Modeling Solar Radiation at the Earth's Surface


Book Description

Solar radiation data is important for a wide range of applications, e.g. in engineering, agriculture, health sector, and in many fields of the natural sciences. A few examples showing the diversity of applications may include: architecture and building design, e.g. air conditioning and cooling systems; solar heating system design and use; solar power generation; evaporation and irrigation; calculation of water requirements for crops; monitoring plant growth and disease control; skin cancer research.







Prediction of Solar Radiation in Areas with a Specific Microclimate


Book Description

One of the main objectives of the European Community Programme on Solar Energy is to provide solar energy practitioners -- architects and engineers who design and implement both active and passive solar energy systems, including biomass and daylighting systems -- with well documented meteorological and climatological data so that they can estimate the solar radiation falling on a receiving surface for any location and at any time throughout the year. As a complement to its other landmark contributions in providing firm data to the solar energy community, the CEC launched a new, 36-month-long programme on 1 April 1986, which was intended to provide a better understanding of the relationship between climatic factors and solar radiation, determine the effect of anthropogenic pollution on the amount of usable solar energy, and establish sound models for the correlation between weather data, pollution, regional orography, coastal influence and the solar radiation pattern. The current volume presents the results of this research programme, gathered from eight characteristic sites in the EC. The first three chapters deal with the problem in general, present the environmental parameters which influence the radiation climate of a site, and explain the process of modelling microclimate solar radiation for a specific site. Chapter 4 deals with specific methods for evaluating microclimate solar radiation, using both a software package and a pocket calculator. Chapter 5 supplies extensive references.










Masters Theses in the Pure and Applied Sciences


Book Description

Masters Theses in the Pure and Applied Sciences was first conceived, published, and dis seminated by the Center for Information and Numerical Data Analysis and Synthesis (CINDAS) * at Purdue University in 1957, starting its coverage of theses with the academic year 1955. Beginning with Volume 13, the printing and dissemination phases of the ac tivity were transferred to University Microfilms/Xerox of Ann Arbor, Michigan, with the thought that such an arrangement would be more beneficial to the academic and general scientific and technical community. After five years of this joint undertaking we had concluded that it was in the interest of all concerned if the printing and distribution of the volume were handled by an international publishing. house to assure improved service and broader dissemination. Hence, starting with Volume 18, Masters Theses in the Pure and Applied Sciences has been disseminated on a worldwide basis by Plenum Publishing Corporation of New York, and in the same year the coverage was broadened to include Canadian universities. All back issues can also be ordered from Plenum. We have reported in Volume 25 (thesis year 1980) a total of 10,308 theses titles from 27 Canadian and 214 United States universities. We are sure that this broader base for theses titles reported will greatly enhance the value of this important annual reference work. While Volume 25 reports theses submitted in 1980, on occasion, certain universities do report theses submitted in previous years but not reported at the time.







An Introduction to Atmospheric Radiation


Book Description

Fundamentals of radiation for atmospheric applications -- Solar radiation at the top of the atmosphere -- Absorption and scattering of solar radiation in the atmosphere -- Thermal infrared radiation transfer in the atmosphere -- Light scattering by atmospheric particulates -- Principles of radiative transfer in planetary atmospheres -- Application of radiative transfer principles to remote sensing -- Radiation and climate.




Solar Energy Fundamentals and Modeling Techniques


Book Description

This book presents the methods of quantitative determination of solar irradiation incident amount on a surface on the Earth. It brings together information not found elsewhere in a single source, and includes an innovative exposition of expert system methodologies used in the domain of solar irradiation and energy. The book provides a background to the underlying physical principles of solar irradiation and energy, with explanations as to how these can be modelled and applied.