Original Article Proceedings of Virtual Concept 2006

Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, November 26th – December 1st, 2006

Modelling, Design and construction of a Solar Space

Conditioning System

Martin E. Baltazar-Lopez, Juan Carlos Bahena-Bustos, Rafael Castillo-Rincon, J. Jasson Flores-Prieto, David Perez-Salmeron

Centro Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo Tecnológico, CENIDET

Prol. Palmira Esq. Apatzingan, Cuernavaca, Mor. 62240, Mexico.
Phone/Fax 52 777 312 76 13
E-mail : {baltazar, jasson}@cenidet.edu.mx, itz_78@yahoo.com,
{rafascast, sayaman5010}@hotmail.com,

Abstract: A design methodology based on abstraction, is easy to handle, it is possible to use it to heat and dry the
critical parameter identification, and questioning was used for later air used for drying. The final application of these solar
the conceptual design of a virtual prototype of a solar space systems being the drying, in this case of plaster molds for
conditioning system. It was implemented in order to have a ceramic industry.
fine control on space conditioning variables such as
temperature and relative humidity. A case study is presented 2- Drying
for space conditioning for drying, where the virtual prototypes
obtained were tested and the information obtained was The drying or dehydration is an operation in which it takes
successfully implemented in the construction of the real place heat transfer and mass transfer. The drying is a process
prototypes. of physical separation, which objective is to remove a liquid
phase of a solid one by means of thermal energy; this process
Key words: design methodology, solar space conditioning. happens when hot air contacts with a humid solid, its surface
is warmed up and the transmitted heat is used like latent heat
of evaporation, thus the contained water passes from liquid
1- Introduction phase to gas phase. The water steam, that crosses by
On of the problems associated to ceramic industry in the diffusion the air layer in contact with the solid, is dragged out
Mexican state of Morelos, is that the energy used to dry their by the moving air, being generated a zone of low pressure
plaster molds is too expensive. Most of the times to avoid that and between the air and the solid a gradient of steam
cost of using gas furnaces, the ceramic manufacturers prefer to pressure. This gradient provides the impelling force that
dry by direct exposure to the sun and natural air flows. This allows for elimination of water, in steam form.
technique is useful in dry sunny days. The problem arises when
the weather is rainy and the humidity of the air is high, making
the natural drying process very inefficient, taking several 3- Modelling
weeks in order to have the molds acceptable for another set of A modelling of the solar system was carried out in order to
production. know the physical parameters necessary for the design. The
model was implemented through a computer program known
Paradoxically at times when the sales are higher and as SCADES.
production volume increases, the weather does not help in This software development (SCADES) for the modelling
natural drying of molds making necessary an artificial way to and dimensioning of flat solar collectors and systems of
dry. Some times an additional recycled heat produced by water heating for space conditioning could be for industrial
furnaces for cure ceramic is used also to dry the molds. The applications or for domestic use, taking advantage of the
process can take up to 12 days though. solar energy. It works for natural convection and forced
convection, in addition it counts on data bases of
As shown in Baltazar-Lopez, et al [BF1] a design methodology environmental and material conditions in Mexico. The
based on abstraction, critical parameter identification and energy gained is obtained considering balance of energy in
questioning was applied by neophyte engineers to get quick the thermal tank using the multi-node model, and for the
innovative solutions. Based on that experience, the practitioner design and dimensioning of the collector It was used the
research engineers used the same methodology to design methodology reported by Duffe and Beckman[DB1].
prototypes of solar conditioning space conditioning systems.
The idea is to heat water and with a high thermal mass, which

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Figure 1: Main window of SCADES

Figure 2: Plots of Database Model

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The solar radiation that affects SCADES is obtained by
using the model of transmitted direct radiation through
cleared atmospheres and the room temperature is obtained
from the data bases. The verification and validation of the
code of the program, was made using works reported and
with obtained experimental data of SCADES to natural
convection. Comparing the results of the program to those
reported by Olarte[O1] the following differences were
obtained: 4% between the temperatures average of the
water, 13% with respect to the energy stored in the thermal
tank (thermotank) and a difference of 16% in the
efficiencies.
For modelling it is possible to specify different materials,
as well as data specifications like geographic conditions,
collector orientation, etc.
The way this model works is by obtaining the solar
radiation and the room temperature by means of the use
and access to experimental data bases. These data bases
are of different places from Mexico, the data to select are
specific for a designated date. It is possible to clarify that
Fig. 3. Main Window for Modelling of Solar Collectors
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Modelling of a Solar Conditioning System
the shown solar radiation and room temperature are per
hour in the course of one day (1 to 24 hours).
It is possible to visualize graphically the solar radiation
data and room temperature data and hour by hour
information. Typical plots of data are shown in Figure 2.
The model and dimensioning of the collector is carried out
through the main window of the program. Figure 3 shows
the main window for design of the collector. Here it is
possible to specify material of the fin, the calibre of the
same, the tube and absorbent surface, capitation area , kind
of encapsulation, thermal isolation, etc.
The other part of the system is to model the thermal tank,
Figure 4, where the volume of the tank, thickness of the
insulator, temperature income flow and global loses of the
tank, are specified.
Once the data set is complete it is possible to model a
complete system by natural or forced convection as shown
in figure 5.
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Fig. 4. Model of Thermal Tank

Fig. 5 Model of system with Instant Forced Convection

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Fig. 6. SCADES applied to a drying system.

