2/03 Solar Solar Powered Lab

Your assignment is to make a solar collector using ordinary household materials. You have probably seen the familiar solar collectors on the roofs of homes and office buildings. Such collectors have an air space that is covered by glass or plastic. Shortwave solar radiation passes through the glass and is absorbed by the dark surfaces on the interior of the collector. The energy is given off by these surfaces in the form of long-wave radiation (IR), which cannot leave the glass and is trapped, then absorbed by water.

Your team (2-4 persons) is to come up with your own design that may be simple or sophisticated. You may wish to do some preliminary research on designs that seem to be common so that you are not inventing the wheel again.

You must collect at least the following data:

1. air temperature

2. mass/volume of water or other fluids used

3. the initial and final temperature of the heat absorbing liquid

4. the time that the collector operated

You must calculate/graph at least the following:

1. the change in temperature of the liquid(does not have to be water)

2. the energy absorbed in Joules(4.18 J/g*C for water) (you’ll need to look up Joules)

3. the rate of energy capture (J/time)

4. an approximation of efficiency using the surface area (J/m²)

5. you will be provided with data for comparison purposes-a control

Include in your report:

-Background- a brief discussion of solar collectors

-Materials and Design- the materials you used and a sketch of your solar collector

-Data- the data collected

-Analysis- the calculations performed/graphs and/or charts

-Conclusion Statement- A concluding paragraph summarizing your findings