Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, 4th Edition

Chapter 19

Simulations in Solar Process Design

In Chapter 10 the basic concepts of simulation were developed, that is, the simultaneous solutions of the sets of equations (models) that describe the performance of solar processes. Example 10.9.1 is a simulation, albeit a simple one amenable to hand calculation. In Chapters 12 through 18, the parametric studies of applications that were presented were developed using simulations. This chapter carries the use of simulations a step further and treats the application of simulations to the design of specific processes.

Simulations, like any other calculations, are only as good as the models that are the basis of the programs and the skill with which they are used. There have been over five decades of experience with simulations, and considerable effort has been placed on validations. There have been detailed intercomparisons of simulation programs that were developed independently by authors in various countries. There have been experimental studies of component performance that are (with theory) the basis of confidence in component models. There have been detailed comparisons of simulations with measurements on the operation of systems. The conclusion to be drawn from these validations is that if simulations are properly used, they can provide a wealth of information about solar processes and thermal design.

This chapter includes a brief description of TRNSYS (see Klein et al., 2012), a transient process simulation program developed ...