Engineering Commons^™

Design And Thermal Performance Testing Of A Heat Pipe Flat Plate Solar Collector, Dennis N. Greeley

Retrospective Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigates the use of heat pipes for removing heat from flat plate solar collectors and transferring the energy to air in a space heating system. Heat pipes are passive devices which are very efficient at transporting heat energy. They operate using a closed evaporation-condensation cycle. This thesis presents the fundamentals of flat plate collectors, heat pipes, and a set of parameters for evaluating a heat pipe flat collector. Also included are the results of this project and the recommendations for improvements.