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Performance Analysis of Novel Solar Energy Systems

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "A2: Solar Energy and Photovoltaic Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 June 2023) | Viewed by 5259

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Solar energy is a reliable source of renewable energy to satisfy the energy demands and support the preservation of conventional energy resources. The high abundance of this renewable energy and its readiness for direct heat and power conversion by solar collectors make it a capable and manageable energy source. Therefore, this renewable energy attracts attention in a wide range of applications, from heating to cooling, power generation, and industrial and chemical cycles. With the aim of making solar energy infrastructures operational and feasible, there should be a cost-effective point of view at the system design level. Many concepts have been introduced by scholars to develop and enhance collectors’ efficiencies. The focus has been put on the application of nanofluids, turbulators, and the implementation of smart concentrators. In this regard, there has been increasing research interest in storage problems and the integration of solar energy with other renewables or fossil energy sources. The main purpose of this Special Issue is to bring together original research and review studies on the Performance Analysis of Novel Solar Energy Systems. Research projects should be detailed studies of new systems that present promising outlooks and analyses on the advance and deployment of solar energy systems as one of the most important sources of energy for sustainable development. This Special Issue also covers studies and investigations on thermodynamics-based mathematical modeling and simulation as well as environmental life cycle analysis of these thermal energy systems. The main subsections of this Special Issue are listed as:

  • Measurement of solar collector efficiency and of radiation data;
  • Photovoltaic and thermo-photovoltaic systems;
  • Concentrated solar systems with storage for power production;
  • Solar-assisted heat pumps with phase change materials or advanced storage systems;
  • Solar collectors in hybrid power plants at multiple scales;
  • Storage of solar energy with advanced systems;
  • Solar cells and materials;
  • Solar biomimetics;
  • Novel thermal enhancement techniques in solar systems;
  • Solar heating and solar cooling.

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Ahmadi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy analysis
  • exergy analysis
  • hybrid solar systems
  • solar-driven poly-generation systems
  • solar thermal systems
  • mathematical modeling and simulation
  • multi-objective optimization
  • thermo-economic analysis
  • environmental life cycle assessment

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1529 KiB  
Article
Comparison of Wavelet Artificial Neural Network, Wavelet Support Vector Machine, and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System Methods in Estimating Total Solar Radiation in Iraq
by Wongchai Anupong, Muhsin Jaber Jweeg, Sameer Alani, Ibrahim H. Al-Kharsan, Aníbal Alviz-Meza and Yulineth Cárdenas-Escrocia
Energies 2023, 16(2), 985; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16020985 - 16 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1624
Abstract
Estimating the amount of solar radiation is very important in evaluating the amount of energy that can be received from the sun for the construction of solar power plants. Using machine learning tools to estimate solar energy can be a helpful method. With [...] Read more.
Estimating the amount of solar radiation is very important in evaluating the amount of energy that can be received from the sun for the construction of solar power plants. Using machine learning tools to estimate solar energy can be a helpful method. With a high number of sunny days, Iraq has a high potential for using solar energy. This study used the Wavelet Artificial Neural Network (WANN), Wavelet Support Vector Machine (WSVM), and Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) techniques to estimate solar energy at Wasit and Dhi Qar stations in Iraq. RMSE, EMA, R2, and IA criteria were used to evaluate the performance of the techniques and compare the results with the actual measured value. The results showed that the WANN and WSVM methods had similar results in solar energy modeling. However, the results of the WANN technique were slightly better than the WSVM technique. In Wasit and Dhi Qar stations, the value of R2 for the WANN and WSVM methods was 0.89 and 0.86, respectively. The value of R2 in the WANN and WSVM methods in Wasit and Dhi Qar stations was 0.88 and 0.87, respectively. The ANFIS technique also obtained acceptable results. However, compared to the other two techniques, the ANFIS results were lower, and the R2 value was 0.84 and 0.83 in Wasit and Dhi Qar stations, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Analysis of Novel Solar Energy Systems)
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17 pages, 5571 KiB  
Article
Flat Unglazed Transpired Solar Collector: Performance Probability Prediction Approach Using Monte Carlo Simulation Technique
by Sajna Parimita Panigrahi, Sarat Kumar Maharana, Thejaraju Rajashekaraiah, Ravichandran Gopalashetty, Mohsen Sharifpur, Mohammad Hossein Ahmadi, C. Ahamed Saleel and Mohamed Abbas
Energies 2022, 15(23), 8843; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15238843 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1255
Abstract
Engineering applications including food processing, wastewater treatment, home heating, commercial heating, and institutional heating successfully use unglazed transpired solar collectors (UTCs). Trapping of solar energy is the prime goal of developing an unglazed transpired solar collector. The UTC is usually developed in and [...] Read more.
Engineering applications including food processing, wastewater treatment, home heating, commercial heating, and institutional heating successfully use unglazed transpired solar collectors (UTCs). Trapping of solar energy is the prime goal of developing an unglazed transpired solar collector. The UTC is usually developed in and around the walls of the building and absorbs the solar energy to heat the air. One of the key challenges faced by the UTC designer is the prediction of performance and its warranty under uncertain operating conditions of flow variables. Some of the flow features are the velocity distribution, plate temperature, exit temperature and perforation location. The objective of the present study was to establish correlations among these flow features and demonstrate a method of predicting the performance of the UTC. Hence, a correlation matrix was generated from the dataset prepared after solving the airflow over a perforated flat UTC. Further, both strong and weak correlations of flow features were captured through Pearson’s correlation coefficient. A comparison between the outcomes from a linear regression model and that of computational simulation was showcased. The performance probability for the UTC was interlinked with correlation matrix data. The Monte Carlo simulation was used to predict the performance from random values of the flow parameters. The study showed that the difference between the free stream value of temperature and the value of temperature inside the UTC’s chamber varied between 15 and 20 °C. The probability of achieving system efficiency greater than 35% was 55.2%. This has raised the hope of recommending the UTC for drying and heating where the required temperature differential is within 20 °C. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Analysis of Novel Solar Energy Systems)
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20 pages, 14548 KiB  
Article
Transient Analysis of a Solar Chimney Power Plant Integrated with a Solid-Sorption Cooling System for Combined Power and Chilled Water Production
by Hassan Zohair Hassan
Energies 2022, 15(18), 6793; https://doi.org/10.3390/en15186793 - 16 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1508
Abstract
Solar radiation is a reliable energy source that can be used to produce power and cold. Converting solar energy into electricity is attainable through solar chimney power plants. Moreover, solar energy has been utilized to produce cold in adsorption cooling systems. In the [...] Read more.
Solar radiation is a reliable energy source that can be used to produce power and cold. Converting solar energy into electricity is attainable through solar chimney power plants. Moreover, solar energy has been utilized to produce cold in adsorption cooling systems. In the adsorption cooling cycle, the adsorption bed releases heat into the environment during the bed cooling phases. This paper introduces a novel hybrid solar chimney power plant integrated with a solar-driven adsorption water chiller. The purpose of the presented system is to enhance the system’s utilization of solar energy by recovering the reactor’s released heat and reusing it to augment the output power. In comparison with conventional solar chimney power plants, the introduced system produces continuous power throughout the day. A mathematical model is developed to evaluate the system’s performance. This model expresses the conservation of energy and mass for every component in the system. The silica gel and water adsorption pair is used in the simulation of the water chiller. It has been found that 62.6% of the adsorption reactor driving heat can be recycled. Therefore, a turbine power increase of 3.22% is obtained with a solar-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 0.4%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Performance Analysis of Novel Solar Energy Systems)
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