Measurement and analysis of near ultraviolet solar radiation [electronic resource].

Published: Washington, D.C. : United States. Dept. of Energy, 1991.
Oak Ridge, Tenn. : Distributed by the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, U.S. Dept. of Energy.
Physical Description: Pages: (7 pages) : digital, PDF file
Additional Creators: United States. Department of Energy and United States. Department of Energy. Office of Scientific and Technical Information

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Summary

The photocatalytic detoxification of organic contaminants is currently being investigated by a number of laboratories, universities, and institutions throughout the world. The photocatalytic oxidation process requires that contaminants come in contact with a photocatalyst such as titanium dioxide, under illumination of ultraviolet (UV) radiation in order for the decomposition reaction to take place. Researches from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Sandia National Laboratories are currently investigating the use of solar energy as a means of driving this photocatalytic process. Measurements of direct-normal and global-horizontal ultraviolet (280--385 nm) and full-spectrum (280--4000 nm) solar radiation taken in Golden, Colorado over a one-year period are analyzed, and comparisons are made with data generated from a clear-sky solar radiation model (BRITE) currently in use for predicting the performance of solar detoxification processes. Analysis of the data indicates a ratio of global-horizontal ultraviolet to full-spectrum radiation of 4%--6% that is weakly dependent on air mass. Conversely, data for direct-normal ultraviolet radiation indicate a much large dependence on air mass, with a ratio of approximately 5% at low air mass to 1% at higher at masses. Results show excellent agreement between the measured data and clear-sky predictions for both the ultraviolet and the full-spectrum global-horizontal radiation. For the direct-normal components, however, the tendency is for the clear-sky model to underpredict the measured that. Averaged monthly ultraviolet radiation available for the detoxification process indicates that the global-horizontal component of the radiation exceeds the direct-normal component throughout the year. 9 refs., 7 figs.

Report Numbers

E 1.99:nrel/tp-253-4493
E 1.99: conf-920436--8
conf-920436--8
nrel/tp-253-4493

Subject(s)

Solar Energy

Other Subject(s)

Note

Published through SciTech Connect.
12/01/1991.
"nrel/tp-253-4493"
" conf-920436--8"
"DE92001181"
1992 ASME-JSES-KSES international solar energy conference, Maui, HI (United States), 4-8 Apr 1992.
Link, H.F.; Mehos, M.S.; Pacheco, K.A.
National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)

Funding Information

AC02-83CH10093

View MARC record | catkey: 14797273