Investigating the long-term performance of solar heating systems: a combined approach of the F-chart and exergy analysis

Abstract

The F-chart method, a powerful tool for estimating the long-term performance of solar heating systems, can be integrated with exergy analysis to provide insights into design improvements, efficiency enhancements, and overall system performance. This integration, which has yet to be previously investigated, is the focus of this study. It proposes a unique approach that combines the F-chart and exergy analysis with newly defined dimensionless energy (EN) and exergy (EX) numbers. EN assesses the system's ability to meet heating load requirements based on available solar radiation and ambient conditions. At the same time, EX measures the system's efficiency by converting available exergy from the sun into helpful exergy. The analysis used the TRNSYS simulation software on a solar water heating system in Mugla, Turkey. The F-chart method determined the solar energy and exergetic fractions (F and Fex) and evaluated their impacts on EN and EX. For a collector area of 10 m2, the annual F and Fex were computed as 0.57 and 0.71, respectively. The system's energy efficiency follows the EN trend, reaching 85% in January, its lowest point in June, and around 90% in December. It is most efficient in colder and less efficient in warmer months, particularly June and July. Low EX values indicate high exergy efficiency, with a peak of 7.2 in wintertime and a 5.2% exergy efficiency in early summer. The findings have substantial practical implications, offering a clear roadmap for enhancing solar heating systems and igniting further research and development in renewable energy and thermal systems.

Keywords

• Analysis of exergy efficiency
• Solar water heating system
• F-chart method
• Solar collector area
• Heating load.

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