Experimental Study of the Performance of A Flat Plate Solar Water Heater

Flat Plate collector is the most common type of solar water heater, due to its low price, easy installation, and long life. The efficiency of a solar collector is key to evaluating its performance in thermal facilities, especially applications requiring low or medium temperatures. The most important factors affecting the efficiency of the solar collector are the weather conditions, the design of the collector, the type of work fluid used. A Flat plate collector tested experimentally in solar heating system worked by direct flow and closed system to heating space in Najaf, Iraq (32° 1' N / 44° 19' E). Experimental results showed that the overall daily efficiency of the collector reached 37.16%. Moreover, the maximum temperature of hot water for collector reached 57.1oC