Thermoeconomic Analysis of Solar Water Heaters Integrating Phase Change Material Modules and Mounted in Football Pitches in Tunisia

Abstract The dynamic behavior of solar energy leads to a discontinuity in the electricity generation, which affects the performance of systems. In the present work, an experimental analysis of a closed-loop model of a thermosyphon solar water heater (TSWH) integrated with phase change material (PCM) to heat football pitches in Tunisia is conducted. The PCMs are introduced as horizontal modules encapsulated into the storage tank side surface. The thermodynamic and mathematical models of the system are developed and solved by TRNSYS and EES Software. An economic feasibility study of the proposed system is also introduced. A comparison study is made for the cases of TSWH with and without PCM and for heating systems with and without solar water heaters. It is found that the variation of the water temperature with the PCMs module keeps a difference of about 10°C in comparison to the case without the PCMs module. The energy stored in the PCM modules will play its full role in the operation of the system during the night on all days of the year. Another advantage is that thermal energy is stored in the encapsulated PCM and can be used during the absence of sunshine. The maximum thermal energy efficiency of the system is found to be 26% and 32% in winter and summer operations, respectively. The electrical backup contribution in the system is found to be 54%, and the solar share is 46%. The share of solar energy can be increased for areas with higher climate temperatures and achieve up to 80% savings. The gross payback period of the system is found to be 3.57 years.