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Unconventional solar air heater with triangular flow-passage: A CFD based comparative performance assessment of different cross-sectional rib-roughnesses

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  • Kumar, Rajneesh
  • Goel, Varun

Abstract

Roughness is one of the effective and promising method to improve heat transfer through the solar air heater. The cross-sectional shape of roughness provided on the absorber plate shows a strong influence on solar air heater performance. In this work, the influence of various roughness-elements (such as semi-circular, circular, triangular, square, rectangular) has been investigated on flow dynamics as well as thermal characteristics of solar air heater and these geometries were investigated in triangular passage solar air heater. Commercial software is used for simulating heat and flow dynamics of roughened solar air under steady-state conditions. At Reynolds number of 18.7 × 103, the best thermohydraulic performance parameter (TPP) obtained is 2.75 for forward-chamfered rectangular rib (with e/w = 2). The maximum value of TPP obtained for various roughness geometries decrease in the order of 2.68, 2.57, 2.45, 2.06, 1.79, and 1.60 for backward-chamfered rectangular rib (with e/w = 2), rectangular rib (with e/w = 2), rectangular rib (with e/w = 0.67), square rib, semi-circular rib, and circular ribs, respectively.

Suggested Citation

  • Kumar, Rajneesh & Goel, Varun, 2021. "Unconventional solar air heater with triangular flow-passage: A CFD based comparative performance assessment of different cross-sectional rib-roughnesses," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1267-1278.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:172:y:2021:i:c:p:1267-1278
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2021.03.068
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    7. Hwi-Ung Choi & Kwang-Am Moon & Seong-Bhin Kim & Kwang-Hwan Choi, 2023. "CFD Analysis of the Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow Characteristics Using the Rectangular Rib Attached to the Fin Surface in a Solar Air Heater," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-18, March.
    8. Byeong-Hwa An & Kwang-Hwan Choi & Hwi-Ung Choi, 2023. "Heat Transfer Augmentation and Friction Factor Due to the Arrangement of Rectangular Turbulators in a Finned Air Channel of a Solar Air Heater," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-18, September.
    9. Çiftçi, Erdem & Khanlari, Ataollah & Sözen, Adnan & Aytaç, İpek & Tuncer, Azim Doğuş, 2021. "Energy and exergy analysis of a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) system used in solar dryer: A numerical and experimental investigation," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 410-423.
    10. Khanlari, Ataollah & Sözen, Adnan & Afshari, Faraz & Tuncer, Azim Doğuş, 2021. "Energy-exergy and sustainability analysis of a PV-driven quadruple-flow solar drying system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 1151-1166.

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