IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2022i1p591-d1019149.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Numerical Analysis of an Aerofoil Fin Integrated Double Pass Solar Air Heater for Thermal Performance Enhancement

Author

Listed:
  • Madhwesh Nagaraj

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India)

  • Manu Krishna Reddy

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India)

  • Arun Kumar Honnesara Sheshadri

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India)

  • Kota Vasudeva Karanth

    (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal 576104, Karnataka, India)

Abstract

The Solar Air Heater (SAH) is considered to be one of the promising devices for the utilization of solar radiation. Extracting more heat to the flowing air is the focus of researchers, and many novel ideas are adopted to improve the efficiency of such collectors. The objective of the present work is the enhancement of thermal performance using a numerical analysis of a single flow double pass solar air heater with two types of arrangements of aerofoil fin configurations. The effect of the aerofoil fin configurations and the height of the fin are investigated for their thermal and thermohydraulic efficiencies. The height of the fin varied parametrically for the Reynolds number ranging from 3000 to 24,000 by keeping the axial pitch of the fin as a constant. It is found that the thermal efficiency increases with the increase in fin height due to an increased flow turbulence causing more absorption of heat to the working fluid. However, it is seen that the varying height of the fin beyond a certain height has yielded an adverse effect in terms of lesser thermal efficiency due to the expected flow blockage in the main stream. The thermohydraulic efficiency increases as the height of the fin decreases. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results revealed that the optimum aerofoil fin configuration yields approximately a 23.24% higher thermal efficiency when compared with that of the single pass solar air heater (base model). The thermohydraulic efficiency exceeds the optimum aerofoil fin configuration compared with the base model by approximately 20.94%.

