Thermohydraulic Performance and Entropy Generation of a Triple-Pass Solar Air Heater with Three Inlets

Nguyen Minh Phu, Ngo Thien Tu and Nguyen Van Hap
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Nguyen Minh Phu: Faculty of Heat and Refrigeration Engineering, Industrial University of Ho Chi Minh City (IUH), 12 Nguyen Van Bao, Go Vap District, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Ngo Thien Tu: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam
Nguyen Van Hap: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology (HCMUT), 268 Ly Thuong Kiet, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 19, 1-19

Abstract: In this paper, a triple-pass solar air heater with three inlets is analytically investigated. The effects of airflow ratios of the second and third passes (ranging from 0 to 0.4), and the Reynolds number of the third pass (ranging from 8000 to 18,000) on the thermohydraulic efficiency and entropy generation are assessed. An absorber plate equipped with rectangular fins on both sides is used to enhance heat transfer. The air temperature change in the passes is represented by ordinary differential equations and solved by numerical integration. The results demonstrate that the effect of the third pass airflow ratio on the thermohydraulic efficiency and entropy generation is more significant than that of the second pass airflow ratio. The difference in air temperature through the collector shows an insignificant reduction, but the air pressure loss is only 50% compared with that of a traditional triple-pass solar air heater. Increasing the air flow ratios dramatically reduces entropy generation. Multi-objective optimization found a Reynolds number of 11,156 for both the airflow ratio of the second pass of 0.258 and airflow ratio of the third pass of 0.036 to be the an optimal value to achieve maximum thermohydraulic efficiency and minimum entropy generation.

Keywords: multiple pass heat exchanger; solar air heater; thermohydraulic efficiency; Pareto front; flow ratio (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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