The SCADES is used to model not only the solar
collection and heating water system, but is also coupled to
a drying system as shown in figure 6,
The solar radiation is thermally-modelled using a model of
database from meteorological stations. The algorithm used
in SCADES to provide the solar radiation is shown in
figure 8. It uses room temperature data as well as solar
radiation data. The solar radiation can be direct or diffuse,
Figure 7 and it is obtained by the next equation.
Where sub indexes b, d and f represent the direct
radiation, diffuse radiation and reflected radiation
respectively. The letter I indicates the intensity of radiation
over a horizontal surface, (τα) is the product of
transmitance-absortance which represents the effective
absortance of the cover-plate system., R represents the
geometric factor which relates the solar radiation incident
over a inclined surface respect to the one on a horizontal
surface. All those parameters are calculated and
implemented in the algorithm.

S = I b ∗ Rb (τα ) b + I d ∗ Rd (τα ) d + ( I b + I d ) ∗ (τα ) R f (1)

Figure 7 Direct and diffuse solar radiation

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Radiacion Solar

n,φ ,hora,β,L,A

Gon=G sc [1+0.33*Cos(360*n/365)] 1 δ=23.45*Sin[360*(284+ n)/36 ω=15*(hora-12)

5]

1 3 Cos θz =Cos φ Cos δ + Sin ∅ Sin δ

a*0=0.4237-0.0082*[(6-A)*(6-A)] a0=a0**r0 2

a*1=0.5055-0.00595*[(6.5-A)*(6.5-A)] a1=a1**r1 τ b=a0+a1*exp[-K/Cos θz]

k*=0.2711-0.01858*[(2.5-A)*(2.5-A)] K=k**rk

2 Gb=Gon * τb*Cos θz 3 Gd=Gon * τd*Cos θz 2

1 4 5

Rd=(1+Cos β)/2 6 Rb=Cos θz /Cos φ

8

Rf=[(1-Cos β)/2]*ρg 7

n1/n2=Sin θ2 / Sin θ1

r⊥ =Sin2 (θ 2-θ 1) / Sin2(θ 2+θ 1) rμ= tg2 (θ2-θ1) / tg2 (θ2+θ1)

τrII=(1-r⊥ ) / (1+r⊥ ) τr=0.5*(τI+τII) τrI=(1-rμ) / (1+rμ)

τa=exp[-K*L / Cos θz ] τ=τr*τa I d=∫21Gddt

ρg=τa-τ τα=τα / [1−(1−α)ρd] I b=∫21Gbdt

8
7 S=Ib*Rb(τα)b+Id*Rd(τα)d+(Ib+Id)*(τα)Rf
6

FIN

Figure 8: The algorithm used in SCADES to provide the solar radiation

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4- Solar Collector System access for maintenance.

The solar collector system was designed and constructed
based on the results of SCADES. It consists of five plane
collectors, built and detailed in CENIDET, It is placed on a
movable structure. It is observed in Figure 9 that the
collectors are connected in parallel allowing for easy
The thermal tank, Figure 10, used in conjunction of solar
collectors was also designed after the virtual model with
SCADES. It consisted of a 5000 lt. stainless steel tank with
a layer of fibreglass isolation covered with laminated
galvanized steel.