Suggested Citation

  • Madhwesh Nagaraj & Manu Krishna Reddy & Arun Kumar Honnesara Sheshadri & Kota Vasudeva Karanth, 2022. "Numerical Analysis of an Aerofoil Fin Integrated Double Pass Solar Air Heater for Thermal Performance Enhancement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-22, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:591-:d:1019149
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/1/591/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/1/591/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gao, Wenfeng & Lin, Wenxian & Liu, Tao & Xia, Chaofeng, 2007. "Analytical and experimental studies on the thermal performance of cross-corrugated and flat-plate solar air heaters," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 84(4), pages 425-441, April.
    2. Singh, Satyender, 2020. "Experimental and numerical investigations of a single and double pass porous serpentine wavy wiremesh packed bed solar air heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 145(C), pages 1361-1387.
    3. Kumar, Amit & Singh, Ajeet Pratap & Akshayveer, & Singh, O.P., 2022. "Performance characteristics of a new curved double-pass counter flow solar air heater," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 239(PA).
    4. Qader, Bootan S. & Supeni, E.E. & Ariffin, M.K.A. & Talib, A.R. Abu, 2019. "Numerical investigation of flow through inclined fins under the absorber plate of solar air heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 141(C), pages 468-481.
    5. Hwi-Ung Choi & Kwang-Hwan Choi, 2020. "CFD Analysis on the Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow of Solar Air Heater having Transverse Triangular Block at the Bottom of Air Duct," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(5), pages 1-19, March.
    6. Ravi, Ravi Kant & Saini, Rajeshwer Prasad, 2016. "A review on different techniques used for performance enhancement of double pass solar air heaters," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 941-952.
    7. Tandel, Hiren U. & Modi, Kalpesh V., 2022. "Experimental assessment of double-pass solar air heater by incorporating perforated baffles and solar water heating system," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 385-405.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vengadesan, Elumalai & Senthil, Ramalingam, 2020. "A review on recent developments in thermal performance enhancement methods of flat plate solar air collector," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 134(C).
    2. Hassan, Hamdy & Abo-Elfadl, Saleh & El-Dosoky, M.F., 2020. "An experimental investigation of the performance of new design of solar air heater (tubular)," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 151(C), pages 1055-1066.
    3. Varun Pratap Singh & Siddharth Jain & Ashish Karn & Ashwani Kumar & Gaurav Dwivedi & Chandan Swaroop Meena & Nitesh Dutt & Aritra Ghosh, 2022. "Recent Developments and Advancements in Solar Air Heaters: A Detailed Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-55, September.
    4. Hassan, Hamdy & Osman, Osman Omran & Abdelmoez, Mahmoud N. & abo-Elfadl, Saleh, 2023. "Energy and exergy evaluation of new design nabla shaped tubular solar air heater (∇ TSAH): Experimental investigation," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    5. Kabeel, A.E. & Hamed, Mofreh H. & Omara, Z.M. & Kandeal, A.W., 2017. "Solar air heaters: Design configurations, improvement methods and applications – A detailed review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 70(C), pages 1189-1206.
    6. Dong, Zhimin & Liu, Peng & Xiao, Hui & Liu, Zhichun & Liu, Wei, 2021. "A study on heat transfer enhancement for solar air heaters with ripple surface," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 477-487.
    7. Tuncer, Azim Doğuş & Khanlari, Ataollah, 2023. "Improving the performance of a triple-flow solar air collector using recyclable aluminum cans as extended heat transfer surfaces: An energetic, exergetic, economic and environmental survey," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 282(C).
    8. Chii-Dong Ho & Hsuan Chang & Ching-Fang Hsiao & Chien-Chang Huang, 2018. "Device Performance Improvement of Recycling Double-Pass Cross-Corrugated Solar Air Collectors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(2), pages 1-18, February.
    9. Chii-Dong Ho & Hsuan Chang & Zih-Syuan Hong & Chien-Chang Huang & Yu-Han Chen, 2020. "Increasing the Device Performance of Recycling Double-Pass W-Ribs Solar Air Heaters," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-16, April.
    10. Arunkumar, H.S. & Kumar, Shiva & Karanth, K. Vasudeva, 2020. "Analysis of a solar air heater for augmented thermohydraulic performance using helicoidal spring shaped fins-A numerical study," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 297-311.
    11. Hajabdollahi, Hassan, 2021. "Thermoeconomic assessment of integrated solar flat plat collector with cross flow heat exchanger as solar air heater using numerical analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 491-504.
    12. Byeong-Hwa An & Kwang-Hwan Choi & Hwi-Ung Choi, 2022. "Influence of Triangle-Shaped Obstacles on the Energy and Exergy Performance of an Air-Cooled Photovoltaic Thermal (PVT) Collector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-19, October.
    13. Akpinar, Ebru Kavak & Koçyigit, Fatih, 2010. "Energy and exergy analysis of a new flat-plate solar air heater having different obstacles on absorber plates," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(11), pages 3438-3450, November.
    14. Yang, Ming & Yang, Xudong & Li, Xing & Wang, Zhifeng & Wang, Pengsu, 2014. "Design and optimization of a solar air heater with offset strip fin absorber plate," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1349-1362.
    15. Rawal Diganjit & N. Gnanasekaran & Moghtada Mobedi, 2022. "Numerical Study for Enhancement of Heat Transfer Using Discrete Metal Foam with Varying Thickness and Porosity in Solar Air Heater by LTNE Method," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(23), pages 1-28, November.
    16. Mohammadi, K. & Sabzpooshani, M., 2013. "Comprehensive performance evaluation and parametric studies of single pass solar air heater with fins and baffles attached over the absorber plate," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 741-750.
    17. Kumar, Amit & Akshayveer, & Singh, Ajeet Pratap & Singh, O.P., 2022. "Investigations for efficient design of a new counter flow double-pass curved solar air heater," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 185(C), pages 759-770.
    18. Rashidi, Saman & Esfahani, Javad Abolfazli & Rashidi, Abbas, 2017. "A review on the applications of porous materials in solar energy systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 1198-1210.
    19. Chii Dong Ho & Hsuan Chang & Rei Chi Wang & Chun Sheng Lin, 2013. "Analytical and Experimental Study of Recycling Baffled Double-Pass Solar Air Heaters with Attached Fins," Energies, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-22, March.
    20. Rawal Diganjit & Nagaranjan Gnanasekaran & Moghtada Mobedi, 2023. "Thermohydraulic Efficiency of a Solar Air Heater in the Presence of Graded Aluminium Wire Mesh—A Combined Experimental–Numerical Study," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-32, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2022:i:1:p:591-:d:1019149. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.