Session: 03-13-02: Testing and Characterization

Paper Number: 158480

158480 - Energy and Exergy Experimental Analysis for Innovative Finned Plate Solar Air Heater 

The solar air heater (SAH) is one of the simplest and most basic solar thermal energy devices for producing safe, clean, and long-lasting hot air. Suitable for a wide range of applications, such as agricultural drying. As a result, the rate of heat transfer from the absorber plate to the moving air can be enhanced utilizing a variety of heat transfer improvement technologies, both passive and active. There has been continuous development of solar air heaters because of their extensive range of uses, as well as the flat plate SAH's poor heat transfer efficiency. As a result, researchers have been increasingly interested in ongoing adjustments to the absorption plate. As a result, much experimental research for diverse industrial/domestic air heating applications has focused on developing an acceptable, efficient, and simple design using readily available materials. While there has been various research to surface alteration improves the absorber plate's efficacy, the influence of Straight interrupted fins on SAH performance has yet to be determined. Furthermore, most research focused solely on improving the absorption plate's performance without considering the SAH's operational variables, the most essential of which is the suitable inclination angle that produces the maximum potential efficiency according on the test site. In this current experimental work, an aluminum absorption panel with novel Straight interrupted fins arranged in a V-shaped pattern was created and tested in the hot temperature of Saudi Arabia. The main goal of this research is to create an effective absorption plate to maximize the quantity and quality of energy gained, as well as to determine the optimal inclination angle at which the heater may be positioned based on energy and exergy analysis. At current experimental work, a flat absorber plate of a solar air heater (SAH) with innovative straight interrupted fins arranged in a V-shaped pattern is analyzed using energy and exergy approaches, as the literature clearly shows that energy experts continue to be concerned about flat plate SAH's low rate of heat transfer. The aluminum finned absorption plate was designed, manufactured, and tested during the summer in Saudi Arabia, examining the effect of changing the SAH tilt angle of θ=0º, θ=10º, θ=20º, and θ=30º. The study found that tilting the SAH at θ=10º, θ=20º, and θ=30º increases the hot air exit temperature by 7.5%, 15.7%, and 12.5%, respectively, compared to the horizontal position at θ=0º. Tilting the SAH to θ=20º increased absorbed solar radiation and air draft, resulting in 38.2% SAH energy efficiency, 26.4% exergy efficiency, and a 1.36 sustainability index that increased by 5.5%, 12.8% and 3.8% compared to the horizontal position θ=0º.

Presenting Author: Abdullah Alrashidi Northern Border University

Presenting Author Biography: ASSISTANT PROFESSOR AT MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT AND VICE DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING