AN ANALYTIC MODEL OF STRATIFICATION FOR LIQUID-BASED SOLAR-SYSTEMS

Accurate modelling of solar air or liquid heating, cooling, or domestic hot water systems with storage generally requires an accounting of the stratification within such storage. Overall system performance may be significantly affected by the storage temperature distribution. An analytic method to determine the temperature distribution has been derived for liquid storage within a solar system. In liquid storage, it is assumed incoming fluid enters at the location with the temperature closest to its own. Hence, the solution requires the possibility of a region within storage where there is no forced flow.