Figure 9: Solar collectors system

Figure 8: Thermal Tank

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5-Design of the drying chamber
When a wet mold is placed in a forced hot air dryer, the
evaporation begins more quickly. This initial evaporation
maintains the mold with lower temperature than the
temperature of the air in the dryer. The water at the interior
of the mold moves towards the surface tending to replace
the evaporated humidity. The drying process is completed
when the centre of the mold reaches the temperature of the
surrounding air. The used energy to evaporate the water
was calculated, for each evaporated kilogram of water it is
required a minimum of 512 kcal, Incropera[I1]. The use of
dryers with hot and forced air accelerates and controls the
drying process. The plaster molds hardly are dried to the
100% without the use of this kind of dryers. The main
physical limitation when drying a plaster mold is the
maximum temperature to which it can operate before
burning of the mold; the recommended temperatures are in
the interval from 45 to 50 ºC.
With all the previous information the next step is to apply
the design methodology as follows.
Need Statement: To dry plaster molds
Main function: To remove water of plaster molds
Main constraints:
• Using an air flow with lower humidity.
• Working Temperature lower than 45ºC.
Design Conditions:
• Drying of molds using solar energy and/or
exhausted heat.
• Having a drying capacity normally used in a
draining table of 6 meters long typically used in
the ceramic industry.
• Ability of the dryer to move from one draining
table to another one.
• To reduce the drying time to not more than 4
days.
• To reduce the handlings of molds in the process
of manufacture;
• by reducing the loading and unloading of work
tables.
• that is feasible of being reproduced by personnel
not highly enabled
• easy operation.
Figure 9: Construction of the drying chamber
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Modelling of a Solar Conditioning System
• that can operate of continuous way
Critical parameters:
• Uniform distribution of temperature and air
humidity.
• Temperature of the air non greater than 45ºC.
• Optimal energy consumption.
Functional alternatives:
• Use of air extractors for provision and extraction
of the air,
• Use of internal diffusers and valves for
homogenous distribution of the air
• Use of a low cost monitoring system and control
of temperature and humidity
• Air heating provided by hot water
• Water heating by solar energy and exhausted heat
from furnaces
• Implementation of a controlled environment
chamber (air temperature, humidity and air flow)
with similar dimensions to the typical draining
table with ability to be transportable in short
routes.
6- Construction of the drying chamber
The construction of the drying chamber is based on the
typical dimensions in the industry of ceramics. As seen
in Figure 9, it was used structural steel for the frame of
the drying chamber. At the interior of the chamber was
instrumented with several temperature and humidity
probes in order to monitor the process, Figure 10. The
tests were done using the full surface capacity of the
draining table as shown in Figure 11. As shown on
Figure 12, the main frame of the drying chamber was
provided with wheels to give mobility along the drying
tables, so that while the drained is made in one table, the
drying process is carried out in another one. The air flow
is forced by blowers. Doors at respective ends of the
chamber, will allow moving it on the longitudinal axis of
the draining table. The air flow inside the chamber will
be distributed from a duct on the internal superior part of
the chamber. The draining table was instrumented with a
hydraulic system for mass monitoring.
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Figure 10: Interior of Drying Chamber

Fig. 11. Plaster molds to be dried.

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Fig. 12. Drying chamber showing wheels for mobility over draining table, which was instrumented with a hydraulic
system for mass measuring.
7- Construction of air conditioner for drying
As noted before, one of the critical parameters in the
drying process is the humidity contain in air. The
construction of an air conditioner for drying, Fig. 13, will
allow us to have a control over of the humidity parameter
taking in consideration the temperature of dry bulb and the
percentage of existing humidity in the environment; by
means of the use of the psicrometric chart we are able to
determine the temperature necessary to take the
environment air to a 100% humidity and thus to approach
to a wished degree of humidity for drying.
The reached temperature when coming out of the extractor
once stabilized the hot water flow through all the pipe of
the condensers was of 41ºC, with 20% humidity contain.
This air was introduced by the upper part to the drying
chamber. For testing purposes, plaster molds were placed
and monitored by around 2 days obtaining acceptable
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Modelling of a Solar Conditioning System
results.
The heat exchanger and recirculation pumps used in the
system were automated by using timers, contactors and
photo cells.
8- Conclusions
With a SCADES Modelling system it was possible to
dimension the solar collector, the storage tank, it has been
specified the water flow of the water pump. The energy in
the system was known an also the possible temperatures in
the thermal tank and difference in heights of components
in a natural convection system. This information was
integrated in a virtual prototype of a solar space
conditioning system. The virtual prototype was then used
for the design of the space conditioning system used for
drying process. The design methodology employed proved
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Figure 13: Heat exchanger used in the drying system.
to be an efficient way to get innovative solutions. Further
improvements are necessary at the time of this publication
in order to optimize drying times and energy use.
9- References
[BF1] Baltazar-Lopez M, Flores-Porras J.D., Zenteno-
Cardoso E., Functionally efficient conceptual design and
innovation tools, International Conference Virtual Concept
2006.
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Modelling of a Solar Conditioning System
[DB1] Duffie, J. A., Beckman, W. A., Solar Engineering
of Thermal processes, Wiley, New York, 1991.
[O1] Olarte J., Desarrollo de un programa de computo
para el diseño de colectores solares planos y sistemas de
calentamiento de agua, Tesis, Centro Nacional de
Investigación y Desarrollo tecnológico, Cuernavaca, Mor.
Mexico, 2005.
[I1] Incropera, F., Fundamentos de transferencia de calor,
4 ed. Editorial Prentice Hall., 1999.
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