Numerical analysis of solar air collector with trapezoidal ribbed absorber plate of indirect solar dryer: estimation of performance parameters with proposed pitch for better performance

Hari Krishna Mosuru and V. P. Chandramohan ()
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Hari Krishna Mosuru: National Institute of Technology Warangal
V. P. Chandramohan: National Institute of Technology Warangal

Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, 2025, vol. 27, issue 3, No 57, 7115-7139

Abstract: Abstract The heat transport mechanism in a solar air collector with a flat absorber sheet is a concern, and it needs to be improved. Corrugations on the absorber sheet can increase the performance. The present computational analysis used trapezoidal corrugations. ANSYS Fluent 15 was used to generate the domains and run the simulations. The realistic dimensions and working conditions of the solar air collector were chosen from the experimental setup of an indirect type solar dryer. Twelve 2D models were created with different pitches (p) (20–160 mm), and CFD simulations were performed for six Reynolds number (Re) from 2000 to 17,000, and hence, 72 sets of results were retrieved and analyzed. Velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, and temperature contours were estimated. Nusselt number (Nu), friction factor (ff) and their corresponding ratios (Nur and ffr) and thermo-hydraulic performance parameter (Thp) were calculated for both rough and smooth plates. The Nu was increased by 168% at p = 140 mm and Re of 17,000 compared with the smooth sheet. The Nu increase was 499.76% when Re increased from 2000 to 7000 at p = 100 mm. At Re of 2000, the maximum Thp value of 1.556 was obtained at p = 140 mm and hence p = 140 mm is proposed. The Nu and ff were compared with the analytical solution of the smooth plate and existing studies and found that the results match.

Keywords: Solar air collector; Absorber plate; Trapezoidal corrugations; Thermo-hydraulic performance parameter; Turbulence model (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s10668-023-04182-0

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