Thermal characteristics of a solar tank with aerogel surface insulation

The transient thermal characteristics of a solar tank (a shallow solar-pond Awater heater) with a silica aerogel surface insulation have been examined both Aexperimentally and theoretically. It is found that the temperature drop of the Awater within the solar tank after sunset can be appreciably suppressed by Aintroducing the aerogel surface insulation system and that the proposed Atheoretical model can predict sunny-day hourly variations in the hot-water Atemperature within the solar tank with acceptable accuracy. (c) 1999 Elsevier AScience Ltd. All rights reserved.