Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures
In this paper, an analysis of a convection-powered asphalt solar collector prototype is approached by the means of experimental trials and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in order to evaluate how to optimise its design for the reduction of high urban pavement temperatures. Since the e...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2017
|
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44536/ |
| _version_ | 1848796938780016640 |
|---|---|
| author | Chiarelli, Andrea Al-Mohammedawi, A. Dawson, Andrew Garcia, Alvaro |
| author_facet | Chiarelli, Andrea Al-Mohammedawi, A. Dawson, Andrew Garcia, Alvaro |
| author_sort | Chiarelli, Andrea |
| building | Nottingham Research Data Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | In this paper, an analysis of a convection-powered asphalt solar collector prototype is approached by the means of experimental trials and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in order to evaluate how to optimise its design for the reduction of high urban pavement temperatures. Since the energy harvesting setup consists of a series of pipes buried in the pavement, their arrangement is here studied and experimentally compared to a possible construction technique consisting of concrete corrugations that aim at replacing the pipes. CFD simulations are employed to optimise the air collection chamber which is placed immediately before the heated air leaves the asphalt solar collector prototype. The data gathered is analysed in terms of energy harvested and exergy.
The results obtained show that for an overall optimal performance, pipes should be installed in a single row under the pavement wearing course. This allowed a surface temperature reduction of up to 5.5 °C in the pavement prototype studied and the highest absorbed energy and exergy measured. In addition, the CFD simulations showed that care has to be put in finding the optimal shape and size for the air collection chamber, as they significantly influence the behaviour of the system. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:55:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | nottingham-44536 |
| institution | University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T19:55:56Z |
| publishDate | 2017 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | nottingham-445362020-05-04T18:33:03Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44536/ Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures Chiarelli, Andrea Al-Mohammedawi, A. Dawson, Andrew Garcia, Alvaro In this paper, an analysis of a convection-powered asphalt solar collector prototype is approached by the means of experimental trials and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in order to evaluate how to optimise its design for the reduction of high urban pavement temperatures. Since the energy harvesting setup consists of a series of pipes buried in the pavement, their arrangement is here studied and experimentally compared to a possible construction technique consisting of concrete corrugations that aim at replacing the pipes. CFD simulations are employed to optimise the air collection chamber which is placed immediately before the heated air leaves the asphalt solar collector prototype. The data gathered is analysed in terms of energy harvested and exergy. The results obtained show that for an overall optimal performance, pipes should be installed in a single row under the pavement wearing course. This allowed a surface temperature reduction of up to 5.5 °C in the pavement prototype studied and the highest absorbed energy and exergy measured. In addition, the CFD simulations showed that care has to be put in finding the optimal shape and size for the air collection chamber, as they significantly influence the behaviour of the system. Elsevier 2017-02-28 Article PeerReviewed Chiarelli, Andrea, Al-Mohammedawi, A., Dawson, Andrew and Garcia, Alvaro (2017) Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures. International Journal of Thermal Sciences, 112 . pp. 242-251. ISSN 1290-0729 Asphalt solar collector Air convection Energy harvesting Asphalt pavement CFD https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2016.10.012 doi:10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2016.10.012 doi:10.1016/j.ijthermalsci.2016.10.012 |
| spellingShingle | Asphalt solar collector Air convection Energy harvesting Asphalt pavement CFD Chiarelli, Andrea Al-Mohammedawi, A. Dawson, Andrew Garcia, Alvaro Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| title | Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| title_full | Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| title_fullStr | Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| title_full_unstemmed | Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| title_short | Construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| title_sort | construction and configuration of convection-powered asphalt solar collectors for the reduction of urban temperatures |
| topic | Asphalt solar collector Air convection Energy harvesting Asphalt pavement CFD |
| url | https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44536/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44536/ https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44536/ |