Reduced order models for flat-plate solar collectors

Reduced-order models are developed for partial differential system representing the dynamic behavior of the flat-plate solar collector system using SVD-based model reduction schemes. These schemes are applied to the high-order model representing the original system which is obtained from the exact infinite-dimensional system via Taylor series approximation of the irrational transfer function. A substantial order reduction is shown to be possible and the obtained reduced-order models are tractable for the purposes of simulation and control.