Abstract
This study proposed a heat-transfer model of a solar heat collector using a metal reinforced black polyethylene pipe with a diameter of 10mm. The spirally formed pipe plays the role of a solar heat collector. Some indoor tests were conducted to identify the thermal properties of the pipe and the heat transfer coefficient of the pipe, which are necessary for the construction of the heat transfer theory. The validity of the proposed model was assessed by comparing calculated and measured temperature of heat-carrier fluid circulated in the pipe 84m long. The fluid temperature at the inlet of the pipe was kept constant and given as the boundary condition of the calculation as well as meteorological data observed near the heat collector. It was shown that the proposed model could reproduce the spatial variation in the fluid temperature along the pipe for the experiment duration.
