
chemistry and physics should have most of these;  ask
at a library.

Cathy                                   TISSATAAFL
All wiyht. Rho sritched mg kegtops awound?  :-)