Determining the Thermal Properties of Deposits by Infrared Thermography in the Solar Thermal Energy System Piping and the Booster Heating

In a building equipped with solar thermal energy, the production of hot water is infected by the presence of scale or rust in the hot water distribution network. In this work, we have determined the thermal properties of deposits (rust and limestone) frequently encountered in hot water distribution networks. We calculated by simulation the thermal effusivity of deposits of steel water pipes from their surface temperatures. We considered the case of a semi-infinite solid composed of a layer of finite thickness above of a semi-infinite deposit. The obtained results can be applied in the control and the unclogging of the piping for the production of domestic hot water and the booster heating.