Testing

            The purpose of testing method for this project was to provide access to clean drinking water when clean water supplies are not available but nondrinkable water and solar energy is available. Testing on Outdoor Weather ability. The finished device must be:

 

• Prototype collector to be no more than 24 x 50 inches for going through doorways etc.

• Be able to absorb and utilize at least 70% of the incoming solar radiation on a day where irradiance is equal to 800 W/m2.

• The result in the efficiency and heating capacity of the collector to be 95oC.

• Cost no more than $500 to manufacture.

• The device must be transportable simply for a long distance and it is required no more than 25 lbs. of force to hold up when the device is transport.

• Weight no more than 100 lbs.

​

           First part of test was the device must be transportable simply from inside Hogue building to outside the building and it is required no more than 30 lbs. of force to hold up when the device is transport.

           

 

           The project was using solar power to distill seawater into drinking water. A concentrating solar collector was used to focus the solar energy onto a collector tube to produce hot seawater at 95C. Several methods are expected to be used to test the performance of the solar collector. The first method was involving measurement of the incoming solar irradiance using weather condition data outside Hogue Technology building. Secondly, testing the difference temperature between input and outlet of seawater. An efficient solar collector should have a temperature difference of about 95 degrees Celsius. For better results, the performance testing methods should be done at an interval of 30 minutes for a period of 2 hours. Other data that can be collected during the testing process include the solar collector dimensions.These data was helping in calculating the heat transfer coefficient, Qdot.

​

Test Procedures:

The testing for the device was on two test parts: 

 

Test 1:  Transport and weight of the device.

Time:   10 minutes.

Place:   Outdoor

The following steps for testing 1:

1. Making sure a concentrating solar collector is locked by locking pin that concentrating solar collector is not moving.

2. Transport the device easily by rolling on attached wheels from inside building to outside the building (similar to a hand truck).

3. Set down the device vertically slowly.

4. Remove locking from a concentrating solar collector and set up a concentrating solar collector 30°

5. The entire device should place in direct sunlight with collector tube aligned on the east to west polar axis (not magnetic poles).

6. Measure Prototype collector to make sure if it is no more than 24 x 50 inches by using Tape Measure.

 

Test 1 Results:

​

​

​

​

​

 

   Figure 1 shows the result of test Transport and weight of the device.

 

 

 

Test 2:  The performance of the solar collector

Time:   30 minutes.

Place:   Outdoor

The following steps for testing 2:

1. Measure solar irradiance by using weather.com, Licor Li-200SA sensor or another device.

2. Measure inlet and outlet seawater temperatures by using Thermometers.

 

Test 2 Results:

​

​

​

​

​

​

  Figure 2 shows the result of test the performance of the solar collector.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

   Figure 3 shows Efficiency VS Solar Energy Density

​

​

​