The Ecosense Solar Thermal Lab is built around four independent systems, each representing a key solar thermal technology. Together, they allow students and researchers to understand heat generation, heat transfer, optical concentration, fluid behavior, and thermal energy storage. Institutions can deploy any system individually or combine all four to create a complete thermal-energy learning ecosystem.
1. Solar Thermal Training System (Flat Plate Collector – FPC): This system introduces students to the fundamentals of solar heat collection using a Flat Plate Collector (FPC)—one of the most widely used solar thermal technologies in domestic water heating and low-temperature industrial processes. Solar Thermal Training System allows students to do uninterrupted experimentation indoors using arftificial sunlight source.
Students perform core thermal experiments such as:
- Measuring inlet and outlet temperature rise
- Calculating collector efficiency under varying irradiance using artificial sunlight source
- Studying heat loss from absorber plate and insulation
- Understanding the effect of mass flow rate on heat gain
- Observing thermal response during morning, noon, and evening cycles
The system clearly demonstrates how solar radiation is absorbed, transferred to a working fluid, and delivered as usable thermal energy. It forms the foundational learning block for understanding real-world thermal systems like solar geysers and process heating units.
2. Solar Concentrator Training System (Parabolic Trough Collector – PTC)
The Solar Concentrator Training System focuses on high-temperature solar energy generation using a Parabolic Trough Collector (PTC). Unlike flat plate collectors, PTCs concentrate sunlight onto a receiver tube, significantly increasing thermal output.
Students can explore:
- Optical concentration and focal alignment
- Dual axis sun tracking
- Temperature rise at the receiver under different solar intensities
- Heat transfer performance at elevated temperatures
- Effects of reflector geometry and tracking accuracy
- Real-world applications such as steam generation and thermal power cycles
- This system is ideal for learning concentrated solar thermal (CST) principles and supports research in medium-temperature industrial heating, solar power plants, and advanced collector designs.
3. ETC Characterization System (Evacuated Tube Collector – ETC)
This system enables learners to analyze Evacuated Tube Collectors, which are highly efficient due to their vacuum insulation and cylindrical absorber design. ETCs are critical in colder climates and applications requiring higher thermal output. ETC Characterization System allows students to do uninterrupted experimentation indoors using arftificial sunlight source.
The characterization system allows students to study:
- Thermal efficiency of ETCs under varying flow conditions
- Heat transfer behavior inside glass tubes
- Performance comparison between collector tubes
- Influence of radiation, ambient temperature, and tube orientation
- Behavior of different working fluids and thermal properties
It is a powerful platform for research on fluid thermodynamics, heat transfer coefficients, and collector performance optimization, making it valuable for mechanical and energy engineering programs.
4. Thermal Energy Storage System (PCM-Based Storage):Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is essential for using solar heat even when the sun is not available. The Ecosense TES system focuses on Phase Change Materials (PCM), which store heat in the form of latent energy during melting and release it during solidification.
Students can investigate:
- Charging and discharging characteristics of PCM
- Temperature profile and thermal stratification during storage
- Energy retention and insulation performance
- Comparison of sensible heat storage vs latent heat storage
- Integration of TES with solar collectors for extended usage
This system teaches the fundamentals of thermal storage engineering, enabling learners to study applications like solar cooking, industrial heating, district heating, and hybrid renewable systems.
Start Anywhere — Learn Everything
Each product in the Solar Thermal Lab is fully independent, allowing institutions to choose solutions aligned with their curriculum or research direction:
- Start with FPC fundamentals
- Advance to PTC concentrator technology
- Explore high-efficiency ETC performance
- Add PCM thermal storage for applied energy engineering
When combined, the four systems create a complete environment for teaching solar heat generation, advanced heat-transfer systems, and sustainable thermal-energy storage.
