Temperature Distribution Inside a Solar Collector Storage Tank of Finite Wall Thickness

A mathematical model for the transient conjugated behavior of a hot-water storage tank having finite wall thickness is presented. An analytical closed-form solution for the temperature field within the tank is obtained. This solution takes into consideration the axial conduction of heat in both fluid and solid wall and the heat capacity of the solid wall. Plots of the solution show that finite wall thickness tends, as expected, to decrease the thermal stratification within the tank. This effect becomes less apparent at high Peclet numbers.