Integrated solar collector storage system based on a salt-hydrate phase-change material

A new integrated collector storage (ICS) concept for low-temperature solar heating of water is described. The solar energy is stored in a salt hydrate phase-change material(PCM) held in the collector and is discharged to cold water flowing through a surface heat exchanger located in a layer of stationary heat transfer liquid (SHTL), floating over an immiscible layer of PCM. A theoretical model for the charging process of the proposed integrated collector is presented. The model assumes one-dimensional transient heat conduction in the PCM and SHTL layers and neglects the effect of convection heat transfer in these regions. The model was solved numerically by an enthalpy-based finite differences method and validated against experimental data. The results of parametric studies on the effect of the transition temperature and of the thickness layer of the salt-hydrate PCM on the thermal performance of the charging process are also presented.