Experimental Studies on a Solar Air Heater Having V-Corrugated Absorber Plate with Obstacles Bent Vertically

Abstract:

A solar air heater (SAH) is a simple heater using solar radiation that is useful for drying or space heating. Unfortunately, heat transfer from the absorber plate to the air inside the solar air heater is low. Some researchers reported that obstacles are able to improve the heat transfer in a flat plate solar air collector and others found that a v-corrugated absorber plate gives better heat transfer than a flat plate. Yet, no work of combining these two findings is found.This paper describes the result of experimental study on a SAH with v-corrugated absorber plate and obstacles bent vertically started from 80^o to 0^o with interval 10^o on its bottom plate. Experiments were conducted indoor at five different Reynolds numbers (1447 Re 7237) and three different radiation intensities (430, 573, and 716 W/m²).It is found that the obstacles improve SAH performance. Both the air temperature rise and efficiency increase with inserting obstacles bent at any angle vertically. Unfortunately, the air pressure drop is increasing, too. Obstacles bent vertically at smaller angle (means more straight) give higher air temperature rise and efficiency. However, the optimum angle is found 30^o. The air temperature rise and efficiency will be 5.3% lower when the obstacles bent 30^o instead of 0^o, but the pressure drop will be 17.2% lower.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volume 493)
• Pages: 86-92
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.493.86
• Online since: January 2014
• Authors: Ekadewi A. Handoyo, Djatmiko Ichsani, Prabowo Prabowo, Sutardi Sutardi
• Keywords: Obstacle, Solar Air Heater, Solar Collector, V-Corrugated Absorber Plate

References

[1] L. Tao, X. L. Wen, F. G. Wen and X. L. Chan, A Parametric study on the termal performance of a solar air collector with a V-groove absorber, Int. J. of Green Energy, 4, p.601–622, (2007).

[2] M. A. Karim and M. N. A. Hawlader, Performance Investigation of Flat Plate, V-Corrugated and Finned Air Collector, Energy 31, pp.452-470, (2006).

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2005.03.007

[3] C. Choudhury and H. P. Garg, Design Analiysis of Corrugated and Flat Plate Solar Air Heaters., Renewable Energy Vol I, No. 5/6, p. p.595 – 607, (1991).

DOI: 10.1016/0960-1481(91)90003-8

[4] A. A. Bashria, N. M. Adam, S. M. Sapuan and M. Daud, Prediction Of The Thermal Performance Of Solar Air Heaters By Internet-Based Mathematical Simulation, Proc. of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, p.579 – 587, (2004).

DOI: 10.1243/0957650042584311

[5] P. Naphon, Heat transfer characteristics and pressure drop in channel with V corrugated upper and lower plates, Energy conversion and management 48, p.1516 – 1524, (2007).

DOI: 10.1016/j.enconman.2006.11.020

[6] Y. Islamoglu and C. Parmaksizoglu, The effect of channel height on the enhanced heat transfer characteristics in a corrugated heat exchanger channel, Applied Thermal Engineering 23, p.979–987, (2003).

DOI: 10.1016/s1359-4311(03)00029-2

[7] P. Promvonge, Heat transfer and pressure drop in a channel with multiple 60° V-baffles, Int. Com. in Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 37, p.835–840, (2010).

DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2010.04.003

[8] I. Kurtbas and E. Turgut, Experimental Investigation of Solar Air Heater with Free and Fixed Fins: Efficiency and Exergy Loss, Int. J. of Science & Technology, vol. Volume 1, no. No 1, pp.75-82., (2006).

[9] B. S. Romdhane, The air solar collectors: Comparative study, introduction of baffles to favor the heat transfer, Solar Energy, vol. 81, p.139 – 149, (2007).

DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2006.05.002

[10] C. -D. Ho, H. -M. Yeh and T. -C. Chen, Collector efficiency of upward-type double-pass solar air heaters with fins attached, Int. Com. in Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 38, p.49–56, (2011).

DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2010.09.015

[11] A. Abene, V. Dubois, M. Le Ray and A. Oagued, Study of a solar air flat plate collector: use of obstacle and application for the drying of grape, J. of Food Engineering, vol. 65, p.15 – 22, (2004).

DOI: 10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2003.11.002

[12] H. Esen, Experimental energy and exergy analysis of a double-flow solar air heater having different obstacles on absorber plates, Building and Environment, vol. 43, p.1046–1054, (2008).

DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2007.02.016

[13] E. K. Akpinar and F. Koçyiğit, Experimental investigation of thermal performance of solar air heater having different obstacles on absorber plates, Int. Com. in Heat and Mass Transfer, vol. 37, p.416–421, (2010).

DOI: 10.1016/j.icheatmasstransfer.2009.11.007

[14] A. Bekele, M. Mishra and S. Dutta, Effects of Delta-Shaped Obstacles on the Thermal Performance of Solar Air Heater, Hindawi Publishing Corporation: Advances in Mechanical Engineering, vol. 2011, p.10 pages, (2011).

DOI: 10.1155/2011/103502

[15] J. A. Duffie and W. A. Beckman, Solar Engineering Of Thermal Processes, 2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., (1991).