Thermal Performance Enhancement for a Simple Solar Wall

Solar energy and its various applications play an important role in reducing dependence on fossil fuels. Solar applications are developing day by day. In this study it was suggested, manufacturing, and inspecting a simple thermal storage wall. The proposed wall area is 0.8281m2. It faces south and consists of a wooden box and a transparent glass cover with a thickness of 3 mm. 18 plastic bottles with a capacity of 2.25 liters filled with water were placed and distributed harmoniously inside the box to increase its thermal capacity. This design was tested for several cases, with insulation increased after sunset, a reflective mirror was used to increase the solar radiation falling on the wall in the morning and the same reflector was used as a cover for the wall at night. The wall was actually tested in the city of Kirkuk for two months, representing the winter from mid-December to mid-February during 2017 and 2018. The results of the practical tests showed that the proposed wall has the capacity to store solar energy in the morning since sunrise. High water temperatures were reached in the wall with the highest water temperature reaching 64.6 ° C, which proves that the chosen location of the device (city of Kirkuk) has a suitable solar radiation for the work of this wall in the winter.