DYNAMICS OF THERMAL LOSSES BY CONVECTION AND RADIATION OF THE SPHERICAL HEAT ACCUMULATOR OF SOLAR PLANTS
There are needed energy (heat) accumulators to increase the efficiency of solar installations, including solar collectors (water heaters, air heaters, dryers). One of the tasks of designing heat accumulators is to ensure its minimal heat loss. The article considers the problem of determining the distribution of temperatures and heat losses by convection and radiation of the heat insulation-accumulating body (water) system for a ball heat accumulator under symmetric boundary conditions. The problem is solved numerically according to the program developed on the basis of the proposed «gap method». (Research purpose) The research purpose is in determining heat losses by convection and radiation of a two-layer ball heat accumulator with symmetric boundary conditions. (Materials and methods) Authors used the Fourier heat equation for spherical bodies. The article presents the determined boundary and initial conditions for bodies and their surfaces. (Results and discussion) The thickness of the insulation and the volume of the heat accumulator affect the dynamics and values of heat loss. The effect of increasing the thickness of the thermal insulation decreases with increasing its thickness, starting with a certain volume of the heat accumulator or with R > 0.3 meters, the heat losses change almost linearly over time. The dynamics of heat loss decreases with increasing shelf life, but the losses remain large. (Conclusions) Authors have developed a method and program for numerical calculation of heat loss and temperature over time in a spherical two-layer heat accumulator with symmetric boundary conditions, taking into account both falling and intrinsic radiation. The proposed method allows to unify the boundary conditions between contacting bodies.