Thermal Modeling of Solar Energy Systems

Learn to build accurate thermal models of equipment impacted by solar heating with this comprehensive course. We'll explore real-world applications, from analyzing airplane heating on runways and protecting electronic equipment from solar gain to designing efficient passive solar heating systems for buildings and optimizing solar power plants. You'll also gain insights into automotive thermal management, specifically the heating of car dashboards.

This course leverages industry-standard software including MSC Software's Patran, Sinda, and Thermica to guide you through the modeling process. If you have access to these packages, you'll be able to follow along with detailed, step-by-step tutorial problems. Even without direct software access, you'll develop a strong understanding of the entire thermal modeling process for solar applications. We utilize weather files from thousands of locations worldwide, ensuring realistic and geographically relevant simulations. Master the techniques for predicting and mitigating the effects of solar radiation on a wide range of systems.