Characterization of a Solar Simulator Using Aluminum Plate as a Thermal Absorber

Abstract:

Solar energy contributes to the development of various industries involving the energy sector. One of the immediate uses of solar energy is in solar-driven desalination technologies, which gives an impact on the issue of water security and assuring safe water for hard-to-reach communities. However, there are limited studies about solar availability and unpredictability that results in the inefficient performance of solar desalination. The focus of this research is to determine the characteristics of the solar simulator using halogen lamps and aluminum plates as the thermal absorber. This study involves the fabrication and experimentation of a solar simulator using an aluminum metal sheet as a thermal absorber. Halogen lamps were used as artificial sunlight as their source of temperature and solar irradiation. Experimentations are carried out indoors, capable of repetitive performances within defined limits. The actual and simulated data collected such as temperature, solar irradiance, and voltage were compared in this study. Results showed that the simulated data from the simulator is within the acceptable range of values from International Electrotechnical Commission standards. Further improvements in the solar simulator setup involve the improvement of the data gathering tools and automation setup in terms of the design of various angles.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 957)
• Pages: 165-173
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/p-8SCVbZ
• Online since: October 2023
• Authors: Nelson Jr. Corbita*, Noel Peter Tan, Camila Flor Y. Lobarbio, Bradford Pastor Madrio, Edcel Benz Lawan
• Keywords: Aluminum Metal Sheet Plate, Halogen Lamps, Solar Collector, Solar Irradiance, Solar Simulator

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