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Abstract. The paper deals with experimental investigations of the performance of a solar air collector with latent heat thermal storage integrated with the solar absorber. The main purpose of heat storage in solar thermal systems is to store heat when the supply of solar heat exceeds demand and release it when otherwise. A number of heat storage materials can be used for this purpose; the phase change materials among them. Short-term latent heat thermal storage integrated with the solar absorber can stabilize the air temperature at the outlet of the collector on cloudy days when solar radiation intensity incident on a solar collector fluctuates significantly. Two experimental front-and-back pass solar air collectors of the same dimensions have been built for the experimental investigations. One collector had a "conventional" solar absorber made of a metal sheet while the solar absorber of the other collector consisted of containers filled with organic phase change material. The experimental collectors were positioned side by side during the investigations to ensure the same operating conditions (incident solar radiation, outdoor temperature).

Abstract. Experiments have been carried out in order to investigate the stabilization of water temperature with a water-PCM heat exchanger. The water-PCM heat exchanger was of a rather simple design. It was a round tube, through which the water flowed, surrounded with an annular layer of PCM. The heat exchanger was divided into one meter long segments (modules) and the water temperature was monitored at the outlet of each of the segments. A paraffin-based PCM with the melting temperature of 42 °C was used in the experiments. The experimental set-up consisted of two water reservoirs kept at different temperatures, the water-PCM heat exchanger, PC controlled valves and a data acquisition system. As the first step a response to a step change in the water temperature at the inlet of the heat exchanger was investigated. Subsequently, a series of experiments with a square wave change of temperature at the inlet of the exchanger were carried out. The square wave temperature profile was achieved by periodic switching between the two water reservoirs. Several amplitudes and periods of temperature square wave were used. The results of experiments show that a water-PCM heat exchanger can effectively be used to stabilize the flowing water temperature when the inlet temperature changes are around the melting range of the PCM.

Abstract. Passenger comfort in cars depends on appropriate function of the cabin HVAC system. A great attention is therefore paid to the effective function of automotive vents and proper formation of the flow behind the ventilation outlet. The article deals with the visualization of air flow from the automotive benchmark vent. The visualization was made for two different shapes of the inlet channel connected to the benchmark vent. The smoke visualization with the laser knife was used. The influence of the shape of the inlet channel to the airflow direction, its enlargement and position of air flow axis were investigated.

Abstract. The article deals with the field usability determination of the method for measuring temperature fields in the air using an infrared camera. This method is based on the visualization of temperature fields on an auxiliary material, which is inserted into the non-isothermal air flow. In this article the field usability is determined from time constants of this method, which define borders of usability for low temperature differences (between air flow temperature and surrounding temperature) and for low air flow velocities. The field usability determination for measuring temperature fields in the air can be used in many various applications such as air-heating and air-conditioning where the method of measuring temperature fields in the air by infrared camera can be